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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neuromuscular Disorders and Peripheral Neuropathies
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1510331
Research Trends of Acupuncture Therapy for Painful Peripheral Nervous System Diseases from 2004 to 2023: A Bibliometric and Meta-Analysis
Provisionally accepted
Binke Fan 1
Yunfan Xia 2
Yuanyuan Feng 2
Xilong Yang 2
Ping Lin 1
Jianqiao Fang 2
Zuyong Zhang 1*
Shimin Li 1*- 1 Hangzhou Third Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
- 2 The Third Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
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: Acupuncture Therapy, Peripheral Nervous System Diseases, Pain Management, peripheral neuropathy, bibliometric analysis, Citespace
Received: 12 Oct 2024; Accepted: 04 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Fan, Xia, Feng, Yang, Lin, Fang, Zhang and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Zuyong Zhang, Hangzhou Third Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Shimin Li, Hangzhou Third Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.