Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41919066›Full record

ReviewJournal of pain research2026

Efficacy of Acupuncture in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis.

Linzhen Jin, Yangyang Zhou, Lingzhe Li, Fengjun Song, Ying Zhou

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of pain research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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.

Linzhen JinDepartment of Acupuncture and Tuina, Wenzhou TCM Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, People's Republic of China.
Yangyang ZhouDepartment of Rehabilitation Therapy, Wenzhou TCM Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, People's Republic of China.
Lingzhe LiDepartment of Acupuncture and Tuina, Wenzhou TCM Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, People's Republic of China.
Fengjun SongDepartment of Acupuncture and Tuina, Wenzhou TCM Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, People's Republic of China.
Ying ZhouDepartment of Acupuncture and Tuina, Wenzhou TCM Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0009-0005-8365-9170

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, and reduced quality of life. Although acupuncture is commonly used for symptom management, evidence regarding its efficacy remains inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of acupuncture on core symptoms of FMS. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) through February 24, 2025. Eligible trials compared acupuncture versus conventional treatment, with or without sham acupuncture, in adults with FMS. Study quality was assessed using Cochrane RoB 2.0. Data were synthesized with random-effects models in Stata 18.0, and subgroup analyses explored effects of gender, treatment frequency, and acupuncture type. Results: Seventeen RCTs comprising 773 participants were included. Meta-analysis demonstrated that acupuncture significantly improved pain (SMD = -0.72, 95% CI: -1.02 to -0.41, P < 0.01, I Conclusion: Acupuncture is an effective treatment for key FMS symptoms, particularly pain and stiffness. Therapeutic effects are influenced by treatment frequency and acupuncture type. Further high-quality trials are needed to optimize treatment protocols and sustain long-term benefits.

Indexed as

acupuncturefibromyalgia syndromemeta-analysispain

Identifiers

PMID41919066
PMCPMC13033417

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.