Comparison of therapeutic effects of different acupuncture and moxibustion therapies on constipation after stroke treatment: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Constipation is a common complication after stroke, which seriously affects patients' quality of life and recovery. Many evidences show that acupuncture and moxibustion therapy has advantages in the treatment of constipation after stroke. But different types of acupuncture and moxibustion have different effects, and there is no research to prove which one is more effective.

METHODS

According to the search strategy, we will retrieve the randomized controlled studies of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of constipation after stroke from China Knowledge Network, Wanfang, VIP, China Biomedical medicine, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library databases. The retrieval time was from the establishment of the database to July 2021. Studies will be screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the quality of the studies will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk Bias Assessment Tool. All data analyses will be performed using Revman 5.4, Gemtc 0.14.3, and Stata 14.0. Finally, we will evaluate the strength of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation method.

RESULTS

In this study, the efficacy of different acupuncture and moxibustion therapies in the treatment of constipation after stroke will be evaluated by evaluating defecation frequency, stool property score, constipation symptom score, quality of life score, adverse reactions, etc.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will provide reliable evidence-based evidence for selecting the best acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for constipation after stroke.

Comparison of therapeutic effects of different acupuncture and moxibustion therapies on irritable bowel syndrome: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder with recurrent abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. Many pieces of evidence show that acupuncture and moxibustion therapy has advantages in the treatment of IBS, but there are many acupuncture and moxibustion therapy options, each of which has different therapeutic effects. This study will evaluate the clinical efficacy of different acupuncture and moxibustion therapies in the treatment of IBS by means of a network meta-analysis.

METHODS

According to the retrieval strategy, we retrieved the randomized controlled trials of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of IBS from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP, Chinese biomedical databases, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases from the database establishment to July 2021. We assessed the quality of the studies using the Cochrane Risk Bias Assessment Tool and assessed the strength of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology. All data analyses were performed by RevMan5.3, Gemtc 0.14.3, and Stata 14.0.

RESULTS

This study evaluated the efficacy of different acupuncture and moxibustion therapies in the treatment of IBS by evaluating the clinical efficacy rate, symptom scores, quality of life scores, adverse reactions, etc, and further explore the mechanism of action of each therapy.

CONCLUSION

This study will provide a reliable evidence-based basis for selecting the best acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for IBS.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Private information from individuals will not be published. This systematic review also does not involve endangering participant rights. Ethical approval will not be required. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated at relevant conferences.

OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/3278Y.

A randomized controlled protocol on the effect of moxibustion on the cardiac function and quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure

BACKGROUND

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is the final result of various cardiovascular diseases, with high morbidity and high mortality, which seriously threaten people's health and quality of life. It has become a public health problem in the world. There is currently no specific treatment. Moxibustion, as a complementary and replacement therapy, has advantages in the treatment of chronic heart failure, but it lacks standard clinical studies to verify it. Therefore, the purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effect of moxibustion on the heart function and quality of life of patients with CHF.

METHODS

This is a prospective randomized controlled trial to study the effect of moxibustion on the heart function and quality of life of patients with CHF. This is approved by the clinical research ethics committee of our hospital. Patients were randomly divided into observation group (moxibustion combined with Western medicine treatment group) or control group (conventional Western medicine treatment group). There is a follow-up for 3 months after 6 weeks of treatment. Observation indicators include total effective rate of cardiac function improvement, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire , left ventricular ejection fraction , N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide , 6-minute walk test , adverse reactions, etc. Data were analyzed using the statistical software package SPSS version 18.0 (Chicago, IL).

DISCUSSION

This study will evaluate the clinical efficacy of moxibustion in the treatment of CHF. The results of this study will provide a reliable reference for the clinical choice of moxibustion as an adjuvant treatment for chronic heart failure.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

OSF Registration number: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/29XE7.

The efficacy and safety of acupuncture-related therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has seriously affected the quality of life of patients with its refractory, recurrent, and disabled characteristics, and has become a major public health problem. Previous studies have confirmed that acupuncture and moxibustion have a reliable effect on RA, but there are many forms of acupuncture and moxibustion, and the efficacy of each form is different. This study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of different acupuncture-related therapies in the treatment of RA by means of network meta-analysis.

