A Review of Key Research and Engagement in 2022

Lu L , Zhang Y , Ge S , et al. Evidence mapping and overview of systematic reviews of the effects of acupuncture therapies. BMJ Open, 2022; 12(6):e056803; doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056803

Li RQ , Wan L , Zi MJ , et al. [Stable angina pectoris of coronary heart disease treated with different acupuncture and moxibustion therapies: A network meta-analysis]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu, 2022; 42(12):1431–1438; doi: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20220513-0002

Baroncini A , Maffulli N , Eschweiler J , et al. Acupuncture in chronic aspecific low back pain: A Bayesian network meta-analysis. J Orthop Surg Res, 2022; 17(1); doi: 10.1186/s13018-022-03212-3

Li RY , Chen KY , Zheng HY , et al. Comparison of multiple acupoints combination in the treatment of post-stroke cognitive impairment: A network meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore), 2022; 101(52):e32383; doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000032383

Wang L , Chen Y , Cao W , et al. Comparative effectiveness of different acupuncture courses in functional constipation: A Bayesian network meta-analysis of clinical trials. Appl Nurs Res, 2023; 70:151651; doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2022.151651

Wan R , Fan Y , Zhao A , et al. Comparison of efficacy of acupuncture-related therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Immunol, 2022; 13:829409; doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.829409

Wang XC , Chu CL , Lu K , et al. The role of tonifying kidney decoction and acupuncture in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: A network meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore), 2022; 101(46):e31243; doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000031243

Wu T , Fu C , Deng Y , et al. Acupuncture therapy for radiotherapy-induced adverse effect: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Front Public Health, 2022; 10:1026971; doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1026971

Bae K , Lamoury G , Carroll S , et al. Comparison of the clinical effectiveness of treatments for aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia in breast cancer patients: A systematic review with network meta-analysis. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol, 2023; 181:103898; doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2022.103898

Shao T , Liang L , Zhou C , et al. Short-term efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for global population with elevated blood pressure: A network meta-analysis. Front Public Health, 2022; 10:1051581; doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1051581

Castellini G , Pillastrini P , Vanti C , et al. Some conservative interventions are more effective than others for people with chronic non-specific neck pain: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. J Physiother, 2022; 68(4):244–254; doi: 10.1016/j.jphys.2022.09.007

Morita A , Murakami A , Uchihara T , et al. Case report: Acupuncture is an effective treatment for olfactory dysfunction in the post COVID-19 condition. Front Neurol, 2022; 13:916944; doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.916944

Li M , Yang X , Jiang L , et al. Acupuncture for rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder in Parkinson's disease: A case report. Acupunct Med, 2022; 40(2):203–204; doi: 10.1177/09645284211041125

de Valois B , Young T , Thorpe P , et al. Acupuncture in the real world: Evaluating a 15-year NADA auricular acupuncture service for breast cancer survivors experiencing hot flushes and night sweats as a consequence of adjuvant hormonal therapies. Support Care Cancer, 2022; 30(6):5063–5074; doi: 10.1007/s00520-022-06898-7

Zheng H , Gao T , Zheng QH , et al. Acupuncture for patients with chronic tension-type headache: A randomized controlled trial. Neurology, 2022; doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200670

Birch S , Lee MS , Kim TH , et al. Historical perspectives on using sham acupuncture in acupuncture clinical trials. Integr Med Res, 2022; 11(1):100725; doi: 10.1016/j.imr.2021.100725

Lam WC , Au KY , Qin Z , et al. Superficial needling acupuncture vs sham acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial. Am J Med, 2021; 134(10):1286–1294 e2; doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2021.05.002

Hershman DL , Unger JM , Greenlee H , et al. Comparison of acupuncture vs sham acupuncture or waiting list control in the treatment of aromatase inhibitor-related joint pain: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open, 2022; 5(11):e2241720; doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.41720

Hershman DL , Unger JM , Greenlee H , et al. Effect of acupuncture vs sham acupuncture or waitlist control on joint pain related to aromatase inhibitors among women with early-stage breast cancer. JAMA, 2018; 320(2):167; doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.8907

