Global research trends and insights in acupuncture randomized controlled trials: a bibliometric analysis

Objective To identify the research status, major contributors, and emerging frontiers in acupuncture randomized controlled trials (RCTs) through bibliometric analysis, assisting clinicians, researchers, and policymakers in rapidly capturing valuable research hotspots and potential directions. Methods Articles related to acupuncture RCTs published between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2024, were retrieved 1,908 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. Multiple software tools (Origin 2021, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer) have been integrated to comprehensively visualize relationships among authors, journals, keywords, institutions, and countries. Results The number of acupuncture RCTs grew steadily from 59 articles in 2010 to a peak of 205 in 2022, later stabilizing at 160. China led in output (1,096 articles), followed by the United States (263) and South Korea (216). Leading institutions included Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (166 articles; 2,084 citations) and Kyung Hee University (112 articles; top non-Chinese institution). Chinese scholars Liu Zhishun (most publications) and Liu Cunzhi (most citations) were the most prolific and highly cited researchers, respectively. The keywords of greatest interest were “Acupuncture” (1,188 times) and “Randomized Controlled Trial” (439 times). The next three most frequent keywords were “Electroacupuncture” (409 times), “Management” (291 times), and “Pain” (277 times). Burst keywords were “guidelines,” “sleep,” and “diagnosis” (2021–2022). Trials (274 articles) and Acupuncture in Medicine (H-index 26/2,099 citations) were the primary publishing journals. Conclusion This study conducted a multidimensional analysis of the current state of acupuncture RCT research, revealing key research domains, hotspots, and potential trends. Building on these findings, we propose the following directions for future investigations: (1) identifying potential conditions for acupuncture through four classification approaches: conditions with conflicting research findings, conditions for which a body of evidence is emerging but has not yet reached a broad consensus, conditions for which modern medicine currently has no superior treatment options, and conditions where acupuncture can further expand its application; (2) key factors influencing acupuncture efficacy, such as acupoint prescription, core acupuncture parameters and the dose-effect relationship should be explored; (3) research quality and reliability should be ensured by adhering to rigorous methodological design and reporting standards, including appropriate selection of control groups and outcome measures.