METHODS

According to the retrieval strategy, we retrieved the randomized controlled studies on acupuncture-related therapy for RA from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP, China Biomedicine, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library databases from the establishment of the database to July 2021. We assessed the quality of the studies using the Cochrane Risk Bias Assessment Tool and assessed the strength of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology. All data analyses were performed by Revman5.3, Gemtc 0.14.3, and Stata 14.0.

RESULTS

This study is to evaluate the efficacy of different acupuncture-related therapies in the treatment of RA by evaluating the total effective rate, pain scores, joint function scores, quality of life scores, laboratory indicators, adverse reactions, etc.

CONCLUSION

This study will provide a reliable evidence-based basis for the selection of the best acupuncture form for the treatment of RA.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Private information from individuals will not be published. This systematic review also does not involve endangering participant rights. Ethical approval will not be required. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated at relevant conferences.

Acupuncture and moxibustion combined with cupping for the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

There are still controversies between the curative effect of acupuncture combined with cupping therapy and western medicine for post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Our meta-analysis fully incorporates the research of acupuncture combined with cupping therapy versus Western medicine for PHN, aiming to explore the difference in the efficacy of the 2 therapies, so as to provide guidance for clinical treatment.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, CQVIP, CBM, from establishment of the database to September, 2020. Include studies that are clearly defined as PHN or herpes zoster, and exclude duplicate publications; studies with no full text, incomplete information, or inability to extract data; the definition of exposure is quite different from most literature; animal experiments.

RESULTS

The total effective rate (relative ratio [RR] = 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-1.31) and the rate of remarkable effect (RR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.30-1.63) of acupuncture and moxibustion combined with cupping in the treatment of PHN were significantly higher than that of conventional western medicine. The visual analogue scale score of acupuncture and moxibustion combined with cupping for PHN was significantly lower than that of conventional western medicine treatment (WMD = -1.77, 95% CI [-2.79, -0.75]). In addition, acupuncture and moxibustion combined with cupping therapy significantly reduced the occurrence of PHN compared with conventional western medicine treatment after treatment of acute herpes zoster (RR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.20-0.45). In order to explore the differences in the efficacy and preventive effects of different types of acupuncture and cupping therapy, we have further conducted a subgroup analysis.

CONCLUSION

The effect of acupuncture and moxibustion combined with cupping in the treatment of PHN is significantly higher than that of conventional western medicine, and it can significantly prevent the occurrence of PHN. Chinese medicine should be used more widely in the treatment of PHN.

Comparative efficacy and dysmenorrhea score of 6 object-separated moxibustions for the treatment of Chinese patients with dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Primary dysmenorrhea (PD), one of the most common diseases in women, is known to be effective with object-separated moxibustion. However, because there is no large sample size for comparison, it is difficult to choose the best method for the clinical treatment of these different treatments. Therefore, our aim was to compare and rank different moxibustion methods to determine the most effective treatment method for PD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic search was carried out in PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature, to identify the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigated the object-separated moxibustion is associated with dysmenorrhea, as well as we also manually checked the bibliographies of eligible studies and topic-related reviews, RCTs from their inception to May 1, 2020. Three investigators read the citations and excluded quasi-randomized trials and trials that were incomplete. We extracted data following a predefined hierarchy. We assessed the studies' risk of bias in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. The primary outcomes were efficacy (response rate) and dysmenorrhea scores. We estimated the summary odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) using pairwise and network meta-analyses with random effects. STATA software version 16.0, ADDIS software version 1.16.5, and R software version 3.6.1 were used to statistically analyze all data.

RESULTS

Fifty-six RCTs with 5550 patients were included, comparing 6 object-separated moxibustion therapies with acupuncture or oral medicine. All moxibustions were more effective than ibuprofen, with OR ranging between 6.75 (95%CI: 3.58 to 13.22) for moxibustion at the navel. For relieving pain which uses dysmenorrhea score to evaluate, mild moxibustion (MD = -1.42, -4.24 to 0.85) was more effective than others. A total of 24 (42.8%) of 56 trials were rated as having a high risk of bias, 31(55.4%) as moderate, and 1(1.8%) as low, and the certainty of the evidence was moderate.

CONCLUSIONS

Mild moxibustion cannot only effectively treat PD but also relieve pain in comparison with ibuprofen. Although GRADE evidence indicate low to moderate for most comparisons, mild moxibustion seems to be an advisable option for PD treatment to relieve symptoms.

