• Zheng Zhang, Yin Jiang, Yaqi Fang, and Fei Lou.
• Fuyang District First People's Hospital Fuchun Branch, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Dec 23; 101 (51): e32310e32310.

IntroductionAnkylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of autoimmune disease commonly characterized by joint pain and stiffness. This disease progression can exhibit common deformities and other activities with limited symptoms and significantly impacts people's work and life. Ear acupuncture as a traditional Chinese therapy, showing several advantages (e.g., safety, economy, and less side effects), has been extensively used to treat AS. However, its curative effect is supported by limited evidence. Accordingly, the present study aims to comprehensively assess the reliability of ear acupuncture in AS treatment.Methods And AnalysisThe study will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis. Seven databases, including the Embase, Cochrane Library, PubMed, SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chongqing VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, and Wanfang Data, will be searched using predefined search terms to identify relevant studies. The primary outcomes will be the clinical efficiency, the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, and the visual analog scale. Eligible studies should report at least 1 of these primary outcomes. Eligible studies designed as randomized controlled trials will be included for meta-analysis, while other related clinical studies will be reviewed. The methodological quality of the included studies will be assessed with a previously established checklist. The Cochrane Collaboration's bias risk tool will be used for assessing the bias of included randomized controlled trials. Stata 17.0 software is used for meta-analysis.ResultsThe protocol will be used to assess the efficacy and safety of ear acupuncture in AS treatment.ConclusionThis review reliably evidences whether ear is a reliable method for the intervention of AS.Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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