SynthesisPloS one2015
Efficacy of Acupuncture for Bell's Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 64 citations in OpenAlex.
- The efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for peripheral facial paralysis: an overview of systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Pooled it
- Comparison of acupuncture intervention from the acute phase or the non-acute phase in patients with peripheral facial paralysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Pooled it
- Acute Peripheral Facial Palsy: Recent Guidelines and a Systematic Review of the Literature.Journal of Korean medical science · 2020Pooled it
- Efficacy of low-level laser therapy on management of Bell's palsy: a systematic review.Lasers in medical science · 2020Pooled it
- Compare the efficacy of acupuncture with drugs in the treatment of Bell's palsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs.Medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Acupuncture for the Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2017Pooled it
- Article
- Short-term clinical outcomes associated with a standardized multicomponent facial rehabilitation program in acute or early-subacute peripheral facial nerve palsy: a prospective controlled cohort study.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Article
- Treatment with Electroacupuncture and Neural Therapy in Secondary Peripheral Facial Paralysis: A Case Report.Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.) · 2025Article
- Recovery and Recurrence in Bell's Palsy: A Propensity Score-Matched Comparative Study Across ENT, Pain Medicine, and Traditional Korean Medicine.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Article
- Tiny needles, major benefits: acupuncture in child health.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
- The potential of systemic immune-inflammation index in predicting outcomes of facial palsy in patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome treated by acupuncture.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Article
- Integrative therapy for acute, subacute and chronic facial palsy: repeated differential facial nerve blocks combined with hypodermic needle-based facial nerve stimulation.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Article
- Effects of phototherapy in patients with idiopathic facial palsy: Scoping review.The Japanese dental science review · 2024Article
- The Impact of Early Acupuncture on Bell's Palsy Recurrence: Real-World Evidence from Korea.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Electroneurography Values Based on Degree of Facial Muscle Contraction Response to Electroacupuncture in Patients with Peripheral Facial Nerve Palsy: A Retrospective Study.Medical acupuncture · 2023Article
- Integrative Korean Medicine Treatments for Traumatic Facial Palsy Following Mandibular Fracture: A Case Report and Literature Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Global Trends and Performances of Acupuncture Therapy on Bell's Palsy from 2000 to 2023: A Bibliometric Analysis.Journal of pain research · 2023Review
- The Anatomical Specificity Between Acupoints and the Facial Nerve: A Cadaveric Study.Medical acupuncture · 2022Article
- Distribution of Medical Service Use for Facial Palsy Between Medicine and Traditional Korean Medicine Based on Population-Based Data of Korea.Journal of Korean medical science · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Acupuncture has emerged as an alternative therapy for Bell's palsy in both adults and children. However, the use of acupuncture is controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of acupuncture for Bell's palsy. We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, irrespective of any language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials comparing acupuncture with other therapies for Bell's palsy in adults or children were included. Fourteen randomized controlled trials involving 1541 individuals were included in this meta-analysis. Significant association was observed in acupuncture with a higher effective response rate for Bell's palsy (relative risk, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.25; P = 0.005) but there was a heterogeneity among the studies (I2 = 87%). An assessment of the included studies revealed a high risk of bias in methodological quality. An evaluation of the incidence of complications was not available, owing to incomplete data. Acupuncture seems to be an effective therapy for Bell's palsy, but there was insufficient evidence to support the efficacy and safety of acupuncture. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously, because of the poor quality and heterogeneity of the included studies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.