Moxibustion for treating cancer-related fatigue: A multicenter, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common chronic symptoms experienced by cancer patients. As moxibustion is a popular traditional therapy for managing fatigue, it can be an alternative strategy to treat CRF as well. Therefore, we rigorously designed a full-scale, multicenter, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of moxibustion treatment for CRF. Ninety-six subjects suffering from CRF were recruited and randomly assigned to moxibustion group, sham moxibustion group, or usual care group. Both the moxibustion group and the sham group received moxibustion treatment for 8 weeks and the usual care group did not. Brief fatigue inventory (BFI) score and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue score were used to assess CRF at baseline and weeks 5, 9, and 13. Questionnaires for the assessment of cognitive impairment, quality of life, and Cold-Heat and Deficiency-Excess patterns were also evaluated. BFI scores significantly decreased in moxibustion group compared to the usual care group (mean difference of -1.92, p < 0.001 at week 9 and mean difference of -2.36, p < 0.001 at week 13). Although the sham group also showed significant improvement during the treatment period, only the moxibustion group showed improvement after 4 weeks of follow-up period (mean difference of -1.06, p < 0.001). There were no serious adverse events. Our findings confirmed the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for CRF compared to usual care. We also found that moxibustion has a prolonged treatment effect during 4 weeks of follow-up period.

Efficacy and safety of heat-sensitive moxibustion in the treatment of neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most disabling and destructive neurological diseases. Neurogenic bladder dysfunction (NBD) is one of the serious complications after SCI, 80% of patients after SCI will have neurogenic bladder symptoms. NBD after SCI may lead to urinary retention, urinary incontinence, and urinary tract infection. In severe cases, it can lead to renal failure or even death. NBD after SCI not only seriously affects the patient's quality of life but also physical and mental health. NBD after SCI is a social and medical problem. In recent years, more and more clinical studies prove that heat-sensitive can improve the clinical symptoms of NBD after SCI. Therefore, this article conducts a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of heat-sensitive moxibustion in treating NBD after SCI.

METHODS

Search 8 electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang Database, and China Biomedical Literature Database. We will search above electronic databases from the inception to May 2021, without any language restriction. Clinical randomized controlled trials containing heat-sensitive moxibustion for NBD after SCI and eligible interventions(s) and outcome(s) were included, with no limitation of language and publication status. Two researchers will independently conduct literature search, screening, information extraction, quality assessment, and data analysis. Review Manager 5.3 software will be used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The findings will be submitted to a peer-reviewed publication.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide a standard clinical decision-making guideline for heat-sensitive moxibustion treatment of NBD after SCI.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202150071.

A comparison of the effects of fire needle and routine acupuncture for myofascitis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Myofascitis is a common disease in clinic. The main cause of the disease is aseptic inflammation of local muscles and connective tissues such as myofascial, which can be manifested as paralysis, distension, and other discomfort, local muscle stiffness, spasm or palpable strain-like nodules. Chinese medicine ascribes it to "bi disease" and "Arthralgia disease," while Western medicine believes that the disease is mainly due to local muscle and fascia edema and exudation caused by trauma or long-term strain, forcing nerves to jam and producing pain and other abnormal feelings. Although the disease is not life-threatening, the pain and distension caused by local inflammatory stimuli can affect the patient's daily life and sleep quality. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the efficacy of fire needle vs routine acupuncture in the treatment of myofascitis.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials (RCTS) of fire needle vs routine acupuncture for myofascial inflammation will be comprehensively searched from inception to September 2020 on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Biomedical Literature (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP (CQVIP), and Wanfang. Additionally, RCT registered sites, including http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov and http://www.chictr.org.cn, also will be the search. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to score the pain before and after treatment. The primary outcome will be to compare the difference in pain scores between the 2 interventions. Two independent authors filtered the literature in the above database, extracted the data, and cross-checked it.

RESULTS

This study will offer a reasonable comprehensive evidence for the treatment of myofascitis with fire needle.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of this study will provide evidence to judge the effectiveness of fire needle on myofascitis.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202080034.

Effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for Parkinson disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Parkinson disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease among middle-aged and elderly people. Clinically, it is a movement disorder characterized mainly by static tremors, kinesia, myotonia, and postural balance disorder. In recent years, an increasing number of clinical reports on moxibustion therapy for PD have been published. Despite this, no systematic review of moxibustion therapy for PD has been undertaken.

