Background: In recent years, Tiaoshen acupuncture in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been employed for treating patients with insomnia, but the clinical efficacy remains to be substantiated.
Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating insomnia using the Tiaoshen method in TCM.
Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted.
Setting: The research was conducted in Shenzhen.
Methods: Electronic databases, including Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, SinoMed, Weipu, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases, were retrieved up to September 15, 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) meeting inclusion criteria were screened. Quality assessment of included articles was performed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Valid data were then extracted and analyzed via meta-analysis using Review Manager 5.3. The study was registered in the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (INPLASY), 2023100051.
Results: A total of 13 articles were included, comprising 849 patients with insomnia (diagnosed as chronic insomnia or primary insomnia). Meta-analysis results indicated that acupuncture with the Tiaoshen method could decrease the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score [RR=-3.03, 95% CI (-3.73, -2.33), P < .00001], hyperarousal (HAS) scale score [RR=-7.75, 95% CI (-12.29, -3.22), P < .0008], and fatigue scale-14 (FS-14) score [RR=-2.11, 95% CI (-2.83, -1.38), P < .00001] compared with superficial acupuncture on non-effective acupoints or conventional acupuncture manipulation. Additionally, acupuncture with the Tiaoshen method demonstrated safety. However, the funnel plot suggested the presence of publication bias.
Conclusions: Acupuncture with the Tiaoshen method could enhance sleep quality and efficiency. Due to the low quality of some literature, further high-quality RCTs are needed to improve the level of evidence.