ReviewTherapeutic advances in chronic disease2023
Complementary and alternative medicine for long COVID: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Review in Therapeutic advances in chronic disease, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation may improve cognitive deficits in neuropsychiatric diseases-a systematic review.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Pooled it
- [Cognition and Long COVID: A PRISMA Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies].Revista de neurologia · 2025Pooled it
- Which healthcare services did children and adolescents use before presentation at specialised outpatient clinics for post-COVID-19 condition? Descriptive findings from the Post-COVID Kids Bavaria study.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Article
- The Effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological Interventions in Treating Adolescents and Young Adults with Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Long COVID: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2026Review
- Intersectionality and Long Covid: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Ethnic Minority Groups in the United Kingdom.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Article
- Effects of therapeutic interventions on long COVID: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.EClinicalMedicine · 2025Article
- Acute Effects of Osteopathic Treatment in Long COVID-19 Patients with Fatigue Symptoms: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Traditional Chinese Medicine for Viral Pneumonia Therapy: Pharmacological Basis and Mechanistic Insights.International journal of biological sciences · 2025Review
- Quality Assessment of Cohort Studies in Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Scoping Review Over Two Decades.Iranian journal of public health · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions are growing in popularity as possible treatments for long COVID symptoms. However, comprehensive analysis of current evidence in this setting is still lacking. Objective: This study aims to review existing published studies on the use of CAM interventions for patients experiencing long COVID through a systematic review. Design: Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: A comprehensive electronic literature search was performed in multiple databases and clinical trial registries from September 2019 to January 2023. RCTs evaluating efficacy and safety of CAM for long COVID were included. Methodological quality of each included trial was appraised with the Cochrane 'risk of bias' tool. A qualitative analysis was conducted due to heterogeneity of included studies. Results: A total of 14 RCTs with 1195 participants were included in this review. Study findings demonstrated that CAM interventions could benefit patients with long COVID, especially those suffering from neuropsychiatric disorders, olfactory dysfunction, cognitive impairment, fatigue, breathlessness, and mild-to-moderate lung fibrosis. The main interventions reported were self-administered transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation, neuro-meditation, dietary supplements, olfactory training, aromatherapy, inspiratory muscle training, concurrent training, and an online breathing and well-being program. Conclusion: CAM interventions may be effective, safe, and acceptable to patients with symptoms of long COVID. However, the findings from this systematic review should be interpreted with caution due to various methodological limitations. More rigorous trials focused on CAM for long COVID are warranted in the future.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.