Effectiveness of different acupuncture courses for functional constipation: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: This study will evaluate the effectiveness of different acupuncture courses for functional constipation (FC) through network meta-analysis. Methods: Eight database (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Central), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) and Wanfang Database) will be searched from inception to October 2019. Only randomized controlled trials comparing different acupuncture courses or acupuncture versus sham acupuncture or placebo will be included. The outcomes involved weekly stool frequency, Bristol Fecal score, responder rate and safety evaluation. The risk of bias assessment and quality of evidence will be appraised using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation guidelines. RevMan 5.3 software, STATA V.14.0 and GeMTC software will be used to perform the network meta-analysis. Results: This work will compare and arrange the comparative efficacy of different acupuncture treatments for FC by summarizing the current evidences. The results will be submitted in the form of a journal publication. Conclusion: The results of this network meta-analysis may help doctors determine the best treatments for patients to manage FC. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020153801.