SynthesisFrontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland)2026
Warming-dredging acupuncture for cancer-related pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland), 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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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.
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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.
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background/objectives: Cancer-related pain (CRP) affects up to 60% of patients during malignancy progression, with many experiencing insufficient relief from pharmacological treatments alone. Warming-dredging acupuncture (WDA) integrates thermal and mechanical stimulation to achieve synergistic analgesic effects. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and opioid-sparing potential of WDA in managing CRP. Materials and methods: We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data, SinoMed, and the clinical trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov and the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry) through March 9, 2026. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. We used RevMan 5.4 and Stata 19.0 to analyze data, the RoB 2 tool to assess the risk of bias, and the GRADE system to assess the certainty of the evidence, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The protocol was prospectively registered (PROSPERO: CRD420261335674). Results: Seventeen RCTs involving 1278 participants were included. WDA significantly enhanced pain relief rates (RR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.19-1.33) and reduced pain scores (MD = -1.05; 95% CI: -1.49 to -0.61) compared to controls. WDA also showed a lower risk of adverse events (RR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.26-0.46), and evidence suggested a possible reduction trend in analgesic consumption. GRADE certainty ranged from moderate to very low. Conclusions: Warming-dredging acupuncture combined with routine pain management may offer a promising adjunct for multimodal cancer pain management, but the certainty of evidence varied across outcomes. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261335674 identifier CRD420261335674.
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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 Socratic graph.