SynthesisMedicine2025
Meta-analysis of Tuina combined with other treatments for obesity.
Synthesis in Medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTo evaluate the efficacy of Tuina (a form of Chinese therapeutic massage) combined with complementary therapies (such as auricular plaster therapy, acupuncture, or herbal medicine) on improving weight, body mass index (BMI), and body composition in obese patients.
methodsA comprehensive search of CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science (from January 2004 to March 2024) was conducted for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Heterogeneity among studies was quantified using the I² statistic, and fixed-effects or random-effects models were applied as appropriate. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots.
resultsEleven RCTs involving 695 patients were included. Tuina combined with complementary therapies significantly improved clinical efficacy (OR = 1.92, 95% CI [1.21, 3.03], P < .01; I² = 0%, fixed-effects model) and led to a substantial reduction in body weight (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -5.32 kg, 95% CI [-7.55, -3.10], P < .0001) as well as a significant decrease in BMI (WMD = -1.17, 95% CI [-1.72, -0.62], P < .0001; I² = 32%, fixed-effects model). Compared to auricular therapy alone, improvements in waist circumference (WMD = -1.79 cm, P = .28) and hip circumference (WMD = -0.68 cm, P = .29) did not reach statistical significance.
conclusionTuina combined with auricular plaster therapy or acupuncture has been shown to effectively reduce weight and BMI in individuals with obesity. Nevertheless, further validation through standardized RCTs with long-term follow-up is necessary to confirm these findings.
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
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 Socratic graph.