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. 2025 Mar 14:16:1510331.
doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1510331. eCollection 2025.

Research trends of acupuncture therapy for painful peripheral nervous system diseases from 2004 to 2023: a bibliometric and meta-analysis

Binke Fan #  1 , Yunfan Xia #  2 , Yuanyuan Feng #  2 , Xilong Yang #  2 , Ping Lin  1 , Jianqiao Fang  2 , Zuyong Zhang  1 , Shimin Li  1
Affiliations

Research trends of acupuncture therapy for painful peripheral nervous system diseases from 2004 to 2023: a bibliometric and meta-analysis

Binke Fan et al. Front Neurol. .

Abstract

Background: Peripheral nervous system diseases (PNSD) have represented a major global health burden, leading to significant economic impacts and diminished productivity. This bibliometric analysis was performed to summarize the current research trends and hotspots over the past two decades, aiming to provide a comprehensive perspective for future research.

Methods: All data were sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) on March 1, 2024, for publications between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2023. Data visualization and analyses, including descriptive statistics, co-occurrence mapping, and cluster analysis, were performed using CiteSpace (Version 6.1.R6) and Excel 2021.

Results: Our search yielded 678 references, with the annual publication count demonstrating an increasing trend over the past 20 years. The most productive country and institution were China and Kyung Hee University, respectively. Fang Jianqiao, was the most prolific author with the highest publications. Among journals, "Pain," was the most frequently cited, while the top-cited reference was a randomized controlled pilot trial by Lu Weidong in 2020. "Acupuncture" emerged as the keyword with the highest frequency. The meta-analysis indicated that acupuncture was more effective than standard care for pain associated with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy [MD = -2.03, 95% CI (-2.86, -1.21), 2 RCTs, 102 participants, p < 0.0001].

Conclusion: Our bibliometric review revealed key insights into the focal areas of PNSD research, underscoring the urgent need for continued and targeted high-quality investigations.

Keywords: CiteSpace; acupuncture therapy; bibliometric analysis; pain management; peripheral nervous system diseases; peripheral neuropathy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic of data collection and screening.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Timeline of publications and citations.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution of countries.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Collaborative map of institutions.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Collaborative map of authors.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Dual-map overlay of journals.
Figure 7
Figure 7
(A) Top 5 references with the strongest citation bursts. (B) Cluster map of co-cited references.
Figure 8
Figure 8
(A) Top 25 keywords with the strongest citation bursts. (B) Timeline view of keywords co-citation.
Figure 9
Figure 9
(A) Risk of bias of 7 included RCTs. (B) Risk of bias summary of 7 included RCTs.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Forest plots of the pain intensity. (A) Total, (B) sensitivity analysis, (C) herpes zoster, (D) chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, (E) diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Funnel plot.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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