Effectiveness and safety of heat-sensitive moxibustion on bronchial asthma: a meta-analysis of randomized control trials.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of heat-sensitive moxibustion (HSM) on asthma. METHODS: Large databases in China and overseas were searched by electronic and manual means to collect information on randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Two evaluators independently extracted data and evaluated the quality of RCTs according to Cochrane Review Handbook v5.0. RevMan v5.0.20 was used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: Fourteen RCTs involving 637 patients were collected. Thirteen RCTs compared the effects of HSM and Western Medicine. After 3-month treatment and after 6-month follow-up, there was no significant difference in effective rate [relative risk (RR) = 1.01, 95% CI (0.92, 1.12), and 1.12, (0-93, 1.36), respectively], in the asthma control test score of asthma symptoms [weighted mean difference (WMD) = - 1.54, 95% CI (- 3.54, 0.47), and 1.41, (- 0.48, 3.29), respectively] and in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF). One RCT compared the effect of HSM with warm-suspended moxibustion. After 6-month follow-up, there was a significant difference in FEV1 and PEF [WMD = 0.51, 95% CI (0.10, 0.92), and 1.78, (1.06, 2.50), respectively]. After 3-month treatment, there was no significant difference between the two groups. One RCT compared the effect of HSM with acupoint application. After 3-month treatment, there was no significant difference in the effective rate [RR = 0.68, 95% CI (0.42, 1.12)]. CONCLUSION: HSM did not show superiority to conventional Western Medicine and acupoint application in terms of curative effects, and may be superior to warm-suspended moxibustion with regard to long-term curative effects. Because of low quality of the included RCTs, this conclusion must be bolstered with higher-quality RCTs.

Research hotspots and frontiers of cluster headaches: a bibliometric analysis.

Background: Extensive research on cluster headaches (CHs) has been conducted worldwide; however, there is currently no bibliometric research on CHs. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the current research hotspots and frontiers of CHs over the past decade. Methods: Raw data on CHs was obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2014 to 2023. CiteSpace V6.2 R7 (64 bit) and Microsoft Excel were used to assess the annual publication volume, authors, countries, and references. VOSviewer 1.6.19 software was used to assess the institutions, cited authors, and keywords, and co-occurrence and clustering functions were applied to draw a visual knowledge map. Results: In the past decade, the overall annual publication volume of articles related to CHs has increased year by year, showing promising development prospects. The total 1909 articles contained six types of literature, among which the proportion of original research articles was the highest (1,270 articles, 66.53%), published in 201 journals. Cephalalgia (439 articles, 23.00%) had the highest publication volume, and the Lancet was the journal with the highest impact factor (IF = 168.9). Furthermore, the United States of America was the country with the most published papers (584 articles, 30.60%), University of London was the research institution with the most published papers (142 articles, 7.44%), and Goodsby, Peter J was found to be the most prolific author (38 articles, 1.99%). Conclusion: This study may provide some direction for subsequent researcher on CHs. The hotspots and frontiers of future research on CHs are suggested as follows: in basic medicine, more attention should be paid to pathophysiology, especially on increasing research on the pathogenesis mediated by CGRP; in clinical medicine, more attention should be paid to the design of evidence-based medicine methodology, especially the strict design, including double-blind, questionnaire, and follow-up, in randomized controlled trials, using high-quality articles for meta-analyses, and recommending high-level evidence; therapeutic techniques need to be further explored, suggesting the implementation of transcranial magnetic stimulation of the cortex, and stimulation of the sphinopalatine ganglia and occipital nerve to achieve peripheral neuromodulation. Furthermore, chronic migraine and insomnia are inextricably linked to CHs.

Curative effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion on chronic persistent asthma: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the curative effects of heat-sensitive moxibustion with conventional drugs on chronic persistent asthma and seek a valuable therapy to replace Western Medicine. METHODS: The participants in this multi-center, randomized, and controlled study were randomly divided into two groups: group A (n=144), treated with heat-sensitive moxibustion (50 sessions) and group B (n=144), treated with Seretide (salmeterol 50 plg/fluticasone 250 pg, twice a day). The scores of asthma control test (ACT), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and attack frequency were measured after 15, 30, 60, and 90 days of treatment. Patients followed up 3 and 6 months after treatment. RESULTS: There was a significant difference (P= 0.0002) in the ACT score and lung function between the two groups after 3 months of treatment and (P=0.000 03) during the follow-up visits. In addition, heat-sensitive moxibustion reduced attack frequency in the period from inclusion to the 6-month follow-up visit. CONCLUSION: This study shows that heat-sensitive moxibustion may have a comparable curative effect to Seretide (salmetero/fluticasone) on asthma.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Acupuncture Therapy in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Pain from 2003 to 2022.

