Efficacy and safety of warm acupuncture in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Ankylosing spondylitis refers to a type of autoimmune disease, which is commonly characterized by joint pain and stiffness, since the disease progression can exhibit joint deformity and other activities limited symptoms. Has significantly impacts on people's work and life. Warm acupuncture as a traditional Chinese therapy, showing several advantages (eg, safety, economy, and less side effects), has been extensively used to treat ankylosing spondylitis. However, its curative effect is supported by limited evidence. Accordingly, the present study aims to comprehensively assess the reliability of warm acupuncture in ankylosing spondylitis treatment.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials were searched from the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chongqing VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and EMBASE, regardless of their publication status. The deadline was November 6th, 2020. Two experienced researchers adopted RevMan V.5.3 software for literature selection, data collection, data analysis, and synthesis, respectively. In addition, the quality of the trials involved in this study was measured with the Cochrane Bias risk assessment tool, regardless of language or publication status.

RESULTS

The protocol will be used to assess the efficacy and safety of warm acupuncture in ankylosing spondylitis treatment.

CONCLUSION

This review reliably evidences whether warm acupuncture is a reliable method for the intervention of ankylosing spondylitis.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020110096.

Treatment of vitiligo with fire needle: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis

BACKGROUND

We aim to study the treatment of vitiligo with fire needle.

METHODS

We will search PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database of randomized controlled trials beginning from their inception to August 2020. The primary outcomes is that Complex area of white spot and Percentage of Clinical Effectiveness will be accepted as the primary outcomes. Additional outcome is the safety assessment will be considered a secondary outcome. Two independent authors will based on the Cochrane system evaluation manual 5.1.0 version of randomized controlled trial bias risk assessment tool to evaluate the risk of bias among the final included studies. And we will use the RevMan 5.3 software to analysis data.

CONCLUSION

This study will provide evidence to judge whether fire needle is an effective therapy for vitiligo.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020120012.

An update of fire needle acupuncture for acute herpes zoster and prevention of postherpetic neuralgia in adults: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Herpes zoster, is one of the most familiar skin diseases in conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis in 2018 showed that fire needle acupuncture can relieve the pain caused by herpes zoster quickly and prevent the outcome of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), with little side effects. The purpose of this study is to update the systematic review with the latest evidence.

METHODS

Four English (PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, the Web of Science) and 4 Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM) will be searched dating until 30 June 2020 for randomized controlled trials with no language restrictions. In addition, a hand search of the reference lists of included studies will also be done. Adults (aged 18-70) with acute herpes zoster (less than 7 days) using fire needle acupuncture will be included. Pairs of researchers will independently conduct the search, screen titles and abstracts, retrieve full texts of potentially eligible studies, assess the risk of bias, and conduct date extraction and synthesis. If there is any discrepancy in the whole process, consult a third researcher. For meta-analysis, the primary outcome is the pain intensity (visual analogue scale [VAS] pain scale; pain relieve of 30%, duration of pain), and the second outcome is incidence of PHN. A sequential analysis will be done to test the robustness of results of meta-analysis. The quality of evidence will be assessed using GRADE system.

RESULTS

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

CONCLUSION

This study will provide the latest systematic review and meta-analysis of fire needle acupuncture for acute herpes zoster and prevention of PHN.

Efficacy and safety of Tian moxibustion in treating allergic rhinitis: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Allergic rhinitis, abbreviated AR, modern medicine considers AR to be a chronic inflammatory reactive disease of the nasal mucosa mediated by exposure to allergens such as pollen and mites immunoglobulin E. AR not only affects patients' daily life, sleep, work, and study, but also brings huge economic burden to patients and society. At present, desensitization therapy, antiallergic drugs, antihistamines, hormones, and other drugs are used to improve symptoms or immune regulation, but the clinical short-term and long-term efficacy is general, the symptoms are easy to be repeated after drug withdrawal, and the long-term toxicity and side effects of drugs are obviously insufficient. Tian moxibustion therapy has a good effect on AR. Therefore, this paper will carry out a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

METHODS

Eight electronic databases will be searched, 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 November 2020, without any language restriction, but involving only the human subjects. Clinical efficacy, including total effective rate or cure rate, and recurrence rate will be accepted as the primary outcomes. The Rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionaire (RQLQ) score, symptom score (nasal congestion, snot, continuous sneezing) will be used as secondary outcomes. The Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Review (5.3.0) randomized controlled trials (RCT) risk assessment tool will be used to evaluate the risk of bias by 2 independent researchers.

