Abdominal massage for chronic constipation in the elderly: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic constipation (CC) is a highly prevalent health challenge that is particularly challenging to treat in elderly patients. Although lifestyle guidance and laxative therapy often yield positive outcomes, patients occasionally struggle with maintaining dietary control. Therefore, identifying an economical and safe alternative therapy to the existing treatment methods documented in the international literature is necessary. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of abdominal massage in elderly patients with CC to provide a basis for future mechanistic research. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Electronic searches will be conducted to identify clinical randomised controlled trials in various databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, Embase, Airiti Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Databases, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database and Wan Fang Database. Relevant data will be extracted, and a meta-analysis will be conducted using Reviewer Manager V.5.4. Quality and risk assessments of the included studies will be performed, and the outcome indicators of the trials will be observed. This review will evaluate abdominal massage as a treatment option for relieving symptoms and improving quality of life in elderly patients with CC. Moreover, it will provide additional insights for clinical treatment and mechanistic studies. The search will be performed following the publication of this protocol (estimated to occur on 30 December 2023). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As this is a literature review, ethics approval will not be required. We will disseminate the findings of this study to publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as presentations at relevant national and international conferences. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023408629.

Systematic review protocol of yoga therapy as a modality in occupational therapy practice for adults experiencing mood disorders.

INTRODUCTION: Mood disorders can have a negative impact on daily functioning because cognitive deficits are exacerbated when individuals experience associated symptoms. Nevertheless, yoga therapy has been found to have enhancing features to well-being and quality of life. Occupational therapists are well positioned to include yoga as a modality to benefit clients experiencing mood disorders. However, literature on yoga interventions for mood disorders is underdeveloped causing an inadequate understanding of the health benefits. Thus, the aim of this study is to gain further knowledge associated with the implications of yoga as an intervention to increase participation in activities of daily living and enhance the quality of life of individuals experiencing mood disorders. This review will answer the following research question: can yoga therapy be used as an effective modality in occupational therapy practice to manage symptomatology related to mood disorders through increasing engagement in daily tasks? METHODS AND ANALYSIS: OVID Medline, Embase as well as CINAHL Plus, Cochrane Library (Wiley), APA PsycINFO and Scopus will be explored to adhere to the following criteria: (1) studies discussing adults diagnosed with mood disorders, specifically bipolar and related disorders or depressive disorders as stated in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5; (2) studies discussing implementation of yoga therapy; (3) a correlation between mood disorders and effectiveness of yoga therapy. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval is not applicable for this study, due to obtaining data from existing research articles. The completed manuscript will be submitted in a peer-reviewed journal for publication. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021283157.

Renal-protective effects of Chinese medicinal herbs and compounds for diabetic kidney disease in animal models: protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a common and severe complication of diabetes that can lead to end-stage renal disease with no cure. The first-line drugs recommended by clinical guidelines fail to achieve satisfactory effects for people with DKD. A Chinese herbal medicine Tangshen Qushi Formula (TQF) shows preliminary efficacy and safety in preserving renal function for people with DKD, but the effects on comprehensive renal outcomes remain unclear. We will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of TQF herbs and their compounds identified from ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-MS/MS in diabetic animal models with renal outcomes. METHODS: This protocol complies with the guideline Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. We will include studies investigating the effects of TQF herbs and compounds on diabetic rats or mice with renal outcomes. Six electronic databases will be searched from their inception to February 2023. Quality assessment will be conducted using SYRCLE's risk of bias tool. Standardized or weighted mean differences will be estimated for renal outcomes (creatinine, urea, proteinuria, histological changes, oxidative stress, inflammation, and kidney fibrosis). Data will be pooled using random-effects models. Heterogeneity across studies will be expressed as I2. Sensitivity analyses will explore treatment effects in adjusted models and within subgroups. Funnel plots and Egger's test will be used to explore publication bias. DISCUSSION: The results of this review will provide valuable insights into the potential effects of TQF in managing DKD. The limitation is that the included studies will be animal studies from specific databases, and the interpretation of the findings must be cautious. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42023432895. Registered on 19 July 2023 ( https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#recordDetails ).

