A protocol for research on the use of acupuncture in the management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in individuals with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), a prevalent complication among individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, has a significant impact on both the well-being of patients and their financial situation. Acupuncture has been employed for thousands of years within China and is regarded as one of the primary characteristic therapies of traditional Chinese medicine. Research has indicated that acupuncture has the potential to enhance microcirculation, decrease the generation of free radicals, and augment nerve conduction velocity. There had been several meta-analyses of acupuncture on DPN. Nevertheless, there has been inadequate attention given to the assessment of blood glucose control, and scores related to quality of life. Hence, we get additional evidence by enhancing the quantity and quality of studies to draw more distinct findings. Methods: We will conduct a comprehensive search for reports published from the beginning until June 2023 using various databases including Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, PubMed, AMED, Wanfang database, VIP database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Biomedical Literature database. Only randomized controlled trials will be considered, with no exclusion of quasi-randomized control trials. Articles in both English and Chinese will be taken into account without any limitations on publication dates. The data will be extracted, managed, and analyzed by two researchers working independently. The primary outcomes will include improvement of symptom scores, change of nerve conduction velocity, and quality of life scores. Additional outcomes will encompass blood glucose levels after fasting and 2 hours after eating, levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, and any adverse events associated with acupuncture. We plan to use the RevMan V.5.4 application and the random-effects model for conducting the meta-analysis. The assessment of potential prejudice can be conducted by Cochrane’s ’risk of bias’ 2 (RoB 2) tool. Registration: PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42023425203). Discussion: Our goal is to perform a meta-analysis that offers an unbiased approach to treating individuals with type 2 DPN. At the same time, it also provides doctors with more choices in the treatment of diabetes peripheral neuropathy.