RESULTS

After the completion of this study, the results will be reported, so it is not possible to give accurate results at present.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study will provide reliable evidence for the efficacy and safety of Tian moxibustion in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This paper does not need to be approved by the Ethics Committee, because this paper is a systematic review and quality evaluation of relevant literature. The results of this study will be disseminated in the form of a paper to help better guide the clinical practice of Tian moxibustion in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020110058.

Effectiveness of moxibustion therapy in the treatment of urticaria: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Urticaria is a common skin disease in clinic. The main clinical symptoms are sudden attack, various forms, different sizes of wind, and erythema, accompanied by varying degrees of itching. At present, antihistamines, non-specific antiallergic agents, or glucocorticoids are the main treatment, with some side effects and adverse reactions. Moxibustion therapy has shown strong advantages in the treatment of urticaria, 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 in the treatment of urticaria.

METHODS

Eight electronic databases will be searched, including PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, 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 October 2020, without any language restriction, but involving only the human subjects. Clinical efficacy, including total effective rate or cure rate, and recurrence rate will be accepted as the primary outcomes. The itch level, number of clusters, size of clusters, and laboratory test results will be used as secondary outcomes. The Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Review (5.3.0) RCT risk assessment tool will be used to evaluate the risk of bias by 2 independent researchers.

RESULTS

After the completion of this study, the results will be reported, so it is not possible to give accurate results at present.

CONCLUSIONS

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

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020100040.

The effectiveness of acupuncture and moxibustion for treating tenosynovitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

BACKGROUND

De Quervain's tenosynovitis is an overuse disease that involves a thickening of the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons. Evidence shows that acupuncture and moxibustion (AM) could remarkably relieve the pain of De Quervain's tenosynovitis patients. The aim of this protocol is to determine the efficacy and safety of AM for treating De Quervain's tenosynovitis.

METHODS

Several online databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literatures Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WangFang Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database will be searched from their establishment to July 1, 2020. We will include all randomized controlled trials using AM as the method for treating De Quervain's tenosynovitis, regardless of blinding or publication types. The selection of studies, data extraction and the assessment of the studies quality will be conducted by 2 reviewers separately. When there is sufficient available data for meta-analysis, we will use the RevMan V.5.3 statistical software for data synthesis. The total effective rate, range of motion of wrist ulnar deviation will be the primary outcomes, and the secondary outcomes contain Visual Analog Scale, Coney Wrist Score and side effects. We will express the result by using Risk ratio for dichotomous data and mean differences with a 95% confidence interval for continuous data.

RESULTS

The results of this study be presented in corresponding journal or conferences.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is designed to provide sufficient evidence to assess the exact effectiveness of AM on De Quervain's tenosynovitis.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020158764.

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

BACKGROUND

De Quervain disease (DQD) is a common clinical disease. As a strainingdisease, DQD is more common in women who frequently engage in manual operations. The main clinical symptoms are local pain and dysfunction. Many clinical studies have reported that moxibustion has a good effect on the treatment of DQD, but there is no relevant systematic review. So the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion in treating DQD.

METHODS

The following 8 electronic databases will be searched, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literatures Database (CBM) from their inception to 1 October 2020 without any restrictions. Researchers retrieve the literature and extracted the data, evaluation of research methods, quality of literature. The outcomes will include a visual analogue scale, Finkelsteins, resisted thumb extension, total effective rate, incidence of any adverse events. We use the Cochrane Risk of a bias assessment tool to evaluate methodological qualities. Data synthesis will be completed by RevMan 5.3.0.

