Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37325034›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in neuroscience2023

Effectiveness of non-pharmacological traditional Chinese medicine combined with conventional therapy in treating fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Lili Cai, Zhengquan Chen, Juping Liang, Yuanyuan Song, Hong Yu, Jiaye Zhu, Qikai Wu, Xuan Zhou, Qing Du

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in neuroscience, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 32% 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

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

  1. Guideline
  2. Effects ofFrontiers in pharmacology · 2026
    Trial
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 2 institutions in 1 country.

Lili Cai *Department of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
Zhengquan Chen *Department of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
Juping Liang *Department of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
Yuanyuan SongChongming Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Hong YuDepartment of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
Jiaye ZhuDepartment of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
Qikai WuDepartment of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
Xuan ZhouDepartment of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
Qing DuDepartment of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
XinHua Hospital · CNShanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder characterized by generalized pain, which is also known as "muscular rheumatism" in Chinese medicine. We undertook this systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with conventional therapy on pain, health status, depression, and the quality of life of fibromyalgia patients. Methods: Studies were retrieved from five electronic databases (PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science) with publication date up to August 2022. We included randomized controlled trials examining the effects of a combination of non-pharmacological TCM and conventional therapy on pain intensity, health status, depression, and quality of life. Results: Four randomized controlled trials with 384 fibromyalgia patients met the inclusion criteria. Results of the meta-analysis showed that non-pharmacological TCM combined with conventional therapy exerted significant positive effects on alleviating pain at the post-intervention time point than conventional therapy only (visual analog scale WMD Conclusion: Non-pharmacological TCM combined with conventional therapy may be more effective in alleviating pain and improving health status than conventional therapy only. However, it remains some concerns over the safety and clinic application. Systematic review registration: Identifier: CRD42022352991.

Indexed as

depressionfibromyalgiapainquality of lifesystematic reviewtraditional Chinese medicine

Identifiers

PMID37325034
PMCPMC10267337
OpenAlexW4379053098

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.