Moxibustion for diarrhea in COVID-19

Abstract

Background:Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease that is often accompanied by diarrhea, patients with symptoms such as diarrhea are more likely to develop severe pneumonia, while diarrhea is the most prominent among atypical symptoms. The incidence of diarrhea in COVID-19 patients is 2.0% to 49.5%. Moxibustion has been proven to have a therapeutic effect on diarrhea; however, there is no high-quality evidence on moxibustion for diarrhea in COVID-19 patients. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for the treatment of diarrhea in patients with COVID-19.Methods:Randomized controlled trials from December 2019 to December 2021 will be included without restrictions on language or publication date. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Databases, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, and VIP database will be searched. Two researchers will independently select studies, extract data and evaluate study quality. Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials will be used to assess the risk of bias of included studies. Statistical analyses will be performed using the Review Manager V.5.3 and stata 14.0.Results:The results of this meta-analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.Conclusion:This study will provide evidence for whether moxibustion therapy is beneficial to the treatment of diarrhea in COVID-19.Ethics and dissemination:Ethical approval is not required for this study. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, presented at conferences, and shared on social media platforms. This review would be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal or conference presentations.Prospero registration number:CRD42022302933.

Acupoint stimulation for long COVID: A promising intervention

“…Some researchers have explored the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of patients with long COVID through systematic reviews and meta-analyses based on the related symptoms of long COVID [114] . At present, some researchers are planning to further explore acupoint stimulation therapy for patients with long COVID, and design research programs that can generate higher-level evidence involving improvements in taste abnormalities [115] , anorexia [116] , functional dyspepsia [74] , diarrhea [18] and other symptoms.…”

“…In classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy, acupoint stimulation has a virtuous regulatory effect on the body through invasive or non-invasive stimulation of specific acupoints, including various forms of stimulation, such as manual acupuncture (MA) [16] , electroacupuncture (EA) [17] , and moxibustion [18] . Since ancient times, there has been an accumulation of experience in the prevention and control of infectious diseases using acupoint stimulation therapy [19] .…”

Effect of summer acupoint application treatment (SAAT) on gut microbiota in healthy Asian adults: A randomized controlled trial

“…[15] The results of Shi et al indicated SAAT with Shenhuang plaster reshaped the composition of the microbiota, especially butyrate-producing gut bacterium, and promotes intestinal peristalsis, and the combination of paclitaxel with Shenhuang SAAT exerted potent immunostimulatory effects. [23] At present, there have been several studies applying SAAT or other forms of acupuncture to the remission of coronavirus disease 2019-related symptoms, including headache, [46] diarrhea, [47] and fatigue. [48] Whereas, few studies have focused on the mechanisms underlying the prophylactic effect of SAAT.…”