RESULTS

We will show the results of this study in a peer-reviewed journal.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis will provide reliable evidence for moxibustion treatment of DQD.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020100111.

Adjuvant therapeutic effects of moxibustion on COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

COVID-9 has become a global pandemic with severe health issues around the world. However, there is still no effective drug to treat the disease, and many studies have shown that moxibustion plays a positive role in adjuvant treatment of COVID-19. Therefore, this meta-analysis is designed to evaluate the efficacy of moxibustion for COVID-19.

METHODS

The relevant randomized controlled trials will be systematically retrieved from the electronic database, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Clinical Trials Database, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, without restrictions on publication status and language. Two reviewers will independently review all included studies and assess the risk of bias. Two reviewers will independently extract data from the included studies based on a pre-designed standardized form. Any disagreements will be resolved by consensus. The meta-analysis will be performed with RevMan (V5.3.5) software.

RESULT

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

CONCLUSION

This ongoing meta-analysis will provide up-to-date evidence of the efficacy of moxibustion for patients with COVID-19.

REGISTRATION

The meta-analysis has been prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020211910).

Moxibustion therapy on myofascial pain syndrome: An evidence-based clinical practice guideline

BACKGROUND

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a chronic systemic pain disorder. Among the common treatments, moxibustion has an irreplaceable therapeutic effect and is an effective Traditional Chinese Medicine therapy for MPS. However, the lack of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) has prompted the publication of guidelines on the use of moxibustion in the treatment of MPS.

METHODS

The clinical practice guideline will base on the Institute of Medicine, the World Health Organization guideline handbook, the Grade of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II, Reporting Items for practice, Guideline in Healthcare and recommendations thereof will be made on the basis of systematic reviews. We will establish a guidelines development team that will draft clinical questions in the form of population, intervention, comparison, results and conduct a literature search and quality of evidence assessment. The experts will make recommendations after 2 or 3 rounds of Delphi investigations. We will carefully consider the patient's values and preferences and conduct a peer review.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The guidelines will not contain any personal data and will not prejudice individual rights, so no ethical approval will be required. The guidelines will be subject to rigorous peer review and may be published in a journal or circulated at relevant conferences.

RESULTS

The guidelines will be published in relevant peer-reviewed journals.

CONCLUSION

This guideline will make it easier for clinicians to treat MPs in the clinical setting and improve the effectiveness of treatment for MPS.

STUDY REGISTRATION

The study is registered with the International Practice Guideline Registry Platform (IPGRP): IPGRP-2020CN030.

Moxibustion therapy for chronic spontaneous urticaria: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a common disease in clinical, and often recrudescent. However, sometimes Western medicine treatments such as antihistamines cannot completely control the symptoms of CSU; therefore, more effective and optimized treatments are needed. Numerous studies have confirmed that moxibustion therapy is effective in treating CSU. Given that no relevant systematic reviews and meta-analysis have been carried out, we set out to prove the effect of moxibustion therapy for CSU.

METHODS

This protocol will be conducted based on the PRISMA-P guidelines and comply with the recommendations of the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook for Systematic Reviews. We plan to search the subsequent databases: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE.com and Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Database, Chinese Science Journal Database, and China Biomedical Literature Database. The studies will be screened under the eligibility criterion. The quality of the studies will be assessed based on the Cochrane risk bias tool. Ultimately, Review Manager 5.3 will be used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

This research will comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of moxibustion therapy for CSU, and provide a more reasonable and effective treatment plan for CUS.

CONCLUSION

This research will bring new evidence for the efficacy of moxibustion therapy in the treatment of CSU and provide a basis for future clinical applications.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020100045.

