Acupuncture plus massage for cervicogenic headache: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Cervicogenic headache (CGH), one of the most common headaches. It is characterized by pain starting from the neck and gradually involving the eyes, frontal and temporal regions. Acupuncture and massage therapy has been widely used in the treatment of CGH, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture combined with massage in the treatment of CGH. METHODS: The databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, Medicine, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan-Fang Database, China Biomedical Literature Service System, and Chongqing VIP Chinese Science will be searched. This study will include randomized controlled trials of acupuncture combined with massage in the treatment of CGH published before November 2021. The primary outcomes included the overall efficiency, visual simulation score, neck activity score, quality of life score, and adverse reactions as secondary outcomes were assessed. Cochrane bias risk assessment tool will be used for literature data screening and quality evaluation, and using RevMan5.4 to collect data for statistical analysis. We then will use the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach to assess the overall quality of evidence supporting the primary outcomes. RESULTS: This systematic review will provide a high-quality synthesis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with massage therapy in the treatment of CGH, providing a reference for the safe and effective treatment plan. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that acupuncture combined with massage is effective and safe for patients with CGH. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: INPLASY2021120049U1.