The effect of music therapy on delirium in patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support in the Intensive Care Unit: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is a very common sick syndrome in patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Music therapy is a promising non-pharmacological intervention. However, its effect on the duration, incidence and severity of delirium is unknown. So we will perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of music therapy on delirium in patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support in the ICU. METHODS: This systematic review was registered in the PROSPERO. We will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocol to accomplish the systematic review protocol. Searches of PubMed, EMbase, the Cochrane library, CBM, CNKI and Wanfang databases will be conducted through computer to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of music therapy on delirium in patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support in the ICU. The search time will be all from database establishment to April 2023. Two evaluators will independently screen the literature, extract information and evaluate the risk of bias of included studies, then data analysis will be performed using Stata 14.0 software. RESULTS: The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis will be publicly available and published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: This study will provide evidence-based medical evidence for music therapy to control delirium in patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support in the ICU.

Comparative effectiveness of external therapies of traditional Chinese medicine and surgical treatments in pain management of postherpetic neuralgia: A protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: As the most common long-term complication of herpes zoster (HZ), postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is characterized by chronic, persistent, and debilitating neuropathic pain. PHN seriously harms human health and currently becomes a topic of clinical importance. To date, the common methods of pain management in PHN include external therapies of traditional Chinese medicine and surgical treatments. However, there is no high-quality or direct evidence of their comparative effectiveness. This review aims to provide a network meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of external therapies of traditional Chinese medicine and surgical treatments in the pain management of PHN. METHODS: Databases such as PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biology Medicine Disc will be searched for relevant randomized controlled trials to obtain literatures on the treatment of PHN with external therapies of traditional Chinese medicine and surgical treatments, and clinical randomized controlled trials will be screened out from their inception to August 5, 2022. The participant intervention comparator outcomes of this study are as flowing: P, patients with PHN; I, external therapies of traditional Chinese medicine and surgical treatments; C, no treatment, pharmacological placebo, treatment as usual or sham acupuncture groups; O, primary outcome is pain intensity, and secondary outcomes are onset of pain relief time, quality of life, therapeutic effective rate and reverse effects. Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool will be used in assessing literature's quality. Network meta-analyses will be conducted to generate estimates of comparative effectiveness of each intervention class and rankings of their effectiveness, in terms of pain management. RESULT: This systematic review and network meta-analysis will provide evidence of the efficacy of different therapeutic methods for pain management in PHN, to show which forms of therapy are more commonly used with higher effectiveness. DISCUSSION: The results will systematically provide suggestions for medical practitioners to choose effective, time-saving and economical pain management method for PHN.

Efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of foot drop in post-stroke: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Foot drop is a common complication in post-stroke. Patients with foot drop are at high risk for falls and fall-related injuries. Accordingly, it can reduce independence and quality of life in patients. Clinical studies have confirmed that acupuncture is effective in treating foot drop in post-stroke. However, there is a lack of systematic review exploring the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment. This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of foot drop in poststroke from the results of randomized controlled trials. METHODS: We will search articles in 8 electronic databases including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang Data Database, and the Chinese Scientific Journal Database for RCTs of acupuncture treated foot drop in post-stroke from their inception to 10 August 2022. We will analyze the data meeting the inclusion criteria with the RevMan V.5.4 software. Two authors will assess the quality of the study with the Cochrane collaborative risk bias tool. We will evaluate the certainty of the estimated evidence with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) method. Data analysis will be performed using STATA 16.0. RESULTS: This study will review and evaluate the available evidence for the treatment of foot drop in post-stroke using acupuncture. CONCLUSION SUBSECTIONS: This study will determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture applied to post-stroke individuals with foot drop.

