Effects of auriculotherapy on weight and body mass index reduction in patients with overweight or obesity: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Carolina Rodrigues Mendonça; Larissa Silva Coelho Dos Santos; Matias Noll; Erika Aparecida Silveira; Jalsi Tacon Arruda

doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.101069

Effects of auriculotherapy on weight and body mass index reduction in patients with overweight or obesity: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2020 Feb:38:101069. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.101069. Epub 2019 Oct 25.

Authors

Carolina Rodrigues Mendonça¹, Larissa Silva Coelho Dos Santos², Matias Noll³, Erika Aparecida Silveira⁴, Jalsi Tacon Arruda⁵

Affiliations

¹ Physical Therapy Undergraduate Course, Faculdade do Esporte ESEFFEGO, Universidade Estadual de Goiás (UEG), Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil; Graduate Program in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Brazil. Electronic address: carol_mendonca85@hotmail.com.
² Physical Therapy Undergraduate Course, Faculdade do Esporte ESEFFEGO, Universidade Estadual de Goiás (UEG), Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
³ Graduate Program in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Brazil; Instituto Federal Goiano, Ceres Campus, Goiás, Brazil.
⁴ Graduate Program in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Medicine, Centro Universitário de Anápolis - UniEvangélica, Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil.

PMID: 31685381
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.101069

Abstract

Objective: Auriculotherapy is based on the stimulation of reflex points in the ear. However, little is known about its weight-reducing effects. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the effects of auriculotherapy on weight and/or (BMI) reduction in overweight or patients with obesity.

Methods: Twelve articles were selected for systematic review. Four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating weight reduction and five investigating BMI reduction were selected for the meta-analyzes.

Results: The results revealed an association between auriculotherapy and weight reduction (WMD, 1.507; 95% CI, 0.606-2.407; p < 0.000). Auriculotherapy was also significantly associated with BMI reduction (WMD, 0.865; 95% CI, 0.533-1.196; p < 0.004).

Conclusions: We found that auriculotherapy was effective in reducing weight and/or BMI in overweight or patients with obesity. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to heterogeneity.

Keywords: Acupuncture; Auriculotherapy; Body mass index; Ear; Obesity; Weight loss.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Auriculotherapy / methods*
Body Mass Index
Body Weight
Humans
Obesity / therapy*
Overweight / therapy*
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Weight Loss