Moxibustion for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder that imposes heavy burden on individuals and society. Asan external therapy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), moxibustion is usually used to treat IBS-D. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of moxibustion in treating patients with IBS-D.

METHODS

A systematic search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported the use of moxibustion in IBS-D treatment was performed in eight databases.

RESULTS

Eleven RCTs including 725 participants meet the inclusion criteria. Compared with other positive treatments (Western medicine, TCM prescription, and acupuncture), moxibustion treatment had superior effects against IBS-D according to the meta-analysis.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review provided preliminary research evidence that moxibustion is effective in treating IBS-D. Rigorously designed and large-scale RCTs are required to provide more robust evidence in this area.