Efficacy and safety of grain moxibustion in hemiplegia: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

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Background: The increasing morbidity of stroke brings enormous social and economic pressure to the countries. Hemiplegia is the common sequela of stroke patients, which affects their physical activities and daily life, and its optimal treatment is still an urgent problem. In Asian countries, moxibustion therapy is widely combined with rehabilitation in poststroke hemiplegia. Among them, grain moxibustion, due to its concentration on stimulating the acupoints and deep heat penetration, can promote neurorehabilitation after stroke. Therefore, based on the current literatures, the effectiveness and safety of grain moxibustion were systematically evaluated to provide possible alternative therapy for the rehabilitation of hemiplegia. Methods: Studies search for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that use grain moxibustion as the sole treatment for hemiplegia and their data extraction will be done by two researchers. Mean difference (MD) or relative risk (RR) with fixed or random effect model in terms of 95% confidence interval (CI) will be adopted for the data synthesis. To evaluate the risk of bias, the Cochrane's risk of bias assessment tool will be utilized. The sensitivity or subgroup analysis will also be conducted when meeting high heterogeneity (I2 > 50%). Results: This meta-analysis will provide an authentic synthesis of the grain moxibustion's effect for hemiplegia. Conclusion: The findings of the review offer updated evidence and identify whether grain moxibustion can be an effective treatment for hemiplegia. PROSPERO registration number: PROSPERO CRD 42018117765