Bibliometric analysis of auriculotherapy research trends over the past 20 years

Hyonjun Chun, Woo Chul Shin, Sungjun Joo, Hyungsuk Kim, Jae Heung Cho, Mi Yeon Song, Won Seok Chung

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives: Auriculotherapy has long been used to treat various diseases. We analyzed and visualized auriculotherapy's geographical distribution, key contributors, and thematic trends over the past 20 years to provide current trends in auriculotherapy field and to offer recommendations for future research directions. Design/setting: We searched for relevant studies in the Web of Science between January 10, 2003, and December 31, 2022. A bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviewer for annual publications, journals, countries, institutions, authors, and keywords. Results: A total of 800 studies were included in the analysis, and the number of studies steadily increased over the 20 examined years. In 2018, there was a noteworthy rise in publications, nearly twice as many as the preceding year. Integrative & complementary medicine was the most researched area, with most articles published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. China was the country with the most published research, and the most active organization was Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine in China, followed by Kyung Hee University in South Korea. The most prolific author was Yeh Mei-ling, who reported the effects of auriculotherapy on dysmenorrhea and smoking cessation. Keyword analysis revealed four clusters: pain, mental health, obesity, and smoking cessation. Conclusion: Auriculotherapy research primarily focused on clinical studies related to pain, obesity, smoking cessation, and depression. Future research should place greater emphasis on verifying the mechanisms of auriculotherapy for specific ailments and may require efforts to enhance the robustness of clinical trials. Through visual analysis, our study may serve as a foundational resource, offering valuable insights into the trajectory of auriculotherapy research.

Original languageEnglish
Article number103036
JournalComplementary Therapies in Medicine
Volume82
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024

Keywords

  • Auricular acupressure
  • Auriculotherapy
  • Bibliometric analysis
  • Ear acupuncture

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