Research Hotspots and Trends on Acupuncture for Anti-Inflammation: A Bibliometric Analysis from 2011 to 2021

Abstract

Purpose We here explored the research status, research hotspots, and development trend of acupuncture against inflammation from both quantitative and qualitative aspects through bibliometrics. Methods We used CiteSpace and VOSviewer to analyze the literature about acupuncture against inflammation from 2011 to 2021 in the Web of Science Core Collection database by using a visual knowledge map. Results In total, 1479 articles were included, and the number of articles published each year exhibited an upward trend. The largest number of articles were published in China (661), followed by the United States (287) and South Korea (164). The most productive institution is Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (72), while the most influential institution is the Capital Medical University (0.28). Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (131) is the journal that published most articles on the topic. Lin Yiwen is the most prolific author, and Borovikova L is the most influential co-cited author. The keywords that have burst in the last 2 years are inflammation and activation. The keywords with the highest frequency of use are electroacupuncture (EA), inflammation, and expression. Conclusion The number of publications on acupuncture for anti-inflammation research is rapidly increasing. China is a productive country, but the influence of centrality is poor. Research institutions are concentrated in universities, and the whole collaborative network needs to be strengthened. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of acupuncture is the main focus of research in this field. Regulation of immune cell balance by acupuncture may be a hot topic in mechanism research. At present, immune cells, vagus nerve, signal pathway, inflammatory corpuscles, cytokines and neurotransmitters are popular research topics. In the future, the basic research of acupuncture for anti-inflammation transformed into clinical practice may be a trend. EA and bee venom acupuncture may be promising research directions for acupuncture treatment for inflammatory diseases.

TRPA1 Ion Channel Mediates the Analgesic Effects of Acupuncture at the ST36 Acupoint in Mice Suffering from Arthritis

“…At the later stage of acupuncture, this inflammatory response gradually subsides, and antiinflammatory factors can be produced to protect against tissue damage. 30,31 This localized inflammatory response can be one of the key factors for the activation of acupoints. Recent studies have indicated that acupuncture can cause the deformation of collagen fibers and activate TRP channels on cells membrane and releases various biological substances such as ATP, adenosine, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPS), and other substances, the analgesic effect of acupuncture is 32 Macrophages, fibroblast membrane surface receptors, and the local inflammatory response at the acupoint area participate in the transduction of acupuncture signals and play a key role as the source link at acupuncture.…”

Research Status and Prospects of Acupuncture in Perioperative Medicine Over the Past Decade: A Bibliometric Analysis

“…4 Acupuncture as a non-pharmacological therapy has been used to treat a variety of diseases, especially many types of pain. 5 Acupuncture has obvious anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects on various diseases, 6 which could regulate inflammatory cytokines and immune function and treat inflammatory pain with significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. 7 The application of acupuncture therapy in perioperative medicine mainly originated from the emergence of acupuncture anesthesia, and thereafter, several studies confirmed that acupuncture therapy had many therapeutic benefits beyond pain management in the perioperative period.…”