Bee venom acupuncture combined with standard medication showed the greatest improvement in Parkinson disease motor symptoms among compared acupuncture approaches.
The study systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials comparing standard levodopa treatment alone or combined with electroacupuncture, manual acupuncture, bee venom acupuncture, or sham acupuncture in people with idiopathic Parkinson disease. Researchers assessed study quality using a Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and combined direct and indirect comparisons through a random-effects network meta-analysis, focusing on motor function and daily activity scores.
Bee venom acupuncture added to standard medication ranked highest for improving motor function and daily activities. Manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture also appeared more beneficial than standard medication alone, whereas sham acupuncture showed less benefit, suggesting that acupuncture modality may influence treatment effects.