Moxibustion combined with characteristic lifestyle intervention of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the treatment of abdominal obesity: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Abdominal obesity occurs when excessive visceral and subcutaneous fat is built up around the abdomen and stomach, which negatively impacts human health. Moxibustion, arose from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been widely applied in the treatment of abdominal obesity. Several studies have shown the positive effects of moxibustion in prevention and treatment of endocrine issues and excess body weight. In this context, our study aims to examine the safety and efficacy of the combination of moxibustion and characteristic lifestyle intervention of TCM in the treatment of abdominal obesity.

METHODS/DESIGN

This study will be a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial conducted from September 2020 to January 2022 that includes 150 participants who have abdominal obesity and meet the eligibility criteria. The participants will be randomly divided into 3 groups in a 2:2:1 allocation ratio. The intervention group will receive moxibustion combined with characteristic lifestyle intervention of TCM; the other group will receive moxibustion combined with lifestyle intervention; the control group will receive lifestyle intervention only. Eight-week moxibustion sessions will be provided to participants assigned to the 2 intervention groups. The characteristic lifestyle intervention of TCM will also last 8 weeks, whereas the lifestyle intervention will last 12 weeks including 8-week treatment period, 4-week follow-up period. The primary outcome is the waist circumference measured by a tape measure. The secondary outcomes include obesity-related indicators, serum biochemical indexs, blood pressure, conversion score of physical symptoms, and measurement of the scale. Adverse events will be recorded during the treatment and follow-up period.

DISCUSSION

The results are expected to provide clinical evidence for the application of the combination of moxibustion and characteristic lifestyle intervention of TCM in patients with abdominal obesity.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04501198, Registered on 9 June 2020.

TCM nonpharmacological interventions for chronic low-back pain: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

chronic low back pain (CLBP) are common symptoms bothering people in daily life. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) nonpharmacological interventions are gaining an increasing popularity for CLBP. Nevertheless, the evidence of efficacy and safety of random controlled trials (RCTs) remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of different TCM nonpharmacological therapies by systematic review and network meta-analysis.

METHODS

According to the strategy, The authors will retrieve a total of 7 electronic databases by September 2020, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMbase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biological Medicine, Chongqing VIP, and Wan-fang databases After a series of screening, 2 researchers will use Aggregate Data Drug Information System and Stata software to analyze the data extracted from the randomized controlled trials of TCM nonpharmacological interventions for CLBP. The primary outcome will be the improvement of Pain intensity and functional status/disability and the secondary outcomes will include lobal improvement, health-related quality of life, satisfaction with treatment, and adverse events. Both classical meta-analysis and network meta-analysis will be implemented to investigate direct and indirect evidences on this topic. The quality of the evidence will be evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation instrument.

RESULTS

This study will provide a reliable evidence for the selection of TCM nonpharmacological therapies in the treatment of CLBP.

CONCLUSION

This study will generate evidence for different TCM nonpharmacological therapies for CLBP and provide a decision-making reference for clinical research.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study does not require ethical approval. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication.

OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/4H3Y9.

Moxibustion for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines

BACKGROUND

At present, the effect of western-medicine (WM) therapy to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is limited. Moxibustion is a representative external treatment in traditional Chinese medicine that has been beneficial to DPN. We aim to systematically assess the efficacy and safety of moxibustion in treating DPN, following PRISMA guidelines.

METHODS

Eight electronic databases were searched to acquire information on eligible trials published from inception to June 1, 2019. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) applying moxibustion therapy with a minimum of 14-days treatment duration for DPN patients compared with placebo, no intervention, or conventional WM interventions. The primary outcomes in our study include the sensory-nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) and motor-nerve conduction velocity (MNCV). We used the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool to assess the methodological quality of eligible RCTs. Statistical analyses were conducted using Review Manager 5.3. Risk ratios (RR) and mean differences (MD) were calculated with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The χ test was applied to assess the heterogeneity.