Exploring women's experiences participating in yoga after a cancer diagnosis: a protocol for a meta-synthesis.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of yoga for clinical and non-clinical populations have been summarized in published systematic reviews. The vast majority of systematic reviews on the topic are syntheses of quantitative research that evaluated the effects of yoga. As qualitative research related to women's experiences participating in yoga after a cancer diagnosis is growing in quantity, systematic synthesis and integration of qualitative research are necessary to facilitate the transfer of knowledge. This paper describes the protocol for a meta-synthesis of qualitative research exploring women's experiences participating in yoga after a cancer diagnosis. METHODS: Using a meta-study methodology, six electronic databases were searched to identify relevant articles. Additionally, the reference lists of relevant articles retrieved during the electronic database search were scanned to identify other relevant articles. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts, retaining those that appeared to relate to the review objectives. Next, they reviewed the retained full-text articles to assess eligibility according to four inclusion criteria. They will extract data from eligible studies and assess the quality of included studies. Data analysis will involve three main analytical steps: meta-data analysis, meta-method analysis, and meta-theory analysis. Findings from the three analytical steps will be interpreted collectively to generate additional insights beyond the findings of the primary studies to facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of women's experiences participating in yoga after a cancer diagnosis. DISCUSSION: By systematically collecting, analysing, and interpreting findings across multiple primary qualitative studies, we will develop an overarching narrative and interpretation of the role and value of yoga for women diagnosed with cancer. A synthesis of qualitative research is vital as it embraces the heterogeneity of the research so as to provide important context for understanding the experiences of various women participating in yoga. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42021229253.

A comprehensive search string informed by an operational definition of complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine for systematic bibliographic database search strategies.

BACKGROUND: Determining which therapies fall under the umbrella of complementary, alternative, and/or integrative medicine (CAIM) is difficult for several reasons. An operational definition is dynamic, and changes depending on both historical time period and geographical location, with many countries integrating or considering their traditional system(s) of medicine as conventional care. We have previously reported the first operational definition of CAIM informed by a systematic search. In the present study, we have developed a comprehensive search string informed by an operational definition of CAIM for systematic bibliographic database search strategies. METHODS: We developed a single search string for the most common bibliographic databases, including those searchable on the OVID platform (e.g., MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, AMED), the EBSCO platform (e.g., ERIC, CINAHL), Scopus, and Web of Science, using the finalised operational definition of CAIM's 604 therapies. We searched the Therapeutic Research Center's "Natural Medicines" database for all 604 therapies, and each item's scientific name and/or synonym was included as a keyword or phrase in the search string. RESULTS: This developed search string provides a standardised list of CAIM terms (i.e., keywords and phrases) that may be searched on bibliographic databases including those found on the OVID platform (e.g., MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, AMED), the EBSCO platform (e.g., ERIC, CINAHL), Scopus, and Web of Science. CONCLUSION: Researchers can select relevant terms for their CAIM study and insert the keywords/phrases into these databases to receive all accessible data. This search technique can simply be copied and pasted into the search bar of each database to identify research by keywords, which is the most inclusive, or by words in the article title, which is more selective. Given its versatility across multiple commonly used academic platforms/databases, it is expected that this search string will be of great value to those conducting research on CAIM topics involving systematic search strategies.

Acupuncture for headache in COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease which making people difficult to breathe and often accompanied with headache. Acupuncture have been proved the therapeutic effect on headache, but there has been no high-quality evidence on acupuncture for the headache in COVID-19. This study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for headache in COVID-19. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials from December 2019 to July 2021 will be included without restrictions on language or publication date. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Databases, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, and VIP database will be searched. Two researchers will independently select studies, extract data and evaluate study quality. Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials will be used to assess the risk of bias of included studies. Statistical analyses will be performed using the Review Manager V.5.3 and stata 14.0. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study will not involve personal information. Ethical approval will not be required. We will publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021270722.

Agreement of Risk-of -Bias varied in systematic reviews on acupuncture and was associated with methodological quality.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to evaluate the consistency of risk of bias assessments for overlapping randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included in systematic reviews (SRs) on acupuncture. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Databases were searched for acupuncture SRs. A weighted kappa (κ) statistic was calculated, and logistic regression was used to explore the factors of disagreements. RESULTS: We included 241 RCTs from 109 SRs on acupuncture. The percentage disagreements ranged from 25% to 44%, with moderate agreement for random sequence generation (κ = 0.57), allocation concealment (κ = 0.50), and incomplete outcome data (κ = 0.50), besides fair agreement for blinding of participants and personnel (κ = 0.44), blinding of outcome assessment (κ = 0.31), and selective reporting (κ = 0.39). Only 19% RCTs were evaluated completely consistent. Methodological quality (random sequence generation, odds ratio (OR) = 3.46), international cooperation (allocation concealment, OR = 0.14; incomplete outcome data, OR = 0.14; selective reporting, OR = 0.05), and risk of bias reporting completeness score (selective reporting, OR = 0.53) significantly affected the relative odds of disagreements. CONCLUSION: The level of agreement varied from fair to moderate agreement depending on the risk of bias domain. Methodological quality appears to be an overarching factor to account for disagreements.