Background: Acupuncture therapy has been widely used in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain (MP) in many countries around the world. However, there are no bibliometric studies on acupuncture therapy for MP. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the current status, frontiers and hot spots in the use of acupuncture therapy for the treatment of MP. Methods: Literature on acupuncture therapy for MP was extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2003 to 2022. CiteSpace 6.2.R4 (64-bit) software was used to analyze the number and centrality of journals, countries, institutions, authors, references and keywords, and the functions of co-occurrence and clustering were applied to draw a visual knowledge map. Results: Over the past 20 years, the annual journal publications have been on a steady upward trend, with 438 articles published in 143 journals, including Acupuncture in Medicine Journal published the most (28, 6.39%), JAMA-Journal of the American Medical Association was the journal with the highest impact factor (IF = 120.7003), USA dominated with the most publications (140, 31.96%) among 44 countries, and among 196 research organizations Kyung Hee University was the most prolific (19, 4.34%) and Ha, In-Hyuk was the most published author (9, 2.05%). "Acupuncture" is the most popular and highly sought after keywords. "Low back pain" is the keyword with the highest centrality. Conclusion: This article provides the current situation of the use of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of MP in the past 20 years, and statistical analysis reveals that "low back pain", "knit osteoporosis" and "break cancer" are new research diseases related to acupuncture therapy for MP, and "myobasic trigger point" is a new research direction of acupuncture therapy for MP. Therefore, this study helps researchers grasp the research hotspots and provide certain references for in-depth research and future topic selection.

Is There Difference between the Effects of Two-Dose Stimulation for Knee Osteoarthritis in the Treatment of Heat-Sensitive Moxibustion?

Considering that the dosage of manipulating Moxa plays an important role in obtaining good effects for heat-sensitive moxibustion, it would be valuable to know whether the use of fixed dosage is as effective as the use of an individual one. The paper carried out a rigorous multi-centre randomized controlled trial, and its result demonstrated that the effectiveness of individual eliminate-sensitive dosing regimen might more superior to the stable conventional dosing regimen in the treatment of KOA. According the record of individual moxibustion time, the dosage differed in the terms of patients' conditions and moxibustion sensation, which had been measured about 47.30 ± 6.20 minutes (28 ~ 65 minutes).

Heat-sensitive moxibustion for lumbar disc herniation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of heat-sensitive moxibustion in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving heat-sensitive moxibustion in the treatment of LDH were retrieved from the Chinese Biological Medical Literature database (1978-20011), Weipu database (1989-2011), Wanfang digital journal (1998-2011), China National Knowledge Internet (1979-2011), PubMed (1966-2011), EMBASE (1980-2011), and Cochrane Library (Issue 1,2011). Hand-search of the relevant journals from the Library of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was also adopted for the collection of data. Data were extracted and evaluated by two reviewers independently with a specially designed extraction form. The Cochrane Collaboration's RevMan 5.0.20 software was used for data analyses. RESULTS: A total of 6 trials involving 580 patients were included. Meta-analysis showed that the total effectiveness rate in the heat-sensitive moxibustion group was significantly different when compared with conventional moxibustion [RR=1.19, 95% CI [1.06, 1.33)] and diclofenac sodium [RR=1.47, 95% CI [1.17, 1.85)], but similar to that of acupuncture. The cure rate in the heat-sensitive moxibustion group was significantly different when compared with conventional moxibustion [RR=1.58, 95% CI (1.04, 2.40)] and diclofenac sodium [RR-1.91, 95% CI (1.01, 3.60)], but similar with that of acupuncture. In terms of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores, significant differences were noted in subjective indices, objective indices, and daily life subscales. Two trials reported that there were no adverse events over the duration of treatment. CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional moxibustion, acupuncture, and diclofenac sodium, heat-sensitive moxibustion in the treatment of LDH is superior in efficacy. Further large-scale trials are required to define the role of heat-sensitive moxibustion in the treatment of this disease.

