Efficacy of acupuncture and acupressure for the treatment of Raynaud's syndrome: Protocol for a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Raynauds syndrome is a rare vascular disorder that causes the contraction of blood vessels, usually in the fingers and toes, when there is a decrease in temperature or during emotional events. As a result, blood cannot reach the tissue in these areas, causing them to appear blue or white. It had long been speculated that acupuncture and acupressure may help mediate symptoms of Raynauds syndrome, however no knowledge synthesis project regarding this topic had ever been conducted (to our best knowledge). We propose a meta-analysis that investigates whether the use of acupuncture or acupressure can improve symptoms of Raynauds syndrome. Our proposed outcomes are incidences of positive cold water immersion test, incidences of positive temperature recovery after cold water immersion tests, incidences of remission/short-term remission, number and duration of attacks per day, and outcomes relating to nailfold microcirculation examinations (including capillary blood flow velocity, capillary deformity and capillary density).