Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42221125›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2026

Biomechanical characteristics and therapeutic effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine manual therapy in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Mengying Rong, Shifang Fu, Longsheng Ren, Lei Bian, Zhenjie Yang, Qian Liu, Yuetong Li, Xiaoyu Zhi, Yu Wang, Yijia Liu and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

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

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1 · What the graph read from it

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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

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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

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Mengying Rong *Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Shifang Fu *The Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Longsheng RenTianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Lei BianThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Zhenjie YangThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Qian LiuTianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Yuetong LiThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Xiaoyu ZhiThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Yu WangThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Yijia LiuThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Yanguo WangThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a three-dimensional spinal deformity that progresses with age, making effective early intervention crucial to avoid surgical treatment. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Manual therapy (MT) offers the advantage of relaxing muscles and correcting biomechanical imbalances, thereby assisting patients in performing postural correction exercises under proper biomechanical alignment. However, evidence supporting the use of TCMMT for AIS remains limited. Objective: This study aims to elucidate the biomechanical changes in AIS patients by comparing with healthy individuals, and investigate the clinical efficacy and biomechanical mechanisms of combining TCMMT with Schroth method in the treatment of AIS. Methods: This study is a randomized controlled trial. Sixty eligible AIS patients will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either the experimental group (EG) or the control group. All patients will undergo Schroth method for 60 min, five times per week. The EG will additionally receive TCMMT for 20 min, three times per week. The treatment course will be 8 weeks. Furthermore, fifteen age-matched healthy volunteers will be included. The primary outcome measure is the Cobb angle assessed before and after treatment. Secondary outcome measures include plantar pressure and 3D gait parameters, surface electromyography and muscular temperature. Adverse events will be recorded throughout the trial. All patients randomly allocated in this study will be included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Conclusion: This study will provide multi-dimensional evidence for the efficacy of TCMMT as an adjunctive treatment for AIS, advance the development of manual therapy within the field of rehabilitation, and facilitate its application in clinical decision which making by both physicians and patients. Study protocol registration: http://itmctr.ccebtcm.org.cn, identifier ITMCTR2025002392.

Indexed as

adolescent idiopathic scoliosisbiomechanicsmanual therapySchroth methodTraditional Chinese Medicine

Identifiers

PMID42221125
PMCPMC13216496

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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.