Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41908220›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in sports and active living2026

Baduanjin exercise with or without traditional Chinese tuina therapy for nonspecific chronic neck pain: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Suhong Zhao, Zhiwei Wu, Ben Cao, Yaping Chang, Yazhou Li, San Zheng, Mengni Shi, Qingguang Zhu, Lingjun Kong, Wuquan Sun and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in sports and active living, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Suhong Zhao *Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Zhiwei Wu *Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Ben Cao *Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yaping ChangDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact (HEI), Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Yazhou LiYueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
San ZhengYueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Mengni ShiYueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Qingguang ZhuYueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Lingjun KongShuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Wuquan SunYueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Mitchell Arnold LevineDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact (HEI), Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Min FangShuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Non-pharmacological therapies in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) play an important role in the management of nonspecific chronic neck pain (NCNP). Tuina therapy and Baduanjin exercise, representing passive and active modalities, respectively, have shown benefits in reducing pain, improving cervical mobility, and enhancing quality of life. However, the therapeutic efficacy of Tuina combined with Baduanjin (TCB) approach for NCNP remains insufficiently elucidated. This study aims to determine whether TCB provides superior effects in pain relief and functional outcomes compared with Baduanjin exercise alone. Methods and analysis: A total of 110 NCNP patients aged 18 to 50 years will be recruited. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the TCB group or Baduanjin group. Each group will undergo a total of 16 sessions of therapy over 8 weeks, with two sessions per week. Outcomes will be assessed at week 8, 20, and 32 post-randomization. The primary outcome is the pain intensity at week 8, assessed by the visual analogue scale scores (VAS). Secondary outcomes include functional disability (evaluated with the Neck Disability Index), quality of life (assessed using the 12-item Short Form Survey questionnaire), emotional distress (measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), sleep quality (evaluated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), work efficiency (assessed using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire-Specific Health Problem), and safety. The statistical analyses will follow the two-way repeated measures analysis of variance to compare clinical data between groups across different time points. Ethics and dissemination: The study protocol has received approval from the Ethics Committee of Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2023-143). All study participants will be required to provide written informed consent. The findings of the study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication and presented at scientific conferences. Additionally, the participants will receive copies of the results upon requests.

Indexed as

baduanjinnonspecific chronic neck painrandomized controlled trialstudy protocoltuina therapy

Identifiers

PMID41908220
PMCPMC13021794

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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.