Efficacy of combined treatment with acupuncture and bee venom acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for idiopathic Parkinson's disease: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial

Background: In light of the limitations of conventional therapy in PD, there has been an increasing amount of interest and research in complementary and alternative therapies. In our previous pilot study, acupuncture and bee venom acupuncture (BVA) showed promising Results as potential adjuvant therapies for idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture and BVA for IPD through a sham‐controlled trial. We also investigated whether there is a sustained therapeutic effect by completing follow‐up assessments after treatment completion. Methods: We performed a single center, double‐blind, 3‐armed, randomized controlled clinical trial. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to the active treatment group, sham treatment group, or conventional treatment group. The active treatment group received acupuncture and BVA, and the sham group received sham acupuncture and normal saline injections, twice a week for 12 weeks. We performed clinical assessments at baseline and at 12, 16, and 20 weeks. Results: A total of 73 eligible patients were randomly assigned to the active treatment, sham treatment, or conventional treatment group and 63 patients provided a complete data set of assessments, including a final follow‐up. After 12 weeks of treatment, a significant difference was observed between the active treatment group and the conventional treatment group. After the end of the treatment, the treatment effects were maintained significantly in the active treatment group only. Conclusions: It is suggested that the combined treatment of acupuncture and BVA might be safe and useful adjunctive treatment for patients with IPD.