Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2021 May 10:2021:5584997.
doi: 10.1155/2021/5584997. eCollection 2021.

Therapeutic Effects of Traditional Chinese Exercises on Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Zhenrui Li  1 , Jie Zhuang  1 , Shiwen Zhang  1 , Qingyi He  1 , Rui Zhao  1 , Tursen Alima  1 , Lei Fang  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Therapeutic Effects of Traditional Chinese Exercises on Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Zhenrui Li et al. Pain Res Manag. .

Abstract

Background: The number of patients with musculoskeletal pain, which seriously affects people's quality of life, has increased. Traditional Chinese exercises are accepted and practiced to strengthen the body.

Objective: This study aims to explore the efficacy of traditional Chinese exercises for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain.

Methods: A comprehensive search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to traditional Chinese exercises on patients with musculoskeletal pain was completed using PubMed, SinoMed, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang Med Online databases. All RCTs published until February 2021 were considered. Two researchers independently screened the literature according to the predesigned inclusion and exclusion criteria, and data was extracted and assessed for their risk of bias via the Cochrane collaboration tool. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.2 and Rx64 4.0.2 software.

Results: A total of 45 RCT studies with 3178 patients were included. Traditional Chinese exercises were able to effectively alleviate patients with musculoskeletal pain (MD = -1.54, 95% confidence interval (-1.88, -1.19), P < 0.01). Among them, the Yi Jin Jing exercise was superior to other exercises, while Wu Qin Xi showed no significant effects. Besides, traditional Chinese exercises had significant positive effects on the dysfunction and stiffness of the waist and knee joints. Traditional Chinese exercises could effectively relieve the clinical symptoms of patients with musculoskeletal pain. Particularly, the Yi Jin Jing exercise presented the most significant positive effect on pain reduction.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Document screening flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Bias risk assessment of included literature.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Meta-analysis of the comparison of VAS between the traditional Chinese exercise group and the control group.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Subgroup analysis of different VAS comparisons.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Subgroup analysis of the comparison of pain VAS scores of different diseases.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Meta-analysis of the comparison of ODI scores between the traditional Chinese exercise group and the control group.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Meta-analysis of WOMAC pain comparison between the traditional Chinese exercise group and the control group.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Meta-analysis of WOMAC stiffness comparison between the traditional Chinese exercise group and the control group.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Meta-analysis of WOMAC physical function comparison between traditional Chinese exercise group and control group.
Figure 10
Figure 10
The funnel plots of VAS.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Raja S. N., Carr D. B., Cohen