Global trends of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine for musculoskeletal diseases: a bibliometric analysis
Abstract
Musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) encompass a spectrum of over 150 distinct conditions that impact the musculoskeletal system, affecting people all over the world. Traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) is an integrated healthcare concept that combines conventional therapies with complementary health care. There has been a lack of overarching study to systematically demonstrate the scope of research on TCIM for MSDs. The study aims to explore the patterns and trends in TCIM for MSDs over the last 20 years.
The Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E) in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) was selected as the data source to identify relevant publications. We included research and review articles published in English from January 1, 2004, to July 29, 2024. The CiteSpace 6.1.R1 software package was used to conduct bibliometric and visual analysis about the number of publications and the distributions of countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, and their co-occurrence. Microsoft Excel was used to collect information on numbers and frequencies.
A total of 6345 publications were retrieved, including 5559 research articles and 786 review articles. The annual number of publications exhibited an overall upward trend in 20 years. Vitamin D and osteoporosis were the most frequently studied TCIM and MSD, respectively. Research hotspots have gradually shifted from epidemiological investigations of and diagnostic techniques for MSDs to studies of specific populations and disease risk factors and management strategies. Future studies should be conducted to monitor changes in research topics and focus on the prevention and risk recognition of MSDs.
This bibliometric study lays the foundation for further studies in the fields of TCIM and MSDs. Despite the local and indigenous characteristics of TCIM, we encourage international cooperation and interaction. At a time when healthcare needs are shifting toward safety, prevention, and wellness, the role of TCIM should be considered.
Keywords
Electronic Supplementary Material
References
Gibson DS, Rooney ME. Musculoskeletal diseases. Proteomics Clin Appl. 2016;10(6):623−624.
Chen CM. CiteSpace II: Detecting and visualizing emerging trends and transient patterns in scientific literature. J Am Soc Inf Sci Technol. 2006;57(3):359−377.
Donthu N, Kumar S, Mukherjee D, Pandey N, Lim WM. How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: an overview and guidelines. J Bus Res. 2021;133:285−296.
Gan YN, Li DD, Robinson N, Liu JP. Practical guidance on bibliometric analysis and mapping knowledge domains methodology – a summary. Eur J Integr Med. 2022;56:102203.
Li ZQ, Wang XF, Feng C, Fei YT, Liu JP. Global trends of acupuncture clinical research on analgesia from 2010 to 2023: a bibliometric and visualization analysis. Front Neurol. 2024;15:1368988.
Chen Y, Chen CM, Liu ZY, Hu ZG, Wang XW. The methodology function of CiteSpace mapping knowledge domains. Stud Sci Sci. 2015;33(2):242−253.
Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, McLean RM, et al. Noninvasive treatments for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166(7):514−530.
Zhang Y, Wang C. Acupuncture and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2020;22(11):80.
Wang M, Liu L, Zhang CS, et al. Mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in treating knee osteoarthritis. J Pain Res. 2020;13:1421−1429.
Sharma D, Chaubey P, Suvarna V. Role of natural products in alleviation of rheumatoid arthritis — a review. J Food Biochem. 2021;45(4):e13673.
Ernst E. Complementary medicine. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2003;15(2):151−155.
Fu JY. Major institutions conducting researches on complementary and alternative medicine in the United States: University of Texas and University of California, San Francisco. J Chin Integr Med. 2008;6(12):1321−1323.
Pan X, Lopez-Olivo MA, Song J, Pratt G, Suarez-Almazor ME. Systematic review of the methodological quality of controlled trials evaluating Chinese herbal medicine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. BMJ Open. 2017;7(3):e013242.
Cooper C, Jordan KM. Topical NSAIDs in osteoarthritis. BMJ. 2004;329(7461):304−305.
Huidrom S, Beg MA, Masood T. Post-menopausal osteoporosis and probiotics. Curr Drug Targets. 2021;22(7):816−822.
Oltean H, Robbins C, van Tulder MW, Berman BM, Bombardier C, Gagnier JJ. Herbal medicine for low-back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;12:CD004504.
Foster NE, Anema JR, Cherkin D, et al. Prevention and treatment of low back pain: evidence, challenges, and promising directions. Lancet. 2018;391(10137):2368−2383.
Wolf JM, Cannada L, Van Heest AE, O'Connor MI, Ladd AL. Male and female differences in musculoskeletal disease. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2015;23(6):339−347.
Kristoffersen AE, Stub T, Salamonsen A, Musial F, Hamberg K. Gender differences in prevalence and associations for use of CAM in a large population study. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:463.
Ekman A, Andersson A, Hagberg M, Hjelm EW. Gender differences in musculoskeletal health of computer and mouse users in the Swedish workforce. Occup Med (Lond). 2000;50(8):608−613.
Tosi LL, Templeton K, Pennington AM, Reid KA, Boyan BD. Influence of sex and gender on musculoskeletal conditions and how they are reported. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2024;106(16):1512−1519.
Li K, Rollins J, Yan E. Web of Science use in published research and review papers 1997‒2017: a selective, dynamic, cross-domain, content-based analysis. Scientometrics. 2018;115(1):1−20.
京公网安备11010802044758号