Challenging procedures used in systematic reviews by promoting a case-based approach to the analysis of qualitative methods in nursing trials.

This methodological discussion invites critical reflection about the procedures used to analyze the contribution of qualitative and mixed methods research to nursing trials by mounting an argument that these should rest on multiple publications produced about a project, rather than a single article. We illustrate the value-added of this approach with findings from a qualitative, cross-case analysis of three critical case exemplars from nursing researchers that each used a qualitative approach with a mixed method phase. The holistic lens afforded by a case-based approach informs nursing inquiry by documenting that the critical case exemplars presented evidence of (a) a sustained commitment of resources and expertise for the qualitative methods that extended across more than one phase of the trial, (b) the impact of the qualitative methods on the trial or its aftermath, (c) deploying a theoretical or conceptual framework for a variety of purposes, and (d) integrating qualitative and quantitative data for purposes of extending explanatory power. Findings challenge the practice of linking purposes served by qualitative and mixed methods to a single trial phase.

Evaluation on curative effects of ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid chelation therapy in treating with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) is a chelating agent which attach to metals such as calcium and enables their elimination. In particular, some researchers suggest chelation with EDTA to treat cardiovascular disease with the hypothesis of moderating calcium to decrease atherosclerotic calcification of arteries. However, chelation with EDTA therapeutic effects in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is still unclear. Therefore, we propose to undertake a meta-analysis to assess the curative effects of EDTA chelation therapy in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. METHODS: In the current study, we set to perform a systematic literature search using the electronic databases of 4 most commonly used English databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov trials register), as well as 3 most commonly employed Chinese databases (China Nation Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang, and VIP), from the date of database inception until September 30, 2020 to identify relevant randomized controlled studies of the evaluation on curative effects of EDTA chelation therapy in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In the study, 2 authors worked independently to screen search results, chose studies for inclusion, then they extracted pertinent data to evaluate and study quality based on Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool V.2.0. Additionally, we will address discrepancies by consultation with a third author. We also intend to use pooled risk ratio (RR) and pooled mean difference (MD) or pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) to approximate the relative strength of curative effects of EDTA chelation therapy in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: The results of the current study will systematically assess curative effects of EDTA chelation therapy in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: The study will infer the currently published evidence to evaluate curative effects of EDTA chelation therapy in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which might be beneficial to these patients. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The present study is a systematic review, hence the pooled results are founded upon the published evidence. Therefore, ethical approval is not necessary for the study. OPEN SCIENCE FRAMEWORK REGISTRATION NUMBER: October 20, 2020.osf.io/tvmk8. (https://osf.io/tvmk8/).

Vitamin D supplementation for improving children with bone mineral density: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is usually one of the less perceived complications of chronic illness among children. Previous studies have shown that vitamin D supplementation may be valuable to bone density, especially among children with a deficiency of vitamin D. Yet, the results often remain inconsistent. Therefore, the present study investigates the clinical therapeutic effects of vitamin D supplementation to enhance children with bone mineral density. METHODS: We will search the randomised controlled experiment literature of vitamin D supplementation for bone mineral density, focusing on children, in 3 distinct English databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE via PubMed, and Cochrane Library) and 2 specific Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and WanFang databases). Additionally, we intend to explore the Clinical Trials.gov, reference lists of identified publication and the grey literature. Accordingly, we will use 2 independent authors to screen the literature, extract data, and research quality assessment. We will carry out all statistical analyses using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: We will systematically evaluate the clinical therapeutic effects of vitamin D supplementation to enhance children with bone mineral density. CONCLUSION: The present study will summarise the currently published pieces of evidence of vitamin D supplementation for bone mineral density in children to further comprehend its promotion and application. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The present study is a systematic review and meta-analysis founded upon existing or published studies; therefore, ethical approval is not applicable. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: October 24, 2020. osf.io/7vtey. (https://osf.io/7vtey/).

