SynthesisFrontiers in medicine2024
Traditional Chinese medicine interventions based on meridian theory for pain relief in patients with primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Cai's gynecology cyclical therapy with stasis-clearing and meridian-warming method for primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Trial
- Network-Based Identification of Core Acupoints for Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Synthesis of Randomized Trial Prescriptions.International journal of women's health · 2026Article
- Combined trigger point acupuncture knife and traditional Chinese medicine split-tendon massage for shoulder periarthritis: improved function and quality of life.American journal of translational research · 2025Article
- Ginger Moxibustion Activates TRPV1 to Modulate the Locus Coeruleus-Spinal Cord-Uterus Pathway and Alleviates Primary Dysmenorrhea in Rats.Journal of pain research · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: To determine the comparative effects and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions based on meridian theory for pain relief in patients with primary dysmenorrhea (PD). Methods: This is a systematic review with network meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing meridian-based TCM interventions with waitlist, placebo, western medicine, and conventional therapies for PD pain. A SUCRA was used to estimate the probability ranking for the effects of interventions. Results: 57 RCTs involving 3,903 participants and 15interventions were included. Thirty-two RCTs were rated as low risk of bias. A network diagram was drawn with 105 pairs of comparisons. Compared with NSAIDs and waitlist, significantly better effects were found in acupressure [SMD = -1.51, 95%CI (-2.91, -0.12)/SMD = -2.31, 95%CI (-4.61, -0.02)], warm needling [SMD = -1.43, 95%CI (-2.68, -0.18)/SMD = -2.23, 95%CI (-4.43, -0.03)], moxibustion [SMD = -1.21, 95%CI (-1.85, -0.57)/SMD = -2.10, 95%CI (-3.95, -0.07)], and acupuncture [SMD = -1.09, 95%CI (-1.62, -0.55)/SMD = -1.89, 95%CI (-3.67, -0.11)]. No adverse events were detected. Conclusion: For PD pain, the effects of acupressure, acupuncture, warm needling, and moxibustion were superior to those of NSAIDs and waitlist. Oral contraceptive pill, electro-acupuncture, acupressure, and warm needling demonstrated higher probabilities of being better interventions. More high-quality clinical trials are needed to provide more robust evidence of this network. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42022373312.
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