Controversies in acupuncture research: Selection of controls and outcome measures in acupuncture clinical trials

This paper summarizes the scientific session and round-table discussion on acupuncture research held during the North American Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine, sponsored by the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine (CAHCIM), at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, May 24-27, 2006. The session. panelists, co-sponsored by the Society for Acupuncture Research, focused on two main challenges in the design of acupuncture clinical trials: selection of appropriate controls and outcome measures. What follows are highlights of each presentation, as provided by the panelist, as well as an edited transcript of the discussion.