Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Peripheral Neuropathic Pain: A Frequentist Network Meta-Analysis and Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation

Table 4

Risk difference and number needed to treat for each intervention.

Treatments	RD [95% CI]		NNT [95% CI]
NSAIDs	Reference		Reference
Normal acupuncture	0.20	[0.12; 0.29]	4.98	[8.63; 3.50]
Anticonvulsants	0.01	[−0.14; 0.16]	95.08	[7.09 (H) to ∞ to 6.17(B)]
Acupoint injection	−0.07	[−0.38; 0.24]	−14.96	[2.65 (H) to ∞ to 4.12 (B)]
Acupotomy	0.17	[0.08; 0.27]	5.84	[13.01; 3.76]
Electrical needling	0.16	[0.03; 0.29]	6.24	[31.34; 3.46]
Fire needling	0.26	[0.17; 0.35]	3.84	[5.91; 2.85]
Moxibustion	0.24	[0.15; 0.34]	4.08	[6.78; 2.92]
Warm needling	0.31	[0.17; 0.45]	3.24	[5.80; 2.24]

NSAIDS, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; RD, risk difference; NNT, number needed to treat; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval; (H), number needed to treat to be harmful; (B), number needed to treat to be beneficial.