Global Trends and Performances of Acupuncture Therapy on Bell's Palsy from 2000 to 2023: A Bibliometric Analysis

Progress in treatment of facial neuritis by acupuncture combined with medicine from the perspective of modern medicine: A review

Facial neuritis is a common clinical disease with high incidence, also known as Bell palsy or idiopathic facial nerve paralysis, which is an acute onset of peripheral facial neuropathy. In modern medicine, there have been obstacles to the effective treatment of facial neuritis. At present, the clinical use of Western medicine treatment is also a summary of clinical experience, the reason is that the cause of facial neuritis is unknown. Facial neuritis belongs to the category of "facial paralysis" in traditional Chinese medicine. For thousands of years, Chinese medicine has accumulated a lot of relevant treatment experience in the process of diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and the combination of acupuncture and medicine play an important role in the treatment of facial neuritis. This article discusses the treatment of facial neuritis with acupuncture combined with Chinese medicine, based on the research progress of modern medicine. In this review, we provide an overview of the effectiveness of acupuncture and medication combinations and facial neuritis with current studies investigating acupuncture and medication combinations in the treatment of facial neuritis.

Knowledge and Awareness Regarding Bell's Palsy in the Al-Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Bell's palsy, characterized by acute onset unilateral facial weakness, is caused by the paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve, which controls the muscles of the face. This condition can result in functional disabilities, and early detection and management are crucial for quick recovery. Awareness was found to be one of the factors associated with early detection and interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the awareness of the population of Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia, regarding Bell's palsy.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study on 1,198 participants in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia, between May and July 2023. We used a self-administered online questionnaire inquiring about knowledge and awareness of Bell's palsy. We performed descriptive and correlation analyses, and a p-value of less than 0.05 indicated a statistical significance.

RESULTS

The mean (± SD) knowledge score was 7.02 ± 2.03 out of a total of 13 points. Almost a third of participants (n=353, 29.5%) expressed uncertainty about the causes of Bell's palsy, with 346 (28.9%) and 107 (8.9%) attributing it to idiopathic factors and viral infections, respectively. Most participants (n=520, 43.4%) believed both genders were equally affected, while 563 (46.9%) correctly identified cranial nerve 7 as the affected nerve. Treatment awareness varied, with 629 (58.2%) acknowledging physiotherapy and (n=777, 64.9%) acknowledging traditional medicine. Interestingly, only 111 (9.3%) thought that Bell's palsy was permanent, most participants (n=1023, 85.4%) recognized Bell's palsy as treatable, and 1,105 (92.2%) correctly perceived it as non-contagious. There were significant correlations between awareness and age (p<0.001), gender (p<0.001), marital status (p<0.001), occupation (p<0.001), information source (p<0.001), nationality (p=0.009), and education levels (p<0.031). Addressing these gaps and demographic nuances through targeted educational campaigns is crucial for enhancing overall awareness of Bell's palsy.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate suboptimal awareness among participants in general, poor knowledge about causes and clinical manifestation, and a relatively better awareness of treatments. We recommend further studies exploring awareness and associated factors.

Knowledge mapping of acupoint sensitization and acupoint specificity: a bibliometric analysis

Objective

The relationship between acupoint sensitization and acupoint specificity is a topic of significant interest in acupuncture research. Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated that needling pain sensitive acupoints yields superior therapeutic outcomes compared to traditional acupoints, particularly in the context of pain disorders. However, there is a lack of bibliometric analysis in acupuncture area. Therefore, the objective of this study is to offer a comprehensive overview of the knowledge structure and research hotspots pertaining to acupoint sensitization and acupoint specificity.

Methods

The search for publications pertaining to acupoint sensitization and acupoint specificity was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from its inception until August 11, 2023. Subsequently, bibliometric analyses were carried out using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, R software (Bibliometrix package), and GraphPad Prism software.

Results

This study includes 4,940 articles from 72 countries, with China and the United States being the leading countries. The number of publications related to acupoint sensitization and specificity has been increasing annually. Major research institutions involved in this field include the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, and China Medical University, among others. "Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine" is the most popular journal in acupuncture field, and "PAIN" is the most co-cited journal. Publications are contributed by 20,325 authors from all over the world, with Wu Huangan, Fang Jianqiao, Lin Yi-Wen, Liu Huirong, and Chen Rixin having published the most articles. Han Ji-Sheng is the most cited author in this research area. The main directions include the study of temperature specificity of acupoints, the diagnosis of acupoint sensitization diseases, and the study of the mechanism of acupoint sensitization. The most listed keywords in recent years are "TRPV1," "signaling pathway," and "diagnosis."

Conclusion

This is the first bibliometric study to comprehensively summarize research trends and advances in acupoint sensitization and acupoint specificity, and the information highlights recent research preliminary and main directions that serve as a reference for acupoint sensitization and acupoint specificity research.