Table 1.
Search strategy for the PubMed database.
| Number | Search terms |
| #1 | diabetic neuropathy(all field) |
| #2 | peripheral neuropathy(all field) |
| #3 | diabetic polyneuropathy(all field) |
| #4 | diabetic neuropathies(all field) |
| #5 | neuropathy(all field) |
| #6 | diabetic(all field) |
| #7 | diabetes mellitus(all field) |
| #8 | #1OR#2-7 |
| #9 | acupuncture(all field) |
| #10 | acupuncture therapy(all field) |
| #11 | scalp acupuncture(all field) |
| #12 | fire needling(allfield) |
| #13 | Intradermal needling(all field) |
| #14 | ear acupuncture(all field) |
| #15 | acupoint(all field) |
| #16 | auricuar acupuncture(all field) |
| #17 | electroacupuncture(all field) |
| #18 | catgut embedding(all field) |
| #19 | #9 OR #10-18 |
| #20 | Chinese medicine(all field) |
| #21 | Traditional Chinese medicine(all field) |
| #22 | Proprietary Chinese medicine(all field) |
| #23 | Chinese herb medicine(all field) |
| #24 | Proprietary Chinese medicine(all field) |
| #25 | Chinese herbs(all field) |
| #26 | #20 OR #21-26 |
| #27 | randomized controlled trial(all field) |
| #28 | randomly(all field) |
| #29 | controlled clinical trial(all field) |
| #30 | randomized(all field) |
| #31 | random allocation(all field) |
| #32 | placebo(all field) |
| #33 | single-blindmethod(all field) |
| #34 | double-blindmethod(all field) |
| #35 | trials(all field) |
| #36 | Comparators |
| #37 | allocation |
| #38 | #27 OR #28-37 |
| #39 | #8 And #19 And #26 And #38 |