There was no difference in mechanical detection and pain thresholds, and in PACAP and VIP plasma concentrations between LF and sham stimulation ( p ≥ 0.162).
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to EA treatment of pain after TKA will be collected from 3 databases of English literature, namely PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, and 4 databases of Chinese literatures, namely CBM, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang database.
Substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide and neuropeptide Y are the major peptides involved both in the generation of pain as well as reducing pain post-joint trauma.
A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and the Chinese databases Wan Fang Med Database, CNKI, and VIP (until November, 2018) was used to identify studies reporting pain (on a visual analogue scale (VAS)), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) levels, response rate, and the ACR50 rate in patients with RA.