Public Discourse Topics and Emotions toward Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain on Chinese Social Media
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70088/c3zn1v54Keywords:
Chronic Low Back Pain, Acupuncture Treatment, Social Media, Topic Modeling, Large Language Model, Emotion AnalysisAbstract
Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a leading global cause of disability. This study investigated dominant topics, emotional profiles, and unmet information needs in Chinese social media discussions regarding acupuncture for CLBP, reflecting how public share experiences and evaluate treatment in the digital sphere. Methods: We analyzed 281,263 comments from Xiaohongshu, Weibo, Toutiao, and Zhihu (January 2023–June 2025). Topic modeling was conducted using BERTopic with large language model–assisted refinement. Fine-grained emotion analysis was performed using the EmoAtlas framework, classifying texts into eight emotions based on Plutchik's theory. Results: Fourteen refined topics were identified and grouped into five dimensions: Treatment Effectiveness, Treatment Process Description, Healthcare Access, Cultural and Theoretical Interpretation, and Patient Experience. Treatment Process Description was the largest dimension (30.59%), while Treatment Effectiveness and Pain Relief the leading topic (n=41,286). Emotion analysis showed that Treatment yielded the highest positive sentiment (44.8%), Healthcare Access was most neutral (35.8%), and Patient Experience was significantly negative (67.5%). Key discussions focused on costs, insurance, provider selection, and first-time consultation concerns. Conclusion: Chinese social media discussions regarding acupuncture for CLBP are multidimensional and emotionally distinct. Discourse extends beyond clinical efficacy to include embodied experiences, psychological burdens, and cultural frameworks. These findings provide evidence for patient-centered care and illustrate how acupuncture is understood and negotiated in digital public health contexts.References
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