Location of sham acupoints used in the sham acupuncture group
| Sham acupoints | Location |
| Sham acupoint 1 | Midpoint of Shuaigu (GB8) and Touwei (ST8) |
| Sham acupoint 2 | Midpoint of Touwei (ST8) and Yangbai (GB14) |
| Sham acupoint 3 | Midpoint between Tianyou (SJ16) and Tianrong (SI17) |
| Sham acupoint 4 | 4 cun above the umbilicus and 1 cun right of the umbilical midline |
| Sham acupoint 5 | 2 cun below the umbilicus and 1 cun right of the umbilical midline |
| Sham acupoint 6 | 1 cun outside the point 1/4 of the line between Shenmen (HT7) and Shaohai (HT3) |
| Sham acupoint 7 | 1 cun outside the midpoint of Shenmen (HT7) and Shaohai (HT3) |
| Sham acupoint 8 | 6 cun above mediosuperior border of the patella |
| Sham acupoint 9 | 3 cun below the Yanglingquan (GB34) and in the middle of the gall bladder and bladder channels |
| Sham acupoint 10 | Midpoint between Jiexi (ST 41) and Qiuxu (GB40) |
| Sham acupoint 11 | 2 cun from the lower border of the spinous process of the fifth thoracic vertebra |
| Sham acupoint 12 | 2 cun from the lower border of the spinous process of the sixth thoracic vertebra |