Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33939740›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

Efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal footbaths for the treatment of dysmenorrhea: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Min Xiao, Lizhou Liu, Steve Tumilty, Dan Liu, Yanyan You, Yunhui Chen, Songqi Tang, Wei Huang, George David Baxter

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 30% 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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

9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Min XiaoCollege of Clinical Medicine/College of Basic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Lizhou LiuCentre for Health, Activity, and Rehabilitation Research, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
Steve TumiltyCentre for Health, Activity, and Rehabilitation Research, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
Dan LiuWest China Hospital, Sichuan University, South Renmin Road, Wu Hou District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Yanyan YouWest China Hospital, Sichuan University, South Renmin Road, Wu Hou District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Yunhui ChenCollege of Clinical Medicine/College of Basic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID 0000-0002-4140-0698
Songqi TangCollege of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China.
Wei HuangCollege of Clinical Medicine/College of Basic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
George David BaxterCentre for Health, Activity, and Rehabilitation Research, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CNUniversity of Otago · NZSichuan University · CNHainan Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChinese herbal footbaths are an external therapy of traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely used to treat dysmenorrhea. This review aims to systematically evaluate its efficacy and safety for the treatment of dysmenorrhea.

methodsDatabases of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CIHAHL, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), Wanfang Database, China Biomedical Literature Database(CBM), and Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed) will be searched from the inception to September 30, 2020. The eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will be identified and included. The primary outcomes include pain intensity measured by validated scales of visual analog scale, numeric rating scale, and response rate of symptom reduction. The secondary outcomes are scores on validated pain questionnaires, quality of life measured by SF-36 or other validated scales, and adverse events. Study selection, data extraction, and assessment of bias risk will be conducted by two reviewers independently. RevMan software (V.5.3.5) will be utilized to perform data synthesis. Subgroup and sensitivity analysis will be performed when necessary. The strength of the evidence will be evaluated with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation System.

resultsA high-quality synthesis of current evidence of Chinese herbal footbaths for patients with dysmenorrhea will be provided in this study.

conclusionThis systematic review will provide evidence of whether Chinese herbal footbaths are an effective and safe intervention for the treatment of dysmenorrhea. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020188256.

Indexed as

Drugs, Chinese HerbalDysmenorrheaMeta-Analysis as TopicSystematic Reviews as TopicFemaleHumansMedicine, Chinese TraditionalQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeDrugs, Chinese Herbal

Identifiers

PMID33939740
PMCPMC8092769
OpenAlexW3158569654

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.