The ‘Surrounding the Dragon’ (Wei Ci) Acupuncture Technique: A Systematic Review

A literature review was performed to determine the evidence-based effectiveness of the ancient traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) ‘Surrounding the Dragon’ (SD) acupuncture technique for different types of health conditions. A total of 40 articles published between 1992 and 2023 were retained. The quality of each article was assessed based on a pilot methodology, the overall risk of bias index (ORBi). Only 7 articles out of the 40 obtained an ORBi score that indicated high quality evidence, while 5 articles were medium quality and 28 low quality. High and medium quality articles provide evidence of the SD’s effectiveness for treating dermatological manifestations such as chloasma, acute herpes zoster, post-herpetic neuralgia, pressure sores, skin ageing, skin wounds and non-segmental vitiligo. The SD technique can also be effective for the treatment of other dermatological manifestations, as well as for mastitis and a number of musculoskeletal and neurovascular conditions, particularly if combined with other therapeutic modalities. This systematic review also shows a convergence of biomedical research results with the TCM theorised effects of the SD technique.