RESULTS

In total, 11 RCTs were included that involved 927 DPN patients. Compared with the control group, there was an increase in median MNCV (MD = 6.26, 95% CI 2.64-9.89, Z = 3.39, P = .0007) and peroneal MNCV (MD = 6.45, 95% CI 5.30-7.61, P < .00001). There was also an increase in median SNCV (MD = 6.64, 95% CI 3.25-10.03, P = .0001) and peroneal SNCV (MD = 3. 57, 95% CI 2.06-5.09, Z = 4.63, P < .00001) in the treatment groups. The treatment groups receiving moxibustion therapy indicated a more significant improvement in total effectiveness rate (RR = 0.25, 95% CI 0.18-0.37, Z = 7.16, P < .00001). Toronto Clinical Scoring System indicated a significant decrease in the treatment groups (MD = -2.12, 95% CI -2.82 to 1.43, P < .00001). Only 1 study reported that treatment groups experienced no adverse reactions. The other 10 studies did not mention adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Moxibustion therapy may be an effective and safe option for DPN patients but needs to be verified in further rigorous studies.

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.

Heat-sensitive moxibustion self-administration in patients in the community with primary hypertension: A protocol for a multi-center, pragmatic, non-randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Although the efficacy of antihypertensive drugs has been well established for primary hypertension, their effectiveness is always limited by side effects and poor compliance. Heat-sensitive moxibustion is an innovative acupoint stimulation therapy that is promising as a community health care intervention for hypertension.

AIMS

This study aims to evaluate the pragmatic effectiveness and safety of heat-sensitive moxibustion self-administration by patients in the community with primary hypertension.

METHODS

This study will adopt a multi-center, pragmatic, nonrandomized design. Six hundred patients with primary hypertension will be recruited from 4 communities. Each patient will choose to either receive heat-sensitive moxibustion self-administration + original antihypertensive drugs or maintain their original antihypertensive drugs without heat-sensitive moxibustion for 1 year.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

The primary outcome will be changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressures and the percentage changes in the doses of antihypertensive drugs. The secondary outcomes will be changes in quality of life assessed by a validated patient-reported outcome scale and the levels of fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, urinary albumin, and serum creatinine. The proportion of patients with poor compliance with the heat-sensitive moxibustion regimen will also be evaluated as a secondary outcome. The safety of heat-sensitive moxibustion will be considered by analyzing the incidence of all and serious adverse events and their correlation with heat-sensitive moxibustion.

DISCUSSION

The findings of this study will provide pragmatic evidence for heat-sensitive moxibustion self-administration in patients in the community with primary hypertension and may also establish an ethical basis for further randomized controlled trials.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The protocol of this trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov at May 11, 2020 (No. NCT04381520).

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.

[Technical elements and clinical application of umbilical refining of heat-sensitive moxibustion]

Under the guidance of the theory and technique of arrival of qi of heat-sensitive moxibustion, the technical elements of umbilical refining of moxibustion proposed in The Guide to Medicine by LI Yan were analyzed. It is believed that the parameters of moxibustion temperature and time are the key points. The standard of "quantitative moxa" is established to achieve the appropriate moxibustion temperature and moxibustion time. The umbilical refining of heat-sensitive moxibustion is established to reappear the magic effect of LI Yan's umbilical refining of moxibustion. The umbilical refining of heat-sensitive moxibustion is recommended for stomachache, diarrhea, constipation, dysmenorrhea, impotence, etc. with significant curative effect.

Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for scapulohumeral periarthritis: Protocol for an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Scapulohumeral periarthritis (SP) is a very common painful shoulder disorder. Several systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses have reported the effectiveness of acupuncture for patients with SP. However, the evidence has not been systematically synthesized. This overview aims to map, synthesize, and assess the reliability of evidence generated from these SRs and meta-analyses of acupuncture for SP.

METHODS

We will electronically search the following databases for literature, regardless of publication status and language: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); PubMed; EMBASE; China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI); Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM); Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIPdatabase); and Wan-Fang Database. In order to ensure the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the literature retrieval, we will combine the Suggestions of evidence-based medicine experts with the actual situation in the literature retrieval process to formulate the retrieval strategy, and make corresponding records to find the most appropriate retrieval strategy. The reference lists and the citation lists of studies meeting the inclusion criteria and relevant SRs will also be searched to identify further studies for inclusion. Before this review completed, the two reviewers will conduct the searching once again to ensure the latest studies could be included.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required for overviews. We plan to publish results in peer-reviewed journals and present at international and national academic, clinical, and patient conferences.

