Tang Yang, Tang Xiao, Wen Qiao
Yongchuan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
J Pain Res. 2025 Apr 23;18:2175-2189. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S483750. eCollection 2025.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a prevalent functional bowel disorder, has increasingly seen acupuncture incorporated into its clinical management. Despite this, a comprehensive summary of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation parameters and acupoint prescriptions tailored for IBS remains absent. This study endeavors to identify effective EA parameters for IBS through data mining methodologies.
To retrieve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on EA for IBS published between 2013 and 2024, a comprehensive search was conducted across nine databases. EA parameters from eligible studies were extracted and evaluated for quality using the Cochrane's risk of bias tool (RoB 2). Descriptive statistics were computed using MS-Excel. Association rule analysis was undertaken in SPSS Modeler, whereas complex network analysis and co-occurrence network analyses were performed using Gephi and Origin, respectively.
A total of 30 RCTs involving 2906 participants were included. All included studies exhibit a low to high risk of bias. Key methodologic weaknesses are mainly attributed to insufficient randomization and lack of blinding. The frequently reported EA stimulation parameters were a frequency of 2 hz, using either dilatational or continuous waves, with a treatment duration of 30 minutes, a 4-week course, and once daily treatment. Across 32 acupoint prescriptions, 27 acupoints were identified, with the stomach and bladder meridians being the most frequently targeted. Acupoints ST25, ST37, and ST36 were most frequently used. The most supported combination of acupoints could be (ST25→ST37); -core hierarchical analysis of complex networks revealed the core acupoints for IBS treatment, including ST25, ST37, ST36, SP6, LR3, BL25, LI11 and RN4.
A regimen combining dilatational/continuous waves, 2 hz, a 30-minute stimulus, a 4-week course, and the acupoint combination (ST25→ST37) may serve as a primary EA protocol for IBS. However, methodological constraints may undermine the robustness of these findings. Therefore, the clinical application of these therapeutic modalities requires further validation.
肠易激综合征（IBS）是一种常见的功能性肠病，针灸越来越多地被纳入其临床管理。尽管如此，针对IBS的电针（EA）刺激参数和穴位处方的全面总结仍然缺乏。本研究旨在通过数据挖掘方法确定IBS的有效EA参数。
为检索2013年至2024年间发表的关于EA治疗IBS的随机对照试验（RCT），对九个数据库进行了全面搜索。从符合条件的研究中提取EA参数，并使用Cochrane偏倚风险工具（RoB 2）评估质量。使用MS-Excel进行描述性统计。在SPSS Modeler中进行关联规则分析，而复杂网络分析和共现网络分析分别使用Gephi和Origin进行。
共纳入30项RCT，涉及2906名参与者。所有纳入研究均显示出低到高的偏倚风险。关键的方法学弱点主要归因于随机化不足和缺乏盲法。经常报告的EA刺激参数为频率2赫兹，使用疏密波或连续波，治疗持续时间30分钟，疗程4周，每日治疗一次。在32个穴位处方中，确定了27个穴位，其中胃经和膀胱经是最常选取的经络。ST25、ST37和ST36穴位使用最频繁。最受支持的穴位组合可能是（ST25→ST37）；复杂网络的核心层次分析揭示了IBS治疗的核心穴位，包括ST25、ST37、ST36、SP6、LR3、BL25、LI11和RN4。
疏密波/连续波、2赫兹、30分钟刺激、4周疗程和穴位组合（ST25→ST37）的方案可能作为IBS的主要EA治疗方案。然而，方法学上的限制可能会削弱这些发现的稳健性。因此，这些治疗方式的临床应用需要进一步验证。