Designing and implementing multicenter clinical randomized controlled trials on moxibustion with large samples.

Implementing clinical trials with large multicenter samples is an important way to scientifically evaluate and demonstrate the curative effect of moxibustion. At present, clinical trials on moxibustion with large multicenter samples are prospering in China. It is necessary for research units to have good research professionals and technical platforms as well as a highly standardized and scientifically feasible methodology of research. Taking tasks in the ongoing national 973 project and in the sci-tech support program of the "11th 5-year plan", for example, this research captures the characteristics of moxibustion, carries out deep analysis and introduces specific methods and the important significance of clinical research tasks on moxibustion in designing multicenter plans, implementing experiments, supervising quality and strengthening compliance.

Efficacy and safety of pediatric massage in the treatment of anorexia: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Anorexia is a common and frequent disease in clinical pediatrics. It refers to a chronic digestive disorder syndrome with loss of appetite or disappearance and reduced food intake. The incidence of anorexia in children is very high, if not timely, safe and effective treatment, will have a huge impact on the growth and development of children. The toxic side effects of related treatment drugs often worry clinicians. Pediatric massage is external therapy, with green, safe and effective characteristics, lack of evidence-based medicine evidence support. A systematic evaluation and meta-analysis of the safety and efficacy of pediatric massage in the treatment of anorexia will be carried out in this paper to provide a powerful evidence. METHODS: We'll retrieve 8 electronic databases, including the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web Of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database (WF), China Science Journal Database (VIP), the retrieval date was established from the database to March 2021. The authors will screen the study independently, Extracting data, and through Coch bias tools to assess the quality hazards of methods. RevmanV.5.3 software will be used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The results of this study need to be obtained after the completion of this program. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusion of this study will confirm the efficacy and safety of pediatric massage in the treatment of anorexia, and provide reliable evidence for clinical selection of pediatric massage in the treatment of anorexia. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study does not need to be reviewed by the Ethics Committee, because this paper is not a clinical study or a related experimental study, and this paper is only a literature study. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202130050.

Moxibustion for diarrhea in children: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Infantile Diarrhea is a common and frequent digestive tract disease in children. The causes of this disease are relatively complex and the onset time is relatively long. At present, there is no specific treatment method in Western medicine. Moxibustion is a simple and painless external treatment. However, due to the lack of high-quality evidence to support the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion therapy for pediatric diarrhea. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to verify the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of pediatric diarrhea. METHODS: We will use PubMed, Cochrane Library, Wan Fang Database, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chinese Science Journal Database, China Biomedical Literature Database to carry out a progressive search of diseases. The study will be screened according to eligibility criteria, and quality of the study will be assessed by using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. RESULTS: Through this study, we will systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of pediatric diarrhea. CONCLUSION: The results of this study will provide reliable evidence of the safety and effectiveness of moxibustion in the treatment of infantile diarrhea, and provide a therapeutic basis for the future clinical application. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Since this paper does not involve ethical issues, it does not need to pass the review of the ethics committee. It can only collect relevant literature and study. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202130091.

Clinical acupuncture therapy for chronic cholecystitis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: Chronic cholecystitis is a common chronic disease in clinical practice. The incidence of chronic cholecystitis is gradually increasing due to changes in eating habits and even if acute infections aren't treated in time, it can cause serious complications, continue to plague people's daily life and become an economic burden to society. Currently, the curative effect of chronic cholecystitis under the control of western medicine is still lacking and there are adverse reactions. However, based on current clinical controlled trials acupuncture therapy for chronic cholecystitis has gradually become a complementary treatment. Therefore, this systematic review aims to explore the safety and feasibility of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of chronic cholecystitis. METHODS: We will search the following databases: Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literatures Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wang Fang Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database from inception to February 2021 without any language restriction. At the same time, relevant literature will be searched manually. The main search terms include: "Acupuncture," "Cholecystitis." Data entry will be completed by 2 researchers separately. After entry, cross-checking will be performed to ensure the authenticity of the information. The main outcome criteria include: including the total effective rate of the patient; the traditional Chinese medicine symptom score of the patient includes: abdominal pain, tenderness in the right upper abdomen, and so on; secondary outcome criteria include: gallbladder contraction function and gallbladder thickness, VAS scores, recurrence rate, adverse reactions; use Cochrane risk bias assessment to evaluate and score the included randomized controlled trial; meta-analysis will be performed using RevMan 5.4.0 software. The heterogeneity test is based on the thresholds of P and I2, In order to use solid or random effects models. RESULTS: This systematic review only evaluates the safety and limitations of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of chronic cholecystitis. We will report the full text in the near future. CONCLUSION: This study will explore the safety and limitations of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of chronic cholecystitis, so that acupuncture therapy will be more widely used clinically. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202120020.

Effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture in treating Parkinson disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson disease (PD) is an Extrapyramidal Disease mainly characterized by static tremor, myotonia, bradykinesia and postural gait disorder. As China's population ages, the number of people suffering from PD is increasing. Since there are many side effects of western medicine for Parkinson's patients, and the high price of the drugs make it difficult for many patients to adhere to treat. At present, many clinical studies have shown that electroacupuncture is effective in treating PD. Therefore, this systematic review aims to explore the effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture in the treatment of PD. METHODS: Comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Medline, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Chinese Biomedical Literatures Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, Wang Fang Database from inception to February 2021, the literature selected is not restricted by language. In addition, we will search for unpublished studies and the references that were originally included in the literature manually. There were two reviewers screened the data and cross-checked the information individually, the quality of the literature was assessed by reviewers independently. The outcomes of interest include:the scale of Unifified PD Rating Scales, the Webster scale, the Quality of Life Questionnaire, total effective rate, recurrence rate, adverse events. The laboratory inspection indicators include:the content of lipid peroxidase, Superoxide dismutase activity in plasma and erythrocyte. The relevant randomized controlled trials will be included in this study. And we will evaluate the quality of the selected literature according to the Cochrane Handbook. Meta-analysis will be performed using RevMan 5.4.0 software. The heterogeneity test will be implemented in the included literature, the tests' thresholds will be P < .1 and I2 > 50%. We will use either fixed effects model or random effects model according to the size of heterogeneity. RESULTS: The results of this systematic review will provide a comprehensive evidence for the clinical treatment of PD, and we will report this result soon. CONCLUSION: This paper will explore whether or not electroacupuncture can be used as a non-drug therapy for PD. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this paper, our plan will be published in the journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202120031.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic severe functional constipation: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has been widely used clinically to relieve chronic severe constipation. However, the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic severe constipation is uncertain. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic severe constipation. METHODS: Search PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Database, China Science, and Technology Journal Database, China Biomedical Literature Database, and search related randomized controlled trials. Two reviewers will independently select studies, collect data, and evaluate methodological quality through the Cochrane Deviation Risk Tool. Revman V.5.3 will be used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: This study will evaluate the current status of acupuncture treatment for chronic severe constipation, aiming to illustrate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment. CONCLUSION: This study will provide a basis for judging whether acupotomy is effective in treating chronic severe constipation. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202070002.

The design and protocol of heat-sensitive moxibustion for knee osteoarthritis: a multicenter randomized controlled trial on the rules of selecting moxibustion location.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis is a major cause of pain and functional limitation. Complementary and alternative medical approaches have been employed to relieve symptoms and to avoid the side effects of conventional medication. Moxibustion has been widely used to treat patients with knee osteoarthritis. Our past researches suggested heat-sensitive moxibustion might be superior to the conventional moxibustion. Our objective is to investigate the effectiveness of heat-sensitive moxibustion compared with conventional moxibustion or conventional drug treatment. METHODS: This study consists of a multi-centre (four centers in China), randomised, controlled trial with three parallel arms (A: heat-sensitive moxibustion; B: conventional moxibustion; C: conventional drug group). The moxibustion locations are different from A and B. Group A selects heat-sensitization acupoint from the region consisting of Yin Lingquan(SP9), Yang Lingquan(GB34), Liang Qiu(ST34), and Xue Hai (SP10). Meanwhile, fixed acupoints are used in group B, that is Xi Yan (EX-LE5) and He Ding (EX-LE2). The conventional drug group treats with intra-articular Sodium Hyaluronate injection. The outcome measures above will be assessed before the treatment, the 30 days of the last moxibustion session and 6 months after the last moxibustion session. DISCUSSION: This trial will utilize high quality trial methodologies in accordance with CONSORT guidelines. It will provide evidence for the effectiveness of moxibustion as a treatment for moderate and severe knee osteoarthritis. Moreover, the result will clarify the rules of heat-sensitive moxibustion location to improve the therapeutic effect with suspended moxibustion, and propose a new concept and a new theory of moxibustion to guide clinical practices. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered at Controlled Clinical Trials: ChiCTR-TRC-00000600.

Effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicines for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous reviews indicate that the effect of Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains uncertainty. The study results published in the past 8 years may change this situation, but there is no updated systematic review. Therefore, we designed this study to systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TCM in the treatment of NAFLD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will search nine online databases from inception to October 01 2019, and the language will not be restricted on included trials. Randomized controlled trials that included patients with NAFLD receiving TCM therapy versus a control group will be included. Two researcher will perform independently the selection of studies, risk of bias assessment and data extraction. We will use the RevMan V.5.2 software with fixed effects model or random effects model according to the heterogeneity test to conduct the data synthesis. We will present the dichotomous data and the continuous data with risk ratios with 95% CIs and weighted mean differences or standardized mean differences with 95% CIs. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system will be used to evaluate the evidence quality with low risk, unclear risk, and high risk. RESULTS: This study will demonstrate an evidence-based review of TCM for NAFLD. CONCLUSION: The study will provide clear evidence to assess the effectiveness and side effects of TCM for NAFLD.

[Professor CHEN Ri-xin's academic idea of "pain in joint and disorder in tendon region of meridian" and its clinical application for knee arthralgia].

Professor CHEN Ri-xin's academic idea of "pain in joint and disorder in tendon region of meridian" was explored in this paper. According to the particular characteristics of the occurrence and development of the disease, knee arthralgia is divided into 4 stages, named tendon spasm, tendon blockage, tendon contraction and tendon atrophy. It is proposed that "tendon disorder results in bone disorder", implying the relationship between the disorders of tendon and bone. It is pointed that yang qi insufficiency occurs throughout knee arthralgia. "The tendon disorder should be treated at the first-line procedure for the bone disorder, and the tendon softening benefits the recovery of knee joints". The treatment principle includes "removing obstruction from meridian, eliminating pathogen, warming up yang and softening tendon". In clinical application, the heat-sensitive moxibustion is predominated. The various regimens are developed align with the pathogenesis characteristics of the disease at different stages.

Effectiveness and safety of massage in the treatment of the congenital muscular torticollis: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

BACKGROUND: Massage has been widely used in the treatment of muscular torticollis in children, but there is no objective and systematic evaluation of the efficacy of various literature, and the efficacy of massage in the treatment of congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) is not clear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of massage in the treatment of muscular torticollis in children. METHODS: Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will be searched from the databases of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database from their inception to May 2020. Two reviewers will independently select studies, collect data, and assess the methodology quality by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The RevMan V.5.3 will be used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: This study will provide an assessment of the current state of Chinese massage therapy for the congenital muscular torticollis, aiming to show the efficacy and safety of massage treatment. CONCLUSION: This study will provide evidence to judge whether massage is an effective intervention for the third lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202070086.