Vickers AJ , Vertosick EA , Lewith G , et al. Acupuncture for chronic pain: Update of an individual patient data meta-analysis. J Pain, 2018; 19(5):455–474; doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2017.11.005

Li Y , Yu Y , Liu Y , et al. Mast cells and acupuncture analgesia. Cells, 2022; 11(5):860; doi: 10.3390/cells11050860

Luo D , Liu L , Zhang HM , et al. Relationship between acupuncture and transient receptor potential vanilloid: Current and future directions. Front Mol Neurosci, 2022; 15:817738; doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.817738

Oh JE , Kim SN . Anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture at st36 point: A literature review in animal studies. Front Immunol, 2021; 12:813748; doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.813748

Yi T , Gao P , Zhu T , et al. Glymphatic system dysfunction: A novel mediator of sleep disorders and headaches. Front Neurol, 2022; 13:885020; doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.885020

Trento MMS , More AOO , Duarte ECW , et al. Peripheral receptors and neuromediators involved in the antihyperalgesic effects of acupuncture: A state-of-the-art review. Pflugers Arch, 2021; 473(4):573–593; doi: 10.1007/s00424-020-02503-0

Iwamura APD , Tavares da Silva MR , Hummelgen AL , et al. Immunity and inflammatory biomarkers in COVID-19: A systematic review. Rev Med Virol, 2021; 31(4):e2199; doi: 10.1002/rmv.2199

Davis HE , McCorkell L , Vogel JM , et al. Long COVID: Major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Nat Rev Microbiol, 2023; 21(3):133–146; doi: 10.1038/s41579-022-00846-2

PubMed. MeSH Unique ID: D017065—Practice Guideline. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/68017065 [Last accessed: March 25, 2023].

Tang X , Shi X , Zhao H , et al. Characteristics and quality of clinical practice guidelines addressing acupuncture interventions: A systematic survey of 133 guidelines and 433 acupuncture recommendations. BMJ Open, 2022; 12(2):e058834; doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058834

Ma Y , Dong M , Zhou K , et al. Publication trends in acupuncture research: A 20-year bibliometric analysis based on PubMed. PLoS One, 2016; 11(12):e0168123; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168123

Svenkerud S , MacPherson H . The impact of STRICTA and CONSORT on reporting of randomised control trials of acupuncture: A systematic methodological evaluation. Acupunct Med, 2018; 36(6):349–357; doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2017-011519

Birch S , Lee MS , Alraek T , et al. Overview of treatment guidelines and clinical practical guidelines that recommend the use of acupuncture: A bibliometric analysis. J Altern Complement Med, 2018; 24(8):752–769; doi: 10.1089/acm.2018.0092

Mao JJ , Ismaila N , Bao T , et al. Integrative medicine for pain management in oncology: Society for Integrative Oncology–ASCO Guideline. J Clin Oncol, 2022; 40(34):3998–4024; doi: 10.1200/JCO.22.01357

Mao JJ , Witt CM . Acupuncture as an evidence-based treatment for cancer pain management: The Joint Society for Integrative Oncology-American Society for Clinical Oncology Guideline. J Integr Complement Med, 2023; 29(4):209–211; doi: 10.1089/jicm.2023.0018

Birch S , Lee MS , Kim T-H , et al. Shoulder pain and the potential role of acupuncture: A narrative review of clinical practice and treatment guidelines. Perspect Integr Med, 2022; 1(1):3–9; doi: 10.56986/pim.2022.09.002

Birch S , Robinson N . Acupuncture as a post-stroke treatment option: A narrative review of clinical guideline recommendations. Phytomedicine, 2022; 104:154297; doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154297

Birch S , Bovey M , Robinson N . Acupuncture for chronic primary pain—Are UK guidelines now consistent with other countries?. Eur J Integr Med, 2021; 41:101257; doi: 10.1016/j.eujim.2020.101257

Birch S , Bovey M , Alraek T , et al. Acupuncture as a treatment within integrative health for palliative care: A brief narrative review of evidence and recommendations. J Altern Complement Med, 2020; 26(9):786–793; doi: 10.1089/acm.2020.0032

Birch S , Lee MS , Alraek T , et al. Evidence, safety and recommendations for when to use acupuncture for treating cancer related symptoms: A narrative review. Integr Med Res, 2019; 8(3):160–166; doi: 10.1016/j.imr.2019.05.002

Birch S . Treating the patient not the symptoms: Acupuncture to improve overall health—Evidence, acceptance and strategies. Integr Med Res, 2019; 8(1):33–41; doi: 10.1016/j.imr.2018.07.005

NICE. Headaches in over 12s: Diagnosis and management—Clinical guideline [CG150]. 2021. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg150 [Last accessed: March 28, 2023 ].

