# Hot topics and trends in acupuncture for herpes zoster from 2015 to 2025: a bibliometric and knowledge graph analysis

## TL;DR

This study maps global research trends in acupuncture for herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia from 2015 to 2025, highlighting shifts in focus and collaboration patterns.

## Contribution

The study provides a comprehensive bibliometric and knowledge graph analysis of acupuncture research trends for herpes zoster and PHN over a decade.

## Key findings

- Chinese publications dominated the field, peaking in 2018, while English-language research steadily increased after 2022.
- Research focus shifted from traditional techniques to mechanisms and evidence-based approaches over time.
- International collaboration is limited, with a call for more high-quality multicenter trials.

## Abstract

This study aimed to systematically and comprehensively analyze global research trends, knowledge structure, and emerging hotspots in acupuncture for herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

Publications from January 1, 2015, to October 1, 2025 were retrieved from six major databases, including CNKI, Wanfang, Weipu, Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, and Scopus. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were employed to perform co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword analyses, visualizing research collaborations, thematic evolution, and knowledge networks.

A total of 2,309 publications (2,165 Chinese and 144 English) were included. In the Chinese databases, publication output peaked in 2018, while English-language publications steadily increased, surpassing 20 per year after 2022. All Chinese studies originated in China, whereas 21 countries contributed to the English-language literature, with China, the United States, Australia, and South Korea as the top contributors. Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were the most productive institutions. Co-authorship and citation analyses identified core authors and influential journals, including PAIN, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and J Pain Res. Keyword co-occurrence and clustering analyses revealed frequent topics in Chinese publications, such as PHN, acupuncture and cupping, fire needle, TCM, and Jiaji point, whereas English publications frequently addressed HZ, PHN, neuropathic pain, management, and acupuncture. Timeline and citation-burst analyses indicated shifts in research focus over time, with early studies emphasizing traditional techniques and clinical efficacy, and later studies increasingly addressing mechanisms, patient-reported outcomes, and systematic evidence synthesis.

Global research on acupuncture for HZ and PHN has increasingly shifted toward precision and evidence-based approaches. Comparative analysis indicates that Chinese literature primarily emphasizes clinical applications and traditional Chinese medicine techniques, whereas international studies focus more on methodological rigor and mechanistic evidence, underscoring the need for strengthened international collaboration and high-quality multicenter trials to advance the field.