Moxibustion for rheumatoid arthritis: Protocol for a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Background:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic condition leading to joint stiffness, disability, and potentially death.
• Conventional RA treatments often have significant side effects.
• Moxibustion is recognized as a potentially safe and effective complementary therapy for RA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of moxibustion for treating Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search of multiple databases (PubMed, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, etc.) was conducted up to March 2019.
• Two independent reviewers selected studies and assessed methodological quality using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.
• Data were synthesized using fixed-effects or random-effects models, focusing on primary outcomes like morning stiffness, pain, and joint swelling.

Main Results:

• This review synthesizes current evidence on moxibustion's effects on RA symptoms, including morning stiffness, pain, and joint swelling.
• Secondary outcomes assessed include the number of affected joints, adverse effects, quality of life, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and Rheumatoid Factor (RF).

Conclusions:

• The study aims to provide updated evidence to determine if moxibustion is an effective and safe intervention for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).