Demarquay G , Mawet J , Guegan-Massardier E , et al. Revised guidelines of the French headache society for the diagnosis and management of migraine in adults. Part 3: Non-pharmacological treatment. Rev Neurol (Paris), 2021; 177(7):753–759; doi: 10.1016/j.neurol.2021.07.009

AWMF. Guideline Program Oncology (German Cancer Society, German Cancer Aid, AWMF): Complementary medicine in the treatment of oncological patients. 2021. Available from: https://www.leitlinienprogramm-onkologie.de/leitlinien/komplementaermedizin/ [Last accessed: May 2, 2023 ].

BMJ. Acupuncture: How to Improve the Evidence Base. 2022. Available from: https://www.bmj.com/acupuncture [Last accessed: March 28, 2023 ].

Zhang Y-Q , Lu L , Xu N , et al. Increasing the usefulness of acupuncture guideline recommendations. BMJ, 2022;e070533; doi: 10.1136/bmj-2022-070533

Lu L , Zhang Y , Tang X , et al. Evidence on acupuncture therapies is underused in clinical practice and health policy. BMJ, 2022;e067475; doi: 10.1136/bmj-2021-067475

Li H , Jin X , Herman PM , et al. Using economic evaluations to support acupuncture reimbursement decisions: Current evidence and gaps. BMJ, 2022;e067477; doi: 10.1136/bmj-2021-067477

Zhang Y-Q , Jiao R-M , Witt CM , et al. How to design high quality acupuncture trials—A consensus informed by evidence. BMJ, 2022;e067476; doi: 10.1136/bmj-2021-067476

NICE. Osteoarthritis in over 16s: Diagnosis and management—NICE guideline [NG226]. 2022. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG226 [Last accessed: March 28, 2023 ].

Corbett MS , Rice SJC , Madurasinghe V , et al. Acupuncture and other physical treatments for the relief of pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee: Network meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 2013; 21(9):1290–1298; doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2013.05.007

Cummings M . Integration of acupuncture into UK Healthcare—A NICE perspective: Why is acupuncture now recommended for chronic pain but not for back pain or osteoarthritis. Perspect Integr Med, 2023; 2(1):3–7; doi: 10.56986/pim.2023.02.002

NICE. Chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s: Assessment of all chronic pain and management of chronic primary pain—NICE guideline [NG193]. 2021. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG193 [Last accessed: March 28, 2023 ].

NICE. Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: Assessment and management—NICE guideline [NG59]. 2020. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG59 [Last accessed: March 28, 2023 ].

Qaseem A , Wilt TJ , McLean RM , et al. Noninvasive treatments for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain: A clinical practice guideline from the American college of physicians. Ann Intern Med, 2017; 166(7):514–530; doi: 10.7326/M16-2367

Medicare. Acupuncture. Available from: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/acupuncture [Last accessed: March 29, 2023 ].

Birch S , Lee MS , Robinson N , et al. The U.K. NICE 2014 guidelines for osteoarthritis of the knee: Lessons learned in a narrative review addressing inadvertent limitations and bias. J Altern Complement Med, 2017; 23(4):242–246; doi: 10.1089/acm.2016.0385

Langevin HM , Wayne PM , Macpherson H , et al. Paradoxes in acupuncture research: Strategies for moving forward. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2011; 2011:180805; doi: 10.1155/2011/180805

Downstate Health Sciences University. SUNY Downstate Medical Research Library of Brooklyn: Evidence-Based Medicine Course. Available from: https://guides.downstate.edu/c.php?g=856794&p=6831536 [Last accessed: June 1, 2023 ].