Research of Acupuncture for Neuropathic Pain from 2002 to 2022: a
Bibliometric Analysis via VOSviewer
Abstract
Background: Acupuncture, as a non-drug therapy, has been an effective
and safe treatment for neuropathic pain (NP). However, a bibliometric
analysis of the global use of acupuncture for NP is rare. Objective:
This study aimed to demonstrate the state and trend of the global use of
acupuncture for NP in recent 20 years. Method: Publications relating to
acupuncture for NP were retrieved from Web of Science (WoS) database.
Reviews were specifically excluded from this study. Vosviewer1.6.16 was
used to analyse countries/institutions, cited journals, authors / cited
authors, cited references, and keywords. Statistics and centrality
analysis were used to reveal publication output, countries/institutions,
core journals, active authors, foundation references, hot topics, and
frontiers. Results: A total of 868 articles were obtained from the WoS
database. The number of publications has increased over the last two
decades. China was the most productive among countries or regions in the
field. Journal articles were the most frequently occurring document
type. Kyung Hee University was the most active institution. The six main
types of NP using acupuncture treatments were peripheral neuropathy,
carpal tunnel syndrome, trigeminal neuralgia, spinal cord, postherpetic
neuralgia, and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Conclusion:
Publications about NP treated with acupuncture had remarkably increased
from 2002 to 2022. This study provided an in-depth perspective for
research on acupuncture for NP and provides researchers with valuable
information to determine the current status, hot spots, and frontier
trends.