Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26425130›Full record

ReviewEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2015

The Efficacy of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Sciatica: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Mei Ji, Xiaoxia Wang, Meijuan Chen, Yan Shen, Xu Zhang, Jin Yang

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02770963 (Efficacy of Acupuncture for Discogenic Sciatica), which is not on this map. Cited by 19 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
8.6field-weighted citation impact, top 3% 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.

NCT02770963 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2016, after this paper: background citation

Efficacy of Acupuncture for Discogenic Sciatica: a Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorGuang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesRan2016 to 2018Enrolled60ConditionsSciaticaArmsAcupuncture, Sham acupuncture
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. How effective are physiotherapy interventions in treating people with sciatica? A systematic review and meta-analysis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2023
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  5. Acupuncture for radicular pain: a review of analgesic mechanism.Frontiers in molecular neuroscience · 2024
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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

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Mei JiCollege of Basic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
Xiaoxia WangCollege of Basic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
Meijuan ChenCollege of Basic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China ; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
Yan ShenCollege of Basic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
Xu ZhangJiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
Jin YangCollege of Basic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background. Sciatica is one of the most frequently reported complaints; it affects quality of life and reduces social and economic efficacy. Clinical studies on the efficacy of acupuncture therapy in sciatica are increasing, while systematic reviews assessing the efficacy of acupuncture therapy are still lacking. Objective. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy for sciatica. Methods. Comprehensive searches of 8 databases were conducted up until April 2015. Outcomes included effectiveness (proportion of patients who improved totally or partly in clinical symptoms), pain intensity, and pain threshold. Effect sizes were presented as risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD). Pooled effect sizes were calculated by fixed effects or random effects model. Results. A total of 12 studies (involving 1842 participants) were included. Results showed that acupuncture was more effective than conventional Western medicine (CWM) in outcomes effectiveness (RR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.16-1.25), pain intensity (MD -1.25, 95% CI: -1.63 to -0.86), and pain threshold (MD: 1.08, 95% CI: 0.98-1.17). Subgroup and sensitivity analysis found that the results did not change in different treatment method and drug categories substantially. The reported adverse effects were acceptable. Conclusions. Acupuncture may be effective in treating the pain associated with sciatica.

Identifiers

PMID26425130
PMCPMC4575738
OpenAlexW1766617209

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.