RESULTS

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

CONCLUSION

This overview will provide comprehensive evidence of acupuncture for patients with SP.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202060020.

Which acupuncture and moxibustion technique is more effective for primary dysmenorrhea: A protocol for a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Primary dysmenorrhea (PD), also called functional dysmenorrhea, refers to a woman's menstrual period in genital no organic disease, abdominal pain, under the belly and other discomfort for the characteristics of disease of department of gynecology. Acupuncture and moxibustion have been accepted as treatment options for PD. So far, there are so many therapies for PD and their efficacy has been assessed by several systematic reviews. Therefore, this study aims at evaluating the effectiveness which acupuncture and moxibustion technique is more effective for primary dysmenorrhea.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The following electronic databases will be searched in this study: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL);PubMed; EMBASE; China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI); Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM);Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP database); and Wan-Fang Database(WF). More than two authors independently assessed the quality of the evidence by AMSTAR2, PRISMA, PRISMA-A, and GRADE approach. Two of our researchers will use the bias risk tool provided by the Cochrane Collaboration to evaluate the quality of the literature using WinBUGS 1.4.3 and STATA softwares. The primary outcomes include the extent of pain in the lower abdomen measured by visual analog scale (VAS) and relief from symptoms. The quality of life (QoL) and Adverse events will be considered as Additional outcome(s). Their reference lists and the citation lists of studies meeting the inclusion criteria and relevant systematic reviews will also be searched to identify further studies for inclusion. Before this review completed, the 2 reviewers will conduct the search once again to ensure the latest studies could be included.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This review does not require ethical approval.

RESULTS

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

CONCLUSION

This study will provide comprehensive evidence of acupuncture and moxibustion for patients with PD.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020500106.

Effects of herb-partitioned moxibustion for diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is a common functional intestinal disease characterized by abdominal pain and diarrhea. Herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM), a characteristic external therapy, is effective in treating IBS-D. However, no systematic review has been carried out to assess the efficacy and safety of HPM for IBS-D. The aim of this study will systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of HPM for the treatment of patients with IBS-D.

METHODS

We will perform the comprehensive literature search in both English and Chinese electronic database including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science database, Medline, Chinese BioMedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, Chongqing VIP information, and SinoMed from their inception to July 2020. All randomized controlled trials of HPM for the treatment of IBS-D will be included. RevManV5. 3 will be applied to analyze the data.

RESULTS

This study will provide high-quality synthesis of current evidence of effectiveness and safety on HPM for patients with IBS-D.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of our systematic review will provide evidence to judge whether HPM is an effective intervention for IBS-D.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

10.17605/OSF.IO/3JXCZ.

The efficacy and safety of warming acupuncture and moxibustion on rheumatoid arthritis: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as an autoimmune disease, can eventually lead to joint deformity and loss of function, seriously reduce the quality of life of patients and increase economic burden. As a traditional Chinese therapy, warming acupuncture and moxibustion is safe, economical, and has few side effects. At present, some studies have shown that warming acupuncture and moxibustion has a certain effect on RA, but there is no evidence of evidence-based medicine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of warming acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

METHOD

Randomized controlled trials of warming acupuncture and moxibustion treating RA will be searched in the databases including PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, Web of science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang, the Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), and China biomedical literature database (CBM) from inception to July, 2020. In addition, Baidu, Google Scholar, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and Chinese Clinical Trials Registry will be searched to obtain the gray literature and relevant data that have not yet been published. Two qualified researchers will extract data and assess the risk of bias from included studies independently. Statistical analysis is performed in RevMan 5.3 software.

