The sham-laser acupuncture treatment consisted of 5 sessions, all patients completed a recovery time after treatment of 30 min duration. The sessions were administered over a period of 5 weeks (one session per week). Sham-laser acupuncture was applied at the same points as the acupuncture treatment. A deactivated laser pen (Seirin, 3B Scientific GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) that could only beam normal red light rather than laser was used. The total number of acupuncture points utilized was equal to the acupuncture group. Every point was treated for 30 sec with the total treatment time of 20 minutes.

The treatment consisted of 5 sessions, all patients completed a recovery time after treatment of 30 min duration. The sessions were administered over a period of 5 weeks (one session per week). The acupuncture treatment was semi-standardised. It consisted of a basic pool of 6 body acupuncture points. Five additional acupuncture body points together with auricular points formed an individual pool. After needle insertion, the needle was manipulated until the subject obtained the de-Qi response (a deep aching or full feeling at the needle, [22]). After obtaining the de-Qi response, there was no further manipulation of the needle. Each session lasted 20 minutes.

The treatment consisted of 5 sessions, all patients completed a recovery time after treatment of 30 min duration. The sessions were administered over a period of 5 weeks (one session per week). The acupuncture treatment was semi-standardised. It consisted of a basic pool of 6 body acupuncture points. Five additional acupuncture body points together with auricular points formed an individual pool. After needle insertion, the needle was manipulated until the subject obtained the de-Qi response (a deep aching or full feeling at the needle, [22]). After obtaining the de-Qi response, there was no further manipulation of the needle. Each session lasted 20 minutes.