METHODS

Two reviewers will search the following 7 English and Chinese databases online: the Cochrane Library; PubMed; EMBASE; the China National Knowledge Infrastructure; the Wan Fang databases; the China Science and Technology Journal Database; and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Reviewers will search each electronic database for studies published from journal inception to May 2021. Two reviewers will independently conduct clinical study inclusion, data extraction, and risk bias assessment. Any differences in the above process will be resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. If the data are sufficient, RevMan software 5.3 (Cochrane Community, London, UK) will be used for the meta-analysis of the extracted data.

RESULTS

In this systematic review, the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion therapy in PD treatment will be evaluated.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review may provide further evidence to encourage clinicians to use moxibustion in the treatment of PD.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202140097.

The efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion for early and middle-stage osteonecrosis of the femeral head: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Osteonecrosis of the femeral head (ONFH) occurs predominantly in young- and middle-aged people, and the disability rate is high in the late stage of the disease and most patients have to undergo total hip replacement. Clinically, increasing attention is paid to intervening early and middle-stage ONFH so as to delay its progress. Acupuncture and moxibustion (AM) is a unique method for treating ONFH in China. This study aims to summarize the advantages of AM for the treatment of ONFH.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted on the database with languages of English and Chinese. The medical subject titles used are "Osteonecrosis of the femoral head" and "acupuncture and moxibustion." Related words in the title or abstract including but were not limited to "necrosis of the femoral head," "avascular necrosis of the femoral head," "ischemic necrosis of the femoral head," "caput femoris necrosis," "bone paralysis," "bone erosion," and "bone atrophy."

RESULTS

Nine randomized controlled trials were identified in this meta-analysis that included 630 subjects. Meta-analysis showed that the trial group that treated with conventional therapy combined with AM had a higher effective rate (Z = 2.27 P = 0.02) and excellent and good rate (Z = 4.85 P < 0.00001) and Harris hip function score (HHS) (Z = 2.31 P = 0.02) and lower incidence of related adverse reactions during treatment (Z = 2.82 P = 0.005) compared with the control group that treated with conventional therapy alone.

CONCLUSIONS

AM for early and middle-stage ONFH is an effective and relatively safe intervention, which can improve the effective rate and excellent and good rate and HHS, and reduce the adverse reaction rate. Clinically, early and middle-stage ONFH can be intervened by combining with AM while taking conventional therapy to improve the efficacy.

Efficacy of warming needle moxibustion in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis: A protocol of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Ankylosing spondylitis is a recurrent autoimmune disease, which has a high disability rate and seriously affects patients' daily life. Conventional treatment cannot effectively solve the clinical problems of patients, and long-term medication is accompanied by adverse reactions. The evidence shows that warming needle moxibustion has advantages in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis, but there is still a lack of clinical studies on warm acupuncture alone and long-term follow-up.

METHODS

This is a prospective randomized controlled trial to study the efficacy and safety of needle warming through moxibustion in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. It was approved by the Ethics Committee of Clinical Research of our hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to an observation group or a control group. The patients were followed up for 6 months after 30 days of treatment. Observation indicators include; activity index, functional ability, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index, inflammatory indicators, adverse reactions, and so on. Finally, SPASS 22.0 software is used for statistical analysis of the data.

DISCUSSION

This study will evaluate the clinical efficacy of warming needle moxibustion in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. The results of this study will provide a reference basis for the clinical use of warm needle moxibustion in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

OSF Registration number: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/GWPX3.

Effectiveness of acupuncture for asthenozoospermia: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

According to the World Health Organization, the global incidence of infertility is about 15%, and more than 50% of infertility cases are caused by male infertility. Asthenozoospermia is caused by male fertility decline and male infertility. Due to work pressure, environmental pollution, sexual diseases, and other factors, the number of patients with asthenozoospermia has increased in recent years. It has been confirmed that acupuncture has a certain effect on patients with asthenozoospermia. Acupuncture and moxibustion can be an adjuvant treatment plan for the treatment of asthenozoospermia in addition to drug treatment.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for asthenozoospermia will be searched in the relevant database, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP database). The studies of electronic searches will be exported to EndNote V.9.1 software. We will run meta-analyses using the Review Manager (RevMan) V.5.3 software. Any disagreements will be solved in consultation with a third reviewer.

RESULTS

Our study aims to explore the efficacy of acupuncture for asthenozoospermia and to provide up-to-date evidence for clinical of asthenozoospermia.

CONCLUSION

This study will perform a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of acupuncture for asthenozoospermia, making up for the lack of relevant evidence of the clinical use of acupuncture.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY 202140032.

