Front-mu and Back-shu Acupoint Selection Patterns: Data Mining and Network Analysis

Background: Combinations of front-mu and back-shu points are widely used to treat internal organ issues in both clinical practice and scientific research. We investigated the selection patterns of front-mu and back-shu points used in clinical trials. We also conducted a network analysis to identify the most common combinations of these acupoints.

Methods: Based on 421 clinical studies, the frequencies of the front-mu and back-shu points were extracted from the Acusynth database. A network analysis was performed to determine the eigenvector centrality, closeness centrality, and betweenness centrality of these acupoint combinations.

Results: Front-mu points were more frequently used with Fu (hollow) organs, whereas back-shu points were more frequently used with Zang (solid) organs. Network analysis revealed that both front-mu and back-shu points were used together and in combination with major acupoints.

Conclusions: We demonstrated the acupoint selection patterns and combinations of front-mu and back-shu points using data mining. These results will aid clinicians in comprehending clinical database-driven front-mu and back-shu point selection patterns.