Efficacy of Chinese herbal injections combined with fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Fluoropyrimidine combined with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy have become the first-line treatment for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). Chinese herbal injections (CHIs), as an important part of TCM, have been widely applied as adjunctive treatments to chemotherapy in patients with advanced CRC. However, the efficacy of this combination therapy has not been evaluated comprehensively. METHODS: We will conduct this systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance with the Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. 7 databases will be searched for related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from their inception to August 31, 2020: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP), SinoMED and Wanfang Database. Two researchers will perform study selection, data extraction, and assessment of risk of bias independently. The primary outcomes are the disease control rate (DCR) and the objective response rate (ORR), the secondary outcomes are progression-free survival (PFS), survival rate, quality of life (QoL) and adverse effects. Cochrane Review Manager (RevMan 5.3) software will be used to analyze the outcomes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: This systematic review will evaluate the efficacy of CHIs and fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for advanced CRC so as to provide valuable evidence to the application of CHIs in advanced CRC. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: INPLASY registration number: INPLASY2020100050.

Massage treatment of hyperplasia of mammary glands: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: With the accelerated pace of life, the problems of residence, diet, and environment have occurred frequently in recent years. External factors are easily to cause endocrine disorders and hormone sensitivity of breast tissue, which can lead to mammary hyperplasia. The incidence rate of hyperplasia of mammary glands is increasing year by year, and the age of onset is also getting lower and lower. If not treated in time, there is a crisis of breast cancer.Clinical studies have found that massage is widely used in clinical treatment of mammary hyperplasia recently, but the efficacy of massage in the treatment of mammary hyperplasia has not been systematically reviewed. The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy, safety and effectiveness of massage in the treatment of hyperplasia of mammary glands. METHODS: We will search PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of controlled trials (central), ScienceNet, EMBASE, CBM, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang databases. The retrieval date was October 20, 2020. RevMan 5.3 software was used to evaluate the quality and risk of included studies. The efficacy, recurrence rate, and symptom score of breast hyperplasia were analyzed, and the results were observed and measured. RESULTS: This study will be from the clinical efficiency, improvement rate, pain symptoms disappear rate, tumor size improvement rate and other aspects of the existing evidence for a high quality synthesis, as well as massage adverse events. CONCLUSION: the conclusion of this review will provide the basis for judging whether massage is safe and effective in the treatment of hyperplasia of mammary glands. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This systematic will evaluate the effectiveness and safety of massage in the treatment of hyperplasia of mammary glands. As all data used in this systematic review and meta-analysis have been published, ethical approval is not required for this review. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020100066.

A comparison of the effects of acupoint injection combined with hyaluronic acid versus isolated hyaluronic acid for knee osteoarthritis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a kind of degenerative osteoarthropathy, which causes joint pain and limited mobility, seriously affects the quality of life of the patient. Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture and moxibustion has been widely used to treat KOA, and acupoint injection is 1 of the acupuncture treatment methods. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of Acupoint injection combined with Hyaluronic Acid injection compared with isolated Hyaluronic Acid injection for KOA. METHODS: We will search articles in 7 electronic databases including Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, Chinese databases SinoMed, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. All the publications, with no time restrictions, will be searched without any restriction of language and status, the time from the establishment of the database to October 2020. Two reviewers will independently assess the quality of the selected studies, NoteExpress and Excel software will be used to extract data, and the content will be stored in an electronic chart. Different researchers will separately screen the titles and abstracts of records acquired potential eligibility which comes from the electronic databases. Full-text screening and data extraction will be conducted afterward independently. Statistical analysis will be conducted using RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS: This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Acupoint injection combined with Hyaluronic Acid injection compared with isolated Hyaluronic Acid injection in the treatment of KOA, to provide high-quality, evidence-based clinical recommendations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020100058 CONCLUSION:: This study will provide reliable evidence on whether Acupoint injection combined with Hyaluronic Acid injection compared with isolated Hyaluronic Acid injection is more effective in treating KOA.

