The clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture for tinnitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: No single treatment is considered to be universally effective for tinnitus. Scalp acupuncture has been explored as a potential treatment. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture in treating tinnitus. Methods: A compre...
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Complementary Therapies in Medicine |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229925000044 |
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| author | Jiadi Chen Ruizhi Jing |
| author_facet | Jiadi Chen Ruizhi Jing |
| author_sort | Jiadi Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: No single treatment is considered to be universally effective for tinnitus. Scalp acupuncture has been explored as a potential treatment. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture in treating tinnitus. Methods: A comprehensive search of relevant databases was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials comparing scalp acupuncture with a control treatment for tinnitus.The clinical efficacy rate and reduction in tinnitus severity were assessed using relative risk (RR) and standardized mean difference (SMD), respectively. Sensitivity analyses was performed to investigate sources of heterogeneity. Results: A total of 20 research studies,with 1430 participants,were included.The systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that the scalp acupuncture groups had a significantly higher clinical effective rate compared to the control groups (RR=1.25, 95 % CI 1.16–1.35, p < 0.00001),with low heterogeneity(p = 0.27,I2=20 %).The scalp acupuncture groups and scalp acupuncture plus auxiliary acupoints groups had greater reduction in tinnitus severity compared to the control groups(SMD=-0.76,95 %CI:-1.02,-0.51,p < 0.00001;SMD:-0.93,95 %CI:-1.52,-0.33,p = 0.002, respectively),with a moderate heterogeneity(p = 0.005,I2=62 %) and a significant heterogeneity (p < 0.00001,I2=86 %) observed due to differences in study design, sample characteristics, and intervention protocols.Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the results.The summary table generated through GRADEpro indicated that the certainty of evidence ranged from moderate to low. Conclusions: Scalp acupuncture has demonstrated promising efficacy in the treatment of tinnitus compared to traditional acupuncture or pharmacotherapy. However, the current evidence is limited due to potential biases and heterogeneity across studies.Future studies should standardize protocols, ensure higher methodological rigor, and explore long-term effects to validate the findings further.The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024537806):Jiadi Chen, Ruizhi Jing.Analysis of clinical effect of scalp acupuncture on tinnitus. Availablefrom: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024537806. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-be84f7c77d9b46288e99daba4b12d510 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0965-2299 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Complementary Therapies in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-be84f7c77d9b46288e99daba4b12d5102025-01-30T05:12:53ZengElsevierComplementary Therapies in Medicine0965-22992025-03-0188103129The clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture for tinnitus: A systematic review and meta-analysisJiadi Chen0Ruizhi Jing1Department of Neurology, Shaoxing City Keqiao District Hospital of traditional Chinese Medcine, Shaoxing, ChinaCorrespondence to: Traditional Chinese Medcine Medical Community General Hospital, No.868, Diyang Road, Keqiao District, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province 312030, China; Department of Neurology, Shaoxing City Keqiao District Hospital of traditional Chinese Medcine, Shaoxing, ChinaBackground: No single treatment is considered to be universally effective for tinnitus. Scalp acupuncture has been explored as a potential treatment. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture in treating tinnitus. Methods: A comprehensive search of relevant databases was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials comparing scalp acupuncture with a control treatment for tinnitus.The clinical efficacy rate and reduction in tinnitus severity were assessed using relative risk (RR) and standardized mean difference (SMD), respectively. Sensitivity analyses was performed to investigate sources of heterogeneity. Results: A total of 20 research studies,with 1430 participants,were included.The systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that the scalp acupuncture groups had a significantly higher clinical effective rate compared to the control groups (RR=1.25, 95 % CI 1.16–1.35, p < 0.00001),with low heterogeneity(p = 0.27,I2=20 %).The scalp acupuncture groups and scalp acupuncture plus auxiliary acupoints groups had greater reduction in tinnitus severity compared to the control groups(SMD=-0.76,95 %CI:-1.02,-0.51,p < 0.00001;SMD:-0.93,95 %CI:-1.52,-0.33,p = 0.002, respectively),with a moderate heterogeneity(p = 0.005,I2=62 %) and a significant heterogeneity (p < 0.00001,I2=86 %) observed due to differences in study design, sample characteristics, and intervention protocols.Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the results.The summary table generated through GRADEpro indicated that the certainty of evidence ranged from moderate to low. Conclusions: Scalp acupuncture has demonstrated promising efficacy in the treatment of tinnitus compared to traditional acupuncture or pharmacotherapy. However, the current evidence is limited due to potential biases and heterogeneity across studies.Future studies should standardize protocols, ensure higher methodological rigor, and explore long-term effects to validate the findings further.The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024537806):Jiadi Chen, Ruizhi Jing.Analysis of clinical effect of scalp acupuncture on tinnitus. Availablefrom: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024537806.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229925000044Clinical efficacyComplementary medicineScalp acupunctureTinnitusTraditional Chinese medicine |
| spellingShingle | Jiadi Chen Ruizhi Jing The clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture for tinnitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis Complementary Therapies in Medicine Clinical efficacy Complementary medicine Scalp acupuncture Tinnitus Traditional Chinese medicine |
| title | The clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture for tinnitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_full | The clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture for tinnitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_fullStr | The clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture for tinnitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | The clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture for tinnitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_short | The clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture for tinnitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_sort | clinical efficacy of scalp acupuncture for tinnitus a systematic review and meta analysis |
| topic | Clinical efficacy Complementary medicine Scalp acupuncture Tinnitus Traditional Chinese medicine |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229925000044 |
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