A Review of Recent Clinical Studies of Acupuncture Treatment for Hiccups - PubMed and Domestic Studies

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to summarize current clinical study trends and results regarding acupuncture treatments for hiccups.Methods: Studies published from 2012 to 2022 were searched on PubMed and domestic databases (OASIS, scienceON, RISS, KISS, KCI) using the keywords “hiccup*”, “singultus”, “singultation”, “hiccupping”, “intractable hiccup*”, “acupuncture”, “auricular acupuncture”, “scalp acupuncture”, “acupuncture point”, “acupoint”, “needle”, “dry needle”, “딸꾹질”, and “침.” The studies were analyzed according to the year, language, study design, characteristics of patients, and acupuncture intervention.Results: In total, 12 studies were selected: 8 case series, 2 case-control studies, and 2 case reports. Manual acupuncture was administered with more than 15 minutes of retention time, most frequently using ST36 and CV12. The acupuncture treatment was effective for hiccup symptoms in all studies, as assessed by clinical symptoms, such as duration time, number of episodes, and recurrence.Conclusions: Acupuncture treatment can be an effective and safe method for treating hiccups and can be used in clinical practice.