dc.description.abstract | Objective: Acupuncture, acknowledged as a potent non-pharmacological
therapy, is frequently employed to alleviate pain. Despite its widespread use,
there has been a lack of overarching bibliometric analysis of clinical research
on acupuncture analgesia. We aimed to summarize current patterns, hotspots,
and development trends in this field through bibliometric analysis.<p>
<p>Methods: This study evaluates academic publications retrieved from the Web
of Science database (2010.01–2023.09) concerning acupuncture analgesia in
clinical settings. All primary and secondary studies on humans were included.
To track global developmental trends, we employed several software for
analyzing annual publication volumes, countries/regions, institutions, authors,
cited authors, journals, cited journals, references, and keywords and to draw
collaborative networks and reference co-citation network maps.
<p>Results: The final search encompassed 7,190 relevant studies, including
1,263 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 1,293 systematic reviews and
meta-analyses. The results indicated a gradual increase in the number of annual
publications on acupuncture analgesia in clinical practice. Among countries
and institutions, China (2,139) and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese
Medicine (258) ranked first. Liang FR (89 articles) was the most prolific author,
while MacPherson H (604) was the most cited author. MEDICINE (455) was
the most productive journal, and Pain (2,473/0.20) ranked first in both the
frequency and centrality of cited journals. Notably, the most frequently cited
reference was a systematic review of individual patient data on acupuncture
carried out for chronic pain that was published by Vickers Andrew J in 2012 (156).
Burst analysis identified frontier research areas for 2010–2020, encompassing
network meta-analysis, case reports, dry needling, lumbar disc herniation,
cancer, post-herpetic neuralgia, insomnia, and bibliometric analysis.
<p>Conclusion: This study outlines current trends and potential future research
hotspots in clinical acupuncture analgesia over the past decade. Findings
emphasize the necessity for enhanced international collaboration to improve
research output and translation. | en_US |