Effectiveness and safety of massage in the treatment of anxiety and depression in patients with cancer: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression, complications of cancer, are prevalent but often overlooked mental illnesses. Studies have demonstrated that massage therapy is useful in relieving anxiety and depression of cancer survivors. However, the mechanism is still unclear and no systematic review has provided sufficient evidence for the treatment. Therefore, this protocol is carried out to comprehensively evaluate the reliability of cancer patients with anxiety and depression treated by massage. METHODS: We will systematically search the relevant literature from PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, Wanfang, Chongqing VIP, CNKI and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database from the establishment of the databases to June 1, 2020. In addition, we will only include randomized controlled trials about massage for cancer survivors with anxiety and depression, regardless of language and publication status. Two experienced researchers will separately screen the literature, collect data, analyze data and synthesize data using RevMan V.5.3 software. The quality of the included trials in the study will be assessed by the Cochrane bias risk assessment tool. RESULTS: The protocol for the meta-analysis will systematically evaluate the reliability of massage therapy for cancer patients with anxiety and depression. CONCLUSION: This conclusion will provide an important basis for evaluating whether massage is reliable in treating cancer survivors who feel anxious and depressed. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202060101.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion for peripheral facial paralysis: A protocol for an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) seriously affects patients' quality of life and work and even causes psychological problems such as anxiety and depression for them. Acupuncture (ACU) and moxibustion have been widely used to treat the disease with satisfactory results. Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have reported the effectiveness of acupuncture for patients with PFP. However, the evidence has not been systematically synthesized. This overview aims to synthesize and assess the reliability of evidence generated from these systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses of ACU and moxibustion for PFP. METHODS: We will make a comprehensive retrieval in 9 databases as following: (1) Embase; (2) Cochrane Library; (3) Pubmed; (4) Chinese databases SinoMed (previously called the Chinese Biomedical Database); (5) Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI); (6) Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP); (7) Wanfang Data (WF). The time is limited from the construction of the library to August 2020. We will use the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) tool to evaluate methodological quality. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) will be used in the report checklist to assess the quality of reports in the study. The Grading of the Classification of Recommendations, Evaluation, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) will be used to evaluate the included SRs and meta-analysis. Our reviewers will conduct systematic reviews, qualification evaluation, data extraction, methodological quality and evidence quality screening in pairs. The outcomes of interest include: the effective rate, the House-Brackmann (H-B) score, cure rate, and side effects. Or any other scale used to assess the level of illness. The evidence will be synthesized where appropriate based on patient subgroups and outcomes. RESULTS: The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: This overview will provide comprehensive evidence of ACU and moxibustion for patients with PFP. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202080016.

Acupuncture with or without moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) occurs during menstrual cramps, and there is currently no pathological evidence. This disease severely affects the daily lives of young women. Acupuncture (ACU) and moxibustion are an excellent way to relieve the pain of patients with PD. And it has been widely utilizing. However, the effectiveness and safety of ACU and moxibustion in treating patients with PD are not confirmed by a high-quality meta-analysis. This work aims to evaluate ACU's efficacy and safety with or without moxibustion in the management of PD. METHODS: We will make a comprehensive retrieval in 9 databases as following: Embase; Cochrane Library; PubMed; Chinese databases SinoMed (previously called the Chinese Biomedical Database); Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure; Chinese Scientific Journals Database; Wanfang Data. The time is limited from the construction of the library to August 2020. No restrictions about language and status. Our 2 authors will perform the selection of studies, the extraction of data, and the quality assessment with the risk of bias tool independently. We will use NoteExpressV3.2.0 and Excel2010 software to extract data. The content will be saved in electronic form. We will use the bias risk tool provided by the Cochrane Collaboration to evaluate the quality of the literature using RevMan 5.4 software. The primary outcome is the pain degree evaluation, including visual analog scale, numerical rating scale, Cox retrospective symptom scale, or any other scale used to evaluate the level of pain.Furthermore, the response rate involved an overall reduction in symptoms. The adverse effects and quality of life will be assessed as secondary outcomes. The risk ratio for dichotomous data and mean differences with a 95% confidence interval for continuous data will be adopted to express the effect and safety of ACU with or without moxibustion for PD. RESULTS: The results of our study expect to provide high-quality, evidence-based recommendations on further treatment for clinicians. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202080006. CONCLUSION: This study will provide scientific evidence of PD Systematic review.

Acupotomy for third lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome: A protocol for systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Acupotomy has been widely used clinically to relieve low back pain. However, the efficacy of acupotomy for the third lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome is still uncertain. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness and safety of acupotomy therapy for the third lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome. METHODS: Relevant randomized controlled trials will be searched from the databases of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database from their inception to May 2020. Two reviewers will independently select studies, collect data, and assess the methodology quality by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The RevMan V.5.3 will be used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: This study will provide an assessment of the current state of acupotomy for the third lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome, aiming to show the efficacy and safety of acupotomy treatment. CONCLUSION: This study will provide evidence to judge whether acupotomy is an effective intervention for the third lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019134945.