Sciatic nerve injury treated by acupuncture: a bibliometric study and visualization analysis

Frontiers in Neurology, 2024 · DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1432249 · Published: December 31, 2024

Alternative Medicine Neurology Research Methodology & Design

Simple Explanation

Sciatic nerve injuries can cause pain and motor issues, affecting life quality. Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine, is being looked at for its ability to relieve pain and help nerves heal. This study uses special computer programs to look at research on acupuncture for sciatic nerve injury over the last 10 years. It helps to see what's currently being studied, what's popular, and where the research might go in the future. The study found that acupuncture, especially with electricity, is a common way to treat sciatic nerve injury. It also works well with other treatments like medicine and physical therapy by helping nerves regenerate and repair themselves.

Study Duration

10 Years

Participants

Not specified

Evidence Level

Systematic Review

Key Findings

1
Acupuncture combined with drug therapy, physical therapy, and rehabilitation training can comprehensively improve the treatment effect for sciatic nerve injury.
2
Acupuncture's therapeutic mechanism mainly promotes nerve regeneration and repair through the modulation of cytokines and related signaling pathways.
3
Electroacupuncture and neuropathic pain are cutting-edge research topics in the field of acupuncture for sciatic nerve injury.

Research Summary

This study uses visualization software VOSviewer and CiteSpace to provide the current status and trends in SNI of acupuncture over the past decade and predicts potential research frontiers and hot directions. The findings show that, over the past decade, there have been a total of 985 publications in both Chinese and English on this topic, with research hotspots primarily focused in China. Integrating different therapies such as electroacupuncture, moxibustion, and tuina can contribute to more comprehensive and personalized SNI treatment approaches.

Practical Implications

Acupuncture Point Selection

The most commonly used acupoints include Weizhong and Huantiao. Stimulation of these points may have a regulatory effect on the nervous system, helping to alleviate inflammation and relieve pain.

Mechanisms of Action

Acupuncture may enhance the formation of new axonal connections in the surrounding nerves, promote the proliferation of Schwann cells, and facilitate the secretion of NCAM and CNTF, thus exerting neuroprotective effects, alleviating pain, and promoting the regeneration of myelin and functional recovery.

Comprehensive Treatment

Combining massage, pharmacotherapy, physical therapy, nerve loosening, nerve transplantation, and rehabilitation training can comprehensively enhance treatment effects.

Study Limitations

1
The English database selects literature solely from the Web of Science Core Collection’s indexed journal database, potentially introducing bias.
2
Inconsistencies exist in the terminology used in the keywords of published articles.
3
The majority of the included studies are animal experiments, necessitating more clinical research.

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