Moxibustion for ankylosing spondylitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Introduction Both moxibustion and western medicine are widely used in the treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis in China. However, which is better for the disease? Up to now, no review and meta-analyses have been published and the answer is still unclear. The aim of this research was to compare the effectiveness of moxibustion versus western medicine in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. Methods The PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China Biology Medicine Data, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang database were searched from their inception through November 1st, 2019. A meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.3 software and the evidence level was assessed using the GRADE system. Results Seventeen studies with 1235 patients were included. Pooled analysis showed a favorable effect of moxibustion in total effective rate (RR = 1.14, 95 % CI: 1.07–1.21; P  Conclusion Compared with western medicine, moxibustion had a favorable effect in alleviating pain, improving lumbar activity and reducing inflammatory reaction in people with ankylosing spondylitis. However, considering the limitations of this study, the evidence is not conclusive and high quality trials are needed in the future to further confirm this conclusion.