The combination of electroacupuncture and TDP therapy is more effective in treating peripheral facial paralysis than other therapeutic methods.
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, several databases were scoured for relevant literature on randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials exploring the effects of electroacupuncture combined with TDP for the treatment of peripheral facial paralysis. Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias, determined the quality, and extracted data from the selected articles; these studies were then subjected to a meta-analysis performed using Stata15.0 software.
Meta-analysis findings showed no significant difference in the effective rate of electroacupuncture combined with TDP and other treatment options, but the recovery rate was notably better. Moreover, sub-group analyses revealed that the combination therapy showed superior efficacy particularly in studies involving minors. In contrast, no significant difference was noted in studies exclusively involving adults. Regardless of whether electroacupuncture was used alone or in combination, the recovery rate was better than other methods.