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.

Moxibustion for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

There is no optimal treatment to alleviate the decline of lung function in the stable phase of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The effectiveness of moxibustion as an adjunctive treatment for COPD in the stable phase has been reported clinically, but the conclusions on efficacy and safety have not been unified. This study will systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of moxibustion on the treatment of COPD in the stable phase, providing clinical-based evidence.

METHODS

We will systematically search 7 literature databases and 2 clinical trial registration platforms. The searching time will be conducted from the establishment of databases to March 31, 2021, regardless of language. We will include the randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluation of moxibustion combined with basic therapy vs basic therapy alone for the treatment of stable COPD. We will assess the risk of bias for individual RCTs using the Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0 evaluation tool. The primary outcome is forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity. The secondary outcomes include forced expiratory volume in 1 second, forced vital capacity, six-minute walking distance, COPD assessment test score, maximum ventilation, response to treatment, and incidence of adverse events. We will collect the effective data of individual RCT through systematic analysis of the random effect model. Heterogeneity will be tested by Cochran Q test and I-squared statistics. Two subgroup analyses will be performed to explore the sources of heterogeneity based on clinical experience. Excluding RCTs with a high risk of bias, fixed-effect model will be used for sensitivity analysis to test the robustness of the meta-analysis results. The publication bias will be assessed by funnel plot and Egger test.

RESULTS

This study will provide systematic evidence on the efficacy and safety of moxibustion on the treatment of patients with stable COPD through strict quality assessment and reasonable data synthesis. We hope that the results will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review will provide the best current evidence for the adjuvant treatment of stable COPD with moxibustion.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202140047.

Moxibustion therapy for treating patients with postpartum urinary retention: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Postpartum urinary retention (PUR) is one of the most common complications after parturition which affect women's recovery after childbirth. Many clinical trials have shown that moxibustion, a traditional Chinese medicine therapy, is effective in treating PUR. But its effectiveness has not been evaluated scientifically and systematically. Therefore, this review aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of moxibustion therapy in treating patients with PUR.

METHODS

We will search the following electronic databases, regardless of publication status and languages, from their respective inception dates to February 2021: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trails, Pubmed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and Wan-Fang Database. Clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to moxibustion therapy for treating PUR will be included. Study selection, data collection, and quality assessment will be independently conducted by 2 researchers. For data synthesis, we will select either the fixed-effects or random-effects model according to heterogeneity assessment. Cure rates and postvoid residual volume (PVRV) will be the primary outcomes. The total effective rate and first urination time will be the second outcomes. Review Manager Software (RevMan) V.5.3 will be used if it is appropriate for meta-analysis. Otherwise, a systematic narrative synthesis will be conducted. The results will be presented as risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for dichotomous data and weight mean difference (WMD) or standard mean difference (SMD) 95% CI for continuous data.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY 202140037.

Effect of acupuncture on essential hypertension: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Essential hypertension is a risk factor for early cardiovascular disease and is a major preventable risk factor for premature death and disability worldwide. However, some antihypertensive drugs cannot be used for treatment because of their cost-effectiveness or side effects. Non-drug treatments for hypertension include weight loss, salt restriction, smoking cessation, alcohol withdrawal, and exercise, although these methods are difficult to maintain and to achieve. This study will investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of different grades of essential hypertension.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A systematic search of the Cochrane, PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, WanFang, VIP, and CBM databases will be performed, which will include randomized controlled trials on acupuncture for essential hypertension. The main results will include systolic and diastolic blood pressure before and after treatment, whereas the secondary outcomes will be efficacy rate and adverse events. The possible adverse reactions include dizziness, headache, edema, cough, nausea, electrolyte disorders, and hypotension. RevMan Manager 5.3 (Cochrane Collaboration) and STATA 16.0 software will be used to calculate mean deviation, standard deviation, confidence interval, and P values. For continuous variables, we will use the standardized mean difference of 95% confidence intervals as the summary statistics of the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

This study will assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for essential hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study will determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating primary hypertension, and provide the basis for clinical decision-making.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202130042.

