The efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine non-pharmacological interventions in improving disease activity and inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis: a network meta-analysis

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic autoimmune disease primarily affecting the spine, causing pain, stiffness, and functional limitations. The research included 31 randomized controlled trials with 2,459 patients and 15 different complementary and alternative medicine interventions. According to the results, acupuncture, moxibustion, and several other methods are more effective than standard therapy in reducing disease activity and pain. Moxibustion demonstrated statistically significant reduction in C-reactive protein levels, an inflammatory marker. The combination of moxibustion with cupping showed favorable probability of improving pain outcomes. However, the safety of these therapies was not sufficiently documented, as adverse events were incompletely reported in the studies.