HYBRID EVENT: You can participate in person at Hilton Tokyo Hotel, Japan or Virtually from your home or work.

Narendra Lamichhane

 

Narendra Lamichhane

Blue lotus Hospital
Nepal

Abstract Title: Effectiveness comparisons of acupoint stimulation therapies for irritable bowel syndrome: A Bayesian network meta‑analysis

Biography: Narendra Lamichhane (born January 5, 1995) is a Nepali Ayurvedic physician and acupuncture specialist. He holds a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) from Nepal Sanskrit University and a Master’s degree with distinction in Acupuncture, Moxibustion, and Tuina from Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China. He currently serves as a Consultant Acupuncturist under the Nepal Government civil service. He has authored multiple scientific publications as well as Nepali health articles, participated in international conferences, and is a registered Ayurveda physician, an elected executive member of ADAN, and a sacretary of the Chinese Medicine Doctors Association of Nepal.

Research Interest: Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional disorder that significantly impacts patient health, causing physical discomfort and diminished quality of life. To compare various acupoint stimulation modalities for treating IBS using network meta-analysis. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of five electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupoint stimulation interventions for IBS published from inception to November 8, 2024, without language restrictions. Two authors independently performed data extraction and assessed the risk of bias. Outcomes included symptom severity and quality of life. Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted using STATA 14.0 and Open BUGS 3.2.3. Results: We identified 12 RCTs that included three different acupoint stimulation interventions (1,839 participants), namely acupuncture, moxibustion, and placebo. Our NMA results showed that the three acupoint stimulation intervention therapies were effective in reducing symptom severity and improving the quality of life for patients with IBS. The most effective acupoint stimulation intervention was moxibustion, which significantly reduced symptom severity [mean difference (MD) = 101.50; 95% credible interval (CrI), 80.36, 122.30] and improved quality of life [MD = -19.75; 95% CrI, -28.86, -10.75] compared to medication in patients with IBS. Moreover, the adverse events of all interventions were acceptable. Conclusions: The NMA suggests that moxibustion was the most effective modality inalleviating symptom severity and improving quality of life in patients with IBS, followed by acupuncture.