The efficacy of moxibustion and acupuncture therapy for ankylosing spondylitis: A protocol for an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Ankylosing spondylitis is a complex and progressive autoimmune inflammatory disease with a worldwide prevalence ranging up to 0.9%. Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses of traditional Chinese medicine alternative therapies, such as acupuncture or moxibustion, have demonstrated the effectiveness of moxibustion and acupuncture in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. However, there is no relevant literature to comprehensively evaluate the evidence. The purpose of this overview is to synthesize and evaluate the reliability of evidence generated in the systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis of moxibustion and acupuncture as a primary or complementary therapy for patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were searched for systematic reviews and meta-analysis that review the efficacy of acupuncture or moxibustion as the primary treatment for patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis. The literature published before August 2020 will be selected. Additionally, the relevant SRs and meta-analyses that unpublished or ongoing will be searched in PROSPERO and INPLASY. The methodological guidelines for overviews will be used to review and extract data by 2 reviewers, and their will do it independently. Methodology quality will be analyzed by the assessment of multiple systematic reviews-2and the risk of bias by POBIS. For the included studies, we will adopt the following results as primary evaluation indicators: effective rate, visual analogue scale and bath AS disease activity index. Reviewers will assess the certainty of evidence by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation.

RESULTS

The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

CONCLUSION

This overview will provide comprehensive evidence of moxibustion and acupuncture for patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Effects of moxibustion for COVID-19 convalescence: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still spreading around the world. Moxibustion, as a significant therapy in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been widely used to treat COVID-19, especially in recovery period. The study will aim to assess the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for COVID-19 convalescence.

METHODS

We will systematically search the relevant randomized controlled trials in the 7 databases from inception to February 2021, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Clinical Trials Database, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. No language and publication status restrictions will be applied. Two reviewers will independently conduct and screen all included studies and the meta-analysis will be performed with RevMan V5.3 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, England).

RESULTS

The study will provide a high-quality convincing assessment of the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for the treatment of COVID-19 convalescence, which will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

CONCLUSION

Our study will give more comprehensive evidence of the effectiveness of moxibustion for COVID-19 convalescence.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021230364.

Efficacy and safety of thunder-fire moxibustion for patients with knee osteoarthritis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a major public health issue because it causes pain and functional limitation in patients. Many studies have reported that moxibustion, a treatment in traditional Chinese medicine, is effective in treating KOA. The aim of this protocol is to develop a standard in advance for synthesize and assess the efficacy and safety of thunder-fire moxibustion for KOA from these randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

The 2 commentators will screen 7 databases (PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database) for randomized controlled trials that can be included from the time the database is built up until publication in December 2020. The original study that randomized control trials of thunder-fire moxibustion for patients with KOA will be selected and is not limited by country or language. In addition, researches in progress, the reference lists, and the citation lists of identified publications will be retrieved similarly. Study selection, data extraction, and assessment of the quality will be performed independently by 2 reviewers who have been trained before data extraction. A meta-analysis will be conduct if the quantity and quality of the original studies included are satisfactory; otherwise, a descriptive analysis will be conducted. Review Manager 5.4 software (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) will be using for data synthesis and assessment the risk of bias according to Cochrane Handbook.

RESULT

This study will provide a comprehensive review of current evidence for the treatment of thunder-fire moxibustion on KOA.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of this study will provide a judging basis that whether the treatment of KOA with thunder-fire moxibustion is effective.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020100012.

Moxibustion therapy for treating psoriasis vulgaris: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis vulgaris (PV) is an immune-mediated skin disease, which has seriously affected the quality of life of patients. At present, moxibustion therapy has been widely used in the treatment of PV. The purpose of this study is to provide high-quality evidence-based medicine to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for PV.

METHODS

We will search the following Electronic databases from their inceptions to February 2021 without any language limitation: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WangFang Database, Chinese Science Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. What's more, the grey literature and the references of all included literature will also be retrieved manually. Any clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to moxibustion therapy for PV will be taken into. In order to complete data synthesis and assess the risk of bias, we will use the RevMan V.5.3 software.

RESULTS

This systematic review will provide an assessment of the current state of moxibustion for PV, aiming to assess the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for patients with PV.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review will establish convincing evidence to prove the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for PV.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202120008.

