Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Primary Dysmenorrhea in Korean Literatures: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung Wan Kim ◽  
Bong Ki Park ◽  
Jong Ik Jeon ◽  
Yun Kyoung Yim
2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Côté ◽  
Jan Hartvigsen ◽  
Iben Axén ◽  
Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde ◽  
Melissa Corso ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A small proportion of chiropractors, osteopaths, and other manual medicine providers use spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) to manage non-musculoskeletal disorders. However, the efficacy and effectiveness of these interventions to prevent or treat non-musculoskeletal disorders remain controversial. Objectives We convened a Global Summit of international scientists to conduct a systematic review of the literature to determine the efficacy and effectiveness of SMT for the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of non-musculoskeletal disorders. Global summit The Global Summit took place on September 14–15, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. It was attended by 50 researchers from 8 countries and 28 observers from 18 chiropractic organizations. At the summit, participants critically appraised the literature and synthesized the evidence. Systematic review of the literature We searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, and the Index to Chiropractic Literature from inception to May 15, 2019 using subject headings specific to each database and free text words relevant to manipulation/manual therapy, effectiveness, prevention, treatment, and non-musculoskeletal disorders. Eligible for review were randomized controlled trials published in English. The methodological quality of eligible studies was assessed independently by reviewers using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) criteria for randomized controlled trials. We synthesized the evidence from articles with high or acceptable methodological quality according to the Synthesis without Meta-Analysis (SWiM) Guideline. The final risk of bias and evidence tables were reviewed by researchers who attended the Global Summit and 75% (38/50) had to approve the content to reach consensus. Results We retrieved 4997 citations, removed 1123 duplicates and screened 3874 citations. Of those, the eligibility of 32 articles was evaluated at the Global Summit and 16 articles were included in our systematic review. Our synthesis included six randomized controlled trials with acceptable or high methodological quality (reported in seven articles). These trials investigated the efficacy or effectiveness of SMT for the management of infantile colic, childhood asthma, hypertension, primary dysmenorrhea, and migraine. None of the trials evaluated the effectiveness of SMT in preventing the occurrence of non-musculoskeletal disorders. Consensus was reached on the content of all risk of bias and evidence tables. All randomized controlled trials with high or acceptable quality found that SMT was not superior to sham interventions for the treatment of these non-musculoskeletal disorders. Six of 50 participants (12%) in the Global Summit did not approve the final report. Conclusion Our systematic review included six randomized clinical trials (534 participants) of acceptable or high quality investigating the efficacy or effectiveness of SMT for the treatment of non-musculoskeletal disorders. We found no evidence of an effect of SMT for the management of non-musculoskeletal disorders including infantile colic, childhood asthma, hypertension, primary dysmenorrhea, and migraine. This finding challenges the validity of the theory that treating spinal dysfunctions with SMT has a physiological effect on organs and their function. Governments, payers, regulators, educators, and clinicians should consider this evidence when developing policies about the use and reimbursement of SMT for non-musculoskeletal disorders.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Ji ◽  
Yuan Lu ◽  
Huirong Liu ◽  
Hui Feng ◽  
Fuqing Zhang ◽  
...  

Background. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are recurrent and refractory which include ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Clinical researches about acupuncture and moxibustion treatments for IBD are increasing, while systematic reviews about their efficacy remains in a shortage. This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion for IBD.Methods. Seven significant databases both in and abroad were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which compared acupuncture and moxibustion as the main intervention to pharmacotherapy in treating IBD. A meta-analysis was performed.Results. A total of 43 RCTs were included. Among the 43 included trials, 10 trials compared oral sulphasalazine (SASP) with acupuncture and/or moxibustion treatments. A meta-analysis of the 10 trials indicated that acupuncture and moxibustion therapy was superior to oral SASP.Conclusion. Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy demonstrates better efficacy than oral SASP in treating IBD. However, given the limitations of this systematic review and the included literature, definitive conclusions regarding the exact efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for IBD cannot be drawn. Extant RCTs still cannot provide sufficient evidence and multicentre, double-blind RCTs with large sample sizes are needed to provide higher-quality evidence.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3438
Author(s):  
Hye Won Lee ◽  
Lin Ang ◽  
Myeong Soo Lee ◽  
Zainab Alimoradi ◽  
Eunseop Kim

Fennel is used as an alternative treatment for primary dysmenorrhea. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of fennel for reducing pain in primary dysmenorrhea. Twenty databases, including English, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Iranian, and Spanish databases, were searched from inception to 20 October 2020. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effectiveness of fennel for treating primary dysmenorrhea were considered. Two reviewers conducted the data extraction and risk of bias assessment independently. Any discrepancies were resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. A total of 12 studies were included in this review. The pooled results of seven trials showed that the effect of fennel is similar to that of conventional drug therapies in alleviating pain (n = 502, standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.07, 95% confidence interval(CI): −0.08 to 0.21, p < 0.37, I2 = 0%). In comparison with placebo, fennel was seen to have favorable effects on reducing pain in primary dysmenorrhea (n = 468, SMD: −3.27, 95% CI: −5.28 to −1.26, p = 0.001, I2 = 98%). Only three studies assessed adverse events (AEs), and one study reported minor AEs. Although the risk of bias for all the included studies was moderate, potential publication bias was observed due to the presence of a greater number of small studies with favorable effects. This systematic review concludes that fennel is as effective as conventional drug therapies in alleviating pain in primary dysmenorrhea. More studies that include more diverse populations and robust evidence of fennel’s effects will be needed in future research endeavors.


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