Clinical Research Trends in Lidocaine Injection at Acupoints: A Scoping Review

Objectives : To comprehensively map and synthesize the clinical research trends, application patterns, and safety profile of lidocaine injections administered based on acupoints or acupoint-based injection concepts.Methods : We conducted a scoping review following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines.A systematic search was performed in Science ON, CNKI, Wanfang, J-stage, and PubMed from database inception to May 22, 2026, using combinations of terms related to "lidocaine" and "acupoint injection."Eligible studies were primary clinical studies in humans in which lidocaine was explicitly administered according to acupoint or acupoint-based injection concepts, with sufficient information on dose, injection site, and injection method.Results : A total of 400 records were identified, of which 127 studies met the inclusion criteria.Fifty-two were randomized controlled trials, with the remainder being non-randomized comparative studies (n=14), self-controlled study (n=2), retrospective study (n=2), case reports and case series (n=53), and adverse-event case reports (n=4).Indications encompassed anorectal surgery anesthesia and postoperative management (n=18), tinnitus and hearing loss (n=15), obstetric and gynecological procedures, head/neck, musculoskeletal, and postherpetic neuralgia pain, dermatologic conditions, and hiccups, among others.The most frequently used acupoints were ST36, GV2, LI4, SI19, GB20, GV1, TE17, BL32, GB2, and PC6, ST7; musculoskeletal and dermatologic studies frequently combined Ashi (tender) points.Lidocaine concentrations ranged from 0.1% to 2%, and total doses varied widely from 0.5-2 mL per acupoint for internal medicine indications to 10-25 mL for Yosu (GV2) anesthesia in anorectal surgery.Reported adverse events were generally mild and transient; however, four case reports of serious adverse reactions were identifiedthree associated with high-dose GV2 (Yosu) anesthesia, and one occurring with low-dose injection in a patient with a history of drug hypersensitivity.Conclusions : This scoping review mapped clinical literature on lidocaine acupoint injection across diverse indications, characterizing study designs, target conditions, acupoint selection, dosing patterns, outcome measures, and reported adverse events.Most adverse events were mild and transient.Given the heterogeneity and absence of formal risk-of-bias assessment, standardized protocols and rigorous randomized controlled trials are warranted to clarify efficacy and safety.