RESULTS

The primary outcome is symptom evaluation including morning stiffness, pain, and joint swelling. The number of joints affected by RA, Rheumatoid factor (RF), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), anti-cyclic peptide containing citrulline (A-CCP), and adverse effects, will be evaluated as secondary outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will compare the efficacy and safety of warming acupuncture and moxibustion with common acupuncture in the treatment of RA, providing reliable evidence for clinical application.

OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/C8RY9.

Observation on the clinical effect of thunder-fire moxibustion combined with acupressure on ocular muscle spasm: A clinical randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

With the rapid development of social economy, peoples dependence on computers and mobile phones is increasing day by day. This causes people to often overuse. Therefore, the incidence of Ocular muscle spasm has been increasing year by year in recent years. The disease usually starts and hides, which seriously affects the patients social image, daily life, and work.

METHODS/DESIGN

We will compare the clinical efficacy of thunder-fire moxibustion combined with acupressure with pure thunder-fire moxibustion on Ocular muscle spasm using random control method.

DISCUSSION

We aim to find a simple, safe, simple and effective Chinese medicine nursing technology that relieves Ocular muscle spasm.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov,ChiCTR2000034187, Registered on 27 June 2020.

Effects of herb-partitioned moxibustion for ulcerative colitis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic, chronic inflammatory disease of the colonic mucosa. Herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) treatment has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of UC. However, there is still a lack of high-quality evidence to support the effectiveness and safety of HPM on patients with UC. This study will aim to systematically explore the efficacy of HPM for the treatment of UC.

METHODS

We will search the electronic databases of Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials, China national knowledge infrastructure database (CNKI), Wan fang database, Chongqing VIP information, and SinoMed from their inception to June 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of HPM for the treatment of UC will be included. RevMan 5.3 software (The Nordic Cochrane Center, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) will be applied for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

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

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of our systematic review will provide more appropriate evidence-based decisions to assist clinicians during the decision-making process when dealing with UC.

The effectiveness of Du moxibustion for ankylosing spondylitis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

BACKGROUND

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common progressive autoimmune inflammatory disease. Du moxibustion can effectively treat AS with few adverse reactions. The aim of this protocol is to systematically investigate the effectiveness and safety for management of AS with Du moxibustion.

METHODS

Seven relevant databases, namely, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literatures Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WangFang Database (WF), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP) will be searched from their inception until May 1st, 2020. All clinical randomized controlled trials containing eligible interventions(s) and outcome(s) will be included, regardless of blinding or publication types. Two reviewers will independently retrieval databases, extract data, and then assess the quality of studies. Data synthesis will be conducted by RevMan 5.3 software. We regard the effective rate, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) as the primary outcomes, and the secondary outcomes contain C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), finger-to-floor distance (FFD), occiput to wall distance (OWD), and side effects. The result about the curative effect and safety of Du moxibustion for AS will be presented as risk ratio for dichotomous data and mean differences with a 95% confidence interval for continuous data.

RESULTS

The finding will be presented in a journal or related conferences.

CONCLUSIONS

This study expects to provide high-quality, evidence-based recommendations on further treatment for clinical guidance.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020158727.

Difference in the metabolic characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and healthy adults

INTRODUCTION

By detecting the metabolic difference of the Heart and Lung meridians, the present study aims to investigate the specificity of different meridians and verify whether functional near infrared spectroscopy is validated as an add-on technique to assist diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The Lung and Heart meridians are chosen as the target for comparison; accordingly, 120 eligible participants will be included and divided into the COPD group, healthy control group, and healthy intervention group. Functional near infrared spectroscopy will be adopted to measure the metabolic characteristics of the Heart and Lung meridians. On one hand, the specificity of the meridian-visceral association will be investigated by comparing the metabolic difference in the Heart and Lung meridians between the healthy control group and COPD group. On the other hand, the specificity of site-to-site association will be determined by comparing the metabolic change between the 2 meridians that induced by moxibustion in the Heart meridian and Lung meridian, respectively, in the healthy control group. The primary outcome will be regional oxygen saturation of corresponding regions along the Heart and Lung meridians.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04046666.