Efficacy and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of infertility with polycystic ovary syndrome: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the common diseases of reproductive endocrine metabolism in gynecology, and it is also a common and difficult disease affecting female reproductive endocrine health. PCOS characterized by insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia, the clinical manifestations are polychaemia, acne, obesity, infertility, menstrual disorders and so on. Clinical treatment of patients with PCOS ovulatory dysfunction infertility is mainly treated with ovulation-promoting drugs, insulin sensitizer, hyperandrogenemia drugs and other drugs Healing. It is found that the sensitivity of patients to ovulation promotion is poor, and it is often necessary to increase the dosage of drugs to increase ovulation rate, thus increasing the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, and the recurrence rate is higher after withdrawal. Moxibustion therapy has shown strong advantages in the treatment of PCOS, and the curative effect is accurate. Therefore, this paper will carry out a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of moxibustion therapy in the treatment of PCOS.

METHODS

We will search 8 electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), Wanfang Database (WF), and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM). We will search above electronic databases from the beginning to January 2021, without any language restriction. Ovulation rate and pregnancy rate will be accepted as the primary outcomes. The changes of Sex hormone levels, including Luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, serum estradiol, total testosterone will be used as secondary outcomes. RevMan 5.3 software will be used for statistical analysis. The result about the curative effect and safety of moxibustion therapy for PCOS will be presented as risk ratio for dichotomous data and mean differences with a 95% confidence interval for continuous data.

RESULTS

Only when we finish this meta-analysis can we get the result.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study will provide reliable evidence for the efficacy and safety of moxibustion therapy in the treatment of PCOS.

The effectiveness of Du moxibustion for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

BACKGROUND

As a common respiratory disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) develops progressively. Du moxibustion can effectively treat COPD, and no adverse reactions have been reported. This research mainly evaluated the efficacy and safety of Du moxibustion in the treatment of COPD.

METHODS

Seven databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literatures Database (CBM), Wanfang Database (WF), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP)) will be searched for all relevant eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from the date of establishment to January 6, 2021. No matter whether they were blind or not, and regardless of the language and type of publication, these experiments could be included. Two authors (YRZ, ARG) will search the database respectively, extract relevant data, and use the Cochrane bias risk tool to evaluate the quality of the literature. RevMan V5.3 software will be used for data processing.

RESULTS

The results of this research are mainly used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Du moxibustion in the treatment of COPD.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematical review is expected to provide evidence-based and valuable suggestions for Du moxibustion in the treatment of COPD.

STUDY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202110045.

Effectiveness and safety of warm needle acupuncture on lumbar muscles strain: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis

BACKGROUND

Lumbar muscle strain (LMS) is the most common orthopedic syndrome, with high incidence globally and lingering disease, which seriously affects patients' work efficiency and quality of life. Warm needle acupuncture (WNA) is a treatment method combining acupuncture technology with warm and medicinal effect of moxibustion. It has outstanding curative effect and wide range of treatment, especially in the treatment of pain diseases. We aim to collect clinical evidence and demonstrate the efficacy and safety of WNA on LMS.

METHODS/DESIGN

We will search the following database sources for the randomized controlled trials: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Web of Science, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (TCTRP), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), and the Wanfang Database.All randomized controlled trials of WNA for lumbar muscle strain (LMS) in the above database will be considered for inclusion, and high-quality articles will be screened for data extraction and analysis, to summarize the therapeutic effect of WNA on LMS patients.

RESULT

This study will provide a rational synthesis of current evidences for warm needle acupuncture on lumbar muscle strain.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of this study will provide evidence to judge the effectiveness and safety of WNA on LMS.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

INPLASY2020120100 (DOI number: 10.37766/inplasy2020.12.0100).

Moxibustion therapy on lumbar disc herniation: An evidence-based clinical practice guideline

BACKGROUND

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH), as a disease with great disturbance to life and work, is known as the origin of the severe and disabling forms of nerve root pain. Recognized as an increasingly widely accepted treatment, the efficacy of moxibustion on LDH has been affirmed. However, clinical practice guidelines (CPG) for the treatment of LDH with moxibustion have not been developed. Therefore, we will carry out this work following the accepted methodological quality standards.

METHODS

The new CPG will be developed according to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II (AGREE II) and WHO guideline handbook. And then determine recommendations based on high-level evidence. We will set up a Guideline Working Group and define clinical issues according to the PICO principles (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes). After evidence syntheses and several rounds of Delphi process, we will reach the consensus. In making the guideline, Patient values or preferences, results of peer review, and interest statements are all within the bounds of what we must consider.

RESULTS

As the study is not yet complete, no results can be reported.

CONCLUSION

So far, we will develop the first CPG for moxibustion of LDH strictly based on systematic methodologies in China. This CPG will establish the standard of LDH in moxibustion therapy.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

IPGRP-2020CN034.