Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25710765›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2015

Traditional Chinese medicine for neck pain and low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Qi-ling Yuan, Tuan-mao Guo, Liang Liu, Fu Sun, Yin-gang Zhang

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04156776 (Comparison Of Muscle Energy Technique And Active Isolated Stretching On Erector Spinae Muscle In The Management Of Mechanical Low Back Pain), which is not on this map. Cited by 109 papers, 14 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
109citing papers in PubMed, 14 pooled it
20.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04156776 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2018, after this paper: background citation

Comparison Of Muscle Energy Technique And Active Isolated Stretching On Erector Spinae Muscle In The Management Of Mechanical Low Back Pain

TypeinterventionalSponsorRiphah International UniversityRan2018 to 2019Enrolled57ConditionsMechanical Low Back PainArmsMuscle Energy Technique, Active Isolated Stretching, Conventional Treatment
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

109 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 262 citations in OpenAlex.

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  12. Health benefits of tai chi: What is the evidence?Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2016
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49 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Qi-ling YuanDepartment of Orthopaedics of the First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
Tuan-mao GuoSecond department of Orthopaedics, Xianyang Central Hospital, Xianyang, Shaanxi, P.R. 712000, China.
Liang LiuDepartment of Orthopaedics of the First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
Fu SunDepartment of Orthopaedics of the First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China; Department of Orthopaedics of the Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical College, Xi'an 710077, China.
Yin-gang ZhangDepartment of Orthopaedics of the First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University · CNXian Yang Central Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeck pain (NP) and low back pain (LBP) are common symptoms bothering people in daily life. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat various symptoms and diseases in China and has been demonstrated to be effective. The objective of the present study was to review and analyze the existing data about pain and disability in TCM treatments for NP and LBP.

methodsStudies were identified by a comprehensive search of databases, such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library, up to September 1, 2013. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM in managing NP and LBP.

resultsSeventy five randomized controlled trials (n = 11077) were included. Almost all of the studies investigated individuals experiencing chronic NP (CNP) or chronic LBP (CLBP). We found moderate evidence that acupuncture was more effective than sham-acupuncture in reducing pain immediately post-treatment for CNP (visual analogue scale (VAS) 10 cm, mean difference (MD) = -0.58 (-0.94, -0.22), 95% confidence interval, p = 0.01), CLBP (standardized mean difference = -0.47 (-0.77, -0.17), p = 0.003), and acute LBP (VAS 10 cm, MD = -0.99 (-1.24, -0.73), p< 0.001). Cupping could be more effective than waitlist in VAS (100 mm) (MD = -19.10 (-27.61, -10.58), p < 0. 001) for CNP or medications (e.g. NSAID) for CLBP (MD = -5.4 (-8.9, -0.19), p = 0.003). No serious or life-threatening adverse effects were found.

conclusionsAcupuncture, acupressure, and cupping could be efficacious in treating the pain and disability associated with CNP or CLBP in the immediate term. Gua sha, tai chi, qigong, and Chinese manipulation showed fair effects, but we were unable to draw any definite conclusions, and further research is still needed. The efficacy of tuina and moxibustion is unknown because no direct evidence was obtained. These TCM modalities are relatively safe.

Indexed as

Medicine, Chinese TraditionalAcupuncture TherapyChinaDatabases, FactualHumansLow Back PainNeck PainPain Measurement

Identifiers

PMID25710765
PMCPMC4339195
OpenAlexW2043254544

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.