Auriculotherapy in obesity care in primary health care: a systematic review

Abstract

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to develop a systematic review of the use of auriculotherapy (AT) in obesity to support an evidence-based recommendation guide with emphasis on its applicability in Primary Health Care (PHC). Method The systematic review covered 15 databases and followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and included clinical trials, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, among other criteria. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN50) was used to assess the quality of the selected studies. Results The search identified 3023 publications, of which 15 were selected for analysis. Of these 12 were randomized clinical trials and three were systematic reviews. The number of participants in the trials varied from 58 to 204, with an average of 85. Two reviews included 8 and 18 randomized clinical trials, one review included 12 randomized clinical trials and one prospective clinical cohort. The number of participants of the studies ranged from 24 to 200. Four randomized clinical trials obtained an acceptable quality assessment, the others being classified as low quality, with methodological limitations in randomization, concealment and blinding. The three systematic reviews were classified as high quality. The findings of the 12 selected randomized clinical trials corroborate the results of the three systematic reviews included, and allow us to safely recommend auriculotherapy as a complementary treatment for obesity that shows a positive effect especially on body mass index and body weight. The most used points in these studies were shenmen, stomach, endocrine and hunger, but the use of the mouth, spleen, small intestine, large intestine and Sanjiao points was also reported. Conclusions This systematic review makes it possible to provisionally conclude that auriculotherapy is effective in obesity care and therefore has the potential to be used as a complementary therapy in PHC.