| 1) Acupuncture rationale | 1a) Style of Acupuncture | Electroacupuncture |
| 1b) Reasoning for treatment provided | 1) Textbook of acupuncture and moxbusition medicine2) Consensus of DKMs |
| 1c) Extent to which treatment was varied | Standardized treatment |
| 2) Details of Acupuncture | 2a) Number of needle insertions per subject per session | 6-10 needles |
| 2b) Names (or location if no standard name) of points used | 1) Fixed Acupoints : ST7, ST6, LI42) Depending on the symptoms presented by the patient, the attending doctor of Korean medicine may perform additional acupuncture procedures at up to 4 acupoints at their discretion.3) In the case of lymphedema and if the subject refuses, acupuncture at acupoints near the swelling site may be omitted. |
| 2c) Depth of insertion | 5-20㎜ |
| 2d) Response sought | De-qi |
| 2e) Needle stimulation | Delivering electrical stimulation at 2Hz, with the intensity adjusted such that the subject perceives the stimulation without discomfort. |
| 2f) Needle retention time | 15 min |
| 2g) Needle type | Sterilized stainless steel needle measuring 0.30㎜ in width and 30㎜ inlength (Dongbang Medical co., Boryung, Korea) |
| 3) Treatment regimen | 3a) Number of treatment sessions | 8 sessions |
| 3b) Frequency and duration of treatment sessions | twice a week for 8 weeks |
| 4) Other components of treatment | 4a) Details of other interventionsadministered to theacupuncture group | - Brochures related to oral hygiene education guidelines are distributed to all participants and education is provided.- Concurrent therapies that are deemed likely to influence the clinical trial evaluation indicators other than the treatments provided in this clinical trial are prohibited. |
| 4b) Setting and context of treatment | The therapist restricts all unrelated conversations with the patient beyond those necessary for treatment. |
| 5) Practitioner background | Description of participating acupuncturists | A doctor of Korean medicine with over one year of clinical experience. |
| 6) Control and comparator interventions | 6a) Rationale for the control or comparator in the context of the research question, with sources that justify this choice | not applicable |
| 6c) Precise description of the control or comparator | not applicable |