Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40580192›Full record

SynthesisMedical gas research2026

Effects of pulsed radiofrequency combined with ozone on zoster-associated pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Xiao-Tong Ding, Jin-Zhao Huang, Qiu-Song Shen, Rui-Yu Wang, Hou-Ming Kan

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Medical gas research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Effects of Esketamine Infusion by Patient-Controlled Intravenous Analgesia in Patients With Zoster-Associated Pain: A Retrospective Study.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
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

5 authors.

Xiao-Tong DingKiang Wu Nursing College of Macau, Macao Special Administrative Region, China.
Jin-Zhao HuangJiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu Province, China.
Qiu-Song ShenKiang Wu Nursing College of Macau, Macao Special Administrative Region, China.
Rui-Yu WangMedical Sciences Division, Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao Special Administrative Region, China.
Hou-Ming KanMedical Sciences Division, Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao Special Administrative Region, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5792-2901

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Pulsed radiofrequency combined with ozone therapy has been a newly proposed treatment method for zoster-associated pain in recent years. To explore the effectiveness of a regimen of pulsed radiofrequency combined with ozone for the treatment of zoster-associated pain. We searched commonly used English databases (the Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science) and Chinese databases (the CNKI, WanFang, CBM, and VIP databases) for randomized controlled trials. Two researchers independently screened the literature on the basis of the set conditions and extracted data from the included literature. The meta-analysis was conducted via Review Manager 5.4 software. A meta-analysis was conducted on 18 studies, with a total of 1496 participants (742 in the experimental group and 754 in the control group). The results revealed that the pulsed radiofrequency combined with ozone presented lower unidimensional pain scores (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-2.04, -1.06]; heterogeneity: P < 0.00001, I2 = 94%; test effect: Z = 6.18, P < 0.00001), a lower pain rating index (mean difference [MD] = -2.65, 95% CI = [-3.86, -1.44]; heterogeneity: P = 0.001, I2 = 85%; test effect: Z = 4.29, P < 0.0001) and presented pain intensity scores (MD = -0.58, 95% CI = [-0.62, -0.54]; heterogeneity: P = 0.61, I2 = 0%; test effect: Z = 27.91, P < 0.00001), a lower Pittsburgh sleep quality index (MD = -1.62, 95% CI = [-2.94, -0.31]; heterogeneity: P < 0.00001, I2 = 93%; test effect: Z = 2.42, P = 0.02), and lower interleukin-6 expression levels (SMD = -1.94, 95% CI = [-2.91, -0.97]; heterogeneity: P < 0.00001, I2 = 93%; test effect: Z = 3.92, P < 0.0001), lower gabapentin consumption (MD = -146.92, 95% CI = [-189.93, -103.91]; heterogeneity: P = 0.23, I2 = 30%; test effect: Z = 6.70, P < 0.00001). Pulsed radiofrequency combined with ozone is an effective treatment for zoster-associated pain that can effectively alleviate patients' pain and improve sleep quality, providing a new treatment option for zoster-associated pain in the future.

Indexed as

Herpes ZosterOzonePainPain ManagementPulsed Radiofrequency TreatmentCombined Modality TherapyHumansOzoneautohemotherapyherpes zostermeta-analysisneuromodulationneuropathic painoxygenozonepostherpetic neuralgiapulsed radiofrequencyzoster-associated pain

Identifiers

PMID40580192
PMCPMC12318573

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
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.