Current state of research about acupuncture for the treatment of COVID-19: A scoping review

Chen, Chen; Zhan, Jie; Wen, Hao; Wei, Xiaojing; Ding, Lei; Tao, Chenyang; Cui, Li; Zhang, Peiming; Tang, Yuyuan; Zeng, Jingchun; Lu, Liming

doi:10.1016/j.imr.2021.100801

Cited by 17 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Recently, clinical research in COPD ( 9 ), allergic rhinitis ( 10 ), asthma ( 11 , 12 ) showed the possibility of acupuncture as a treatment for these pulmonary diseases. Moreover, there has been increasing evidence of potential therapeutic effects of acupuncture from research on the coronavirus disease 2019 ( 13 ). Although pulmonary dysfunction has various etiologies, inflammation mechanisms occur in the lung tissue and fluid.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Acupuncture on Modulating Inflammatory Cytokines in Rodent Animal Models of Respiratory Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Lee

Kim²

2022

Front. Immunol.

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PurposeAlthough respiratory diseases (RD) are rapidly becoming a global health issue due to their high mortality and prevalence, there are limitations to the currently available treatments. Acupuncture has been recognized to mitigate many diseases by reducing inflammation and modulating cytokines. However, no systematic analysis has been performed to examine the effects of acupuncture on RD. We aimed to evaluate the effects of acupuncture on rodent animal models of RD.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the Research Information Service System were searched to retrieve studies that met our inclusion/exclusion criteria. The quality of each included study was evaluated using a 10-item checklist modified from the Collaborative Approach to Meta-Analysis and Review of Animal Data from Experimental Studies. With adequate data extracted, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan software.ResultsA total of 18 studies were included, and the mean quality assessment was 5.7. The meta-analysis revealed that acupuncture had a significant effect on changing the cytokine levels, including pro-/anti-inflammatory, Th1-, Th2- and Th17- specific cytokines.ConclusionAlthough there were limitations in the number of included studies, the results suggest that acupuncture can be a possible treatment for RD through its modulation of various cytokines, leading to reduced inflammation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Acupuncture on Modulating Inflammatory Cytokines in Rodent Animal Models of Respiratory Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Lee

Kim²

2022

Front. Immunol.

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“…However, there may be some commonalities in TCM approaches to COVID/PCS, as 2 acupoints used in this case are among those most commonly used in acute COVID-19 (LI 4/ST 36). 18 Generally, stimulation of ST 36 has been found to increase deep circulation, 19 possibly through nitric oxide production. 20 Furthermore, 1 article proposed that acupuncture's positive circulatory effects could benefit patients who have COVID with elevated d -dimers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture in Multidisciplinary Treatment for Post-COVID-19 Syndrome

Trager

Brewka

Kaiser

et al. 2022

Medical Acupuncture

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Background: Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) is a complex, multisystem illness that may follow SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 infection. As there is limited evidence for individual therapies and no singular treatment for PCS, guidelines endorse a multidisciplinary approach. This is a case report of a patient with PCS benefiting from a comprehensive approach including acupuncture with symptom-titrated physical activity (STPA). Case: A 50-year-old woman presented from a Long-COVID Clinic referral to an outpatient hospital-affiliated acupuncturist. She had 8 months of fatigue, anosmia, chest pressure, palpitations, and other symptoms following mild assay-confirmed COVID-19. Prior/concurrent medical testing revealed multisystem-inflammatory involvement (pericardial effusion, thyroid dysfunction, and elevated d -dimers). Cardiology/pulmonology cleared the patient for exercise to tolerance considering that serious pathology was absent. The acupuncturist's Traditional Chinese Medicine impression was of Qi Deficiency of the Heart, Lung, Spleen, and Kidney. This patient received 7 sessions of scalp, auricular, and body acupuncture. Physical-therapist (PT)-led STPA began 1-week post-acupuncture, involving 6 30-minute exercise sessions while monitoring her heart rate, with as-needed rest. Results: The patient's chest pressure and palpitations resolved after 1 acupuncture treatment. With 6 additional treatments, spanning 9 weeks, overlapping with PT-led SPTA, she recovered completely and resumed her normal exercise. Conclusions: Acupuncture appeared to facilitate PCS recovery. However, the independent effects of acupuncture are less clear, given the concurrent STPA/exercise therapy, and should be explored using large study designs. Acupuncture is an attractive potential PCS therapy, considering its holistic approach and that it may be added to a multidisciplinary, guideline-concordant regimen.

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“…In the cited study, MRE helped maximize the volume of alveolar sacs and sped up the mucus clearance process, making expectoration easier. Furthermore, when acupressure is incorporated into the MRE, it is believed to relieve COVID-19 symptoms [ 19 ]. Although MRE has been proven to be safe and beneficial in alleviating COVID-19 symptoms, RCTs with larger samples are needed to validate the benefits of this type of exercise.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Appropriate Timing and Type of Physical Training in Patients with COVID-19 for Muscle Health and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review

Aryana

Setiati

Paulus³

et al. 2022

Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism

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Physical activity is beneficial to modulate immune system function and has inverse relationship to ARDS linked with SARS-CoV-2. Physical activity consists of daily activity and physical training. Studies regarding effect of physical training on patients with COVID-19 are controversial. This systematic review aims to investigate physical training on muscle health and QOL in patients with COVID-19. The literature review was carried out using keywords: (Exercise) AND (COVID) AND (Muscle) AND (Observational Study) in several databases of PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). All references were reviewed using critical appraisal Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) and Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) checklist. The studies were subsequently screened for reporting exercise, muscle, and COVID-19. The descriptions of the extracted data are guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) statement with GRADE approach. This study is registered in PROSPERO: ID CRD42021295188. Six studies pooled and entered review synthesis. Studies were reviewed using critical appraisal by NOS and CEBM. Two clinical trial studies and four observational designs were selected. Our result showed physical training improved patients’ outcomes in the acute phase, critical phase, and post-COVID-19 phase. Multiple types of physical trainings were suggested by those studies, and most of them showed beneficial effects to patients with COVID-19 in different phases. The level of evidence by GRADE was downgraded, and further investigations are needed to establish guidelines and strong recommendation for a specific stage of COVID-19.

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Current state of research about acupuncture for the treatment of COVID-19: A scoping review

Cited by 17 publications

References 29 publications

The Effect of Acupuncture on Modulating Inflammatory Cytokines in Rodent Animal Models of Respiratory Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The Effect of Acupuncture on Modulating Inflammatory Cytokines in Rodent Animal Models of Respiratory Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Acupuncture in Multidisciplinary Treatment for Post-COVID-19 Syndrome

Appropriate Timing and Type of Physical Training in Patients with COVID-19 for Muscle Health and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review

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