ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder that imposes heavy burden on individuals and society. Asan external therapy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), moxibustion is usually used to treat IBS-D. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of moxibustion in treating patients with IBS-D. METHODS: A systematic search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported the use of moxibustion in IBS-D treatment was performed in eight databases. RESULTS: Eleven RCTs including 725 participants meet the inclusion criteria. Compared with other positive treatments (Western medicine, TCM prescription, and acupuncture), moxibustion treatment had superior effects against IBS-D according to the meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: This systematic review provided preliminary research evidence that moxibustion is effective in treating IBS-D. Rigorously designed and large-scale RCTs are required to provide more robust evidence in this area.