The efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for peripheral facial paralysis: an overview of systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Many studies have investigated the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of peripheral facial palsy (PFP), but the results have been inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) of the treatment of PFP by integrating acupuncture, providing a basis for clinical treatment. Methods: We searched Wanfang, VIP, CNKI, CBM, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases for SRs and MAs related to acupuncture treatment for PFP, from the establishment of the databases to May 1, 2025. We evaluated the methodology, reporting quality, and evidence quality of the included studies using the AMSTAR2, PRISMA, and GRADE tools. Results: This study included a total of 17 SRs and MAs. The AMSTAR2 assessment results showed that three studies were rated as having low methodological quality, while 14 studies were considered to have very low methodological quality. The PRISMA results indicated that two studies were of high quality, nine were of moderate quality, and six were of low quality. GRADE results indicated that only two items provided moderate-quality evidence, 22 items provided low-quality evidence, and 13 items provided very low-quality evidence. Acupuncture can improve the clinical efficacy of PFP, reduce recovery time, and has few adverse reactions. Conclusion: Acupuncture is effective in treating PFP, but methodological shortcomings in existing studies have resulted in limited evidence. In the future, it is necessary to follow the principles of evidence-based medicine to improve the quality of relevant RCTs and SRs and MAs studies and enhance the credibility of the evidence. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, identifier: CRD420251033106.