Skin Temperature of Acupoints in Health and Primary Dysmenorrhea Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Objective Dysmenorrhea is a common clinical condition and some studies shown that the skin temperature of some acupoints changes in primary dysmenorrhea (PD) patients. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in skin temperature at specific acupoints in PD patients and healthy subjects. Methods The literature for assessing skin temperature at acupoints in PD patients and healthy subjects was searched in eight databases. The literatures obtained from the search was independently screened by two authors, and the quality of the included articles was evaluated using the consensus checklist of the Thermographic Imaging in Sports and Exercise Medicine (TISEM) and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) scale. The skin temperature of the relevant acupoints or the difference between the left and right acupoints of the same name was used as the outcome during any period of menstruation. Finally, the meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1 software to evaluate the changes in skin temperature in the related acupoints. Results Seven eligible studies were included, which included 328 patients with PD and 279 healthy subjects. The results of the meta-analysis revealed a significant difference in skin temperature around the Sanyinjiao (SP6)(MD: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.08), Xuehai (SP 10)(MD: −0.07, 95% CI:-0.11, −0.02) and Taixi (KI 3)(MD: 0.06, 95% CI:0.01, 0.11) acupoints between PD and healthy subjects. PD patients also showed a difference in skin temperature at the Taixi (KI 3)(MD: 0.14, 95% CI:0.04, 0.24), Shuiquan (KI 5)(MD: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.03,0.19), Taichong (LR 3)(MD: −0.10, 95% CI: −0.19,-0.01), Diji (SP 8)(MD: −0.09, 95% CI: −0.16, −0.01), and Xuehai (SP 10)(MD: −0.14, 95% CI: −0.23, −0.06) acupoint areas at different times of menstruation compared to that of healthy subjects, as revealed by the subgroup analysis. Conclusion Primary dysmenorrhea patients showed some differences in the skin temperature of the special acupoints are as Sanyinjiao (SP6), Diji (SP 8), Xuehai (SP 10), Shuiquan (KI 5), Taichong (LR 3), and Taixi (KI 3) compared with healthy subjects. Registration Number CRD42022381387.

Global trends and performances of infrared imaging technology studies on acupuncture: a bibliometric analysis

“…Cited reference Author and publication year acupoint skin temperature between patients and the general population, the temperature difference between the unaffected and affected sides or the temperature difference in the patient's own treatment (Liu et al, 2020;Li et al, 2021;Reddy et al, 2023;Tu et al, 2023;Wang et al, 2023). An article published in 2012 shows asthma patients had significantly lower overall infrared radiation intensity at the left Taiyuan (LU 9) than that of healthy volunteers which suggested that IRT detection of acupoint temperature has a potential role in the diagnosis of diseases (Zhou et al, 2012).…”

Knowledge mapping of acupoint sensitization and acupoint specificity: a bibliometric analysis

“…For example, the method of determining skin electrical resistance was utilized to reveal that Ryodoraku is comparable to the meridians, i.e., it uses electrical characteristics ( Lee et al, 2005 ). Similarly, our team employed infrared thermography to determine skin temperature at the relevant acupoints and some differences in skin temperature, i.e., thermal characteristics were discovered ( Fan et al, 2022 ; Wang et al, 2023 ). Furthermore, the meridians have optical characteristics ( Yang et al, 2007 ) and sound characteristics ( Xiong et al, 2023 ).…”