Effect of acupuncture of sphenopalatine ganglion for the treatment of allergic rhinitis: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis is an allergic disease of the nasal mucosa mediated by IgE after the body is exposed to allergens. Acupuncture of sphenoid ganglion is a new technique developed by Professor Li Xinwu in the 1860 s to treat allergic rhinitis the efficacy of acupuncture on the sphenopalatine ganglion in the treatment of AR has been clinically verified, but a systematic review and meta-analysis of them is lacking. Our purpose is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on the sphenopalatine ganglion in the treatment of AR. METHODS: We will search 8 electronic databases, including: Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang, VIP, WHO ICTRP, ChiCTR, Clinical Trials, Grey Literature Database. The literature search, screening and extraction will be carried out independently by 2 researchers. When the opinions are not uniform, it depends on the opinion of the third researcher. We will use RevmanV.5.3 to perform a fixed-effect meta-analysis on the date of clinical homogeneity studies, and the level of evidence will pass GRADE method. RESULTS: This systematic review and meta-analysis will put a high-quality synthesis of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture of sphenoid ganglion treatment in AR. CONCLUSION: The review will provide a comprehensive basis for the treatment of AR patients with acupuncture on the sphenopalatine ganglion. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Since this article does not involve patient privacy, ethical approval is not required. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020100067.

Efficacy and safety of complementary and alternative medicine therapy for gastroparesis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Gastroparesis affects the quality of life of many patients, but there is no effective treatment. Now, complementary and alternative medicine originated from China is gradually accepted by the world because of its unique treatment principles and relatively safe treatment methods. However, at present, there is still a lack of more definitive clinical application evidence for the treatment of gastroparesis with complementary and alternative medicine to confirm the safety and efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of gastroparesis caused by various causes. More comprehensive and stronger evidence-based medicine evidence is needed. METHODS: We will retrieve literatures using Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library database, Web of science, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and WanFang. We will look for RCTs or CCTs on the use of complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of gastroparesis, and extract relevant data into the excel sheet. The whole retrieval and data extraction process were carried out by 2 researchers independently. Then we will use meta-analysis to make statistical analysis of all the results and make a systematic review of all the included literatures. RESULTS: All results and safety data were analyzed for a comprehensive evaluation and/or descriptive analysis of the efficacy and safety of complementary and alternative therapies for gastroparesis. CONCLUSION: This study will provide more comprehensive clinical evidence for the treatment of gastroparesis with complementary and alternative therapies. REGISTRATION: The research has been registered and approved on the INPLASY.COM website. The registration number is INPLASY2020100033.

Acupuncture therapy for treating postherpetic neuralgia: A protocol for an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication and sequela of herpes zoster (HZ) that greatly affects the life and emotional experience of patients. Acupuncture therapy has been confirmed as an effective and safe treatment for PHN. Several systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analysis (MAs) have reported the evidence of acupuncture therapy for treating PHN. However, the evidence has not been systematically synthesized. This overview aims to synthesize and assess the reliability of evidence generated from these SRs and MAs of acupuncture therapy for PHN. METHODS: We will conduct a systematic search of the China Biology Medicine (CBM), VIP database, Wangfang database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Excerpt Medical Database (Embase), and Web of Science to identify eligible SRs and MAs, from their inception to October 31, 2020. We will use Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR2) for methodological quality assessment, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) for report quality assessment, Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) for the quality of evidence assessment, and ROBIS for the bias assessment. Our reviewers will conduct systematic reviews, qualification evaluation, data extraction, methodological quality, and evidence quality screening in pairs. The outcomes include pain intensity, Quality of life (QoL), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Global impression, and adverse events. All the extracted data will be provided in tabular form to summarize characteristics of each review. The evidence will be a narrative synthesis of the type and content of the intervention and the results reported. RESULTS: The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSIONS: This overview will provide comprehensive evidence of acupuncture therapy for patients with PHN. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This review will not involve private information of participants, so the ethical approval will not be required. The results will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal or conference presentation. Important protocol modifications will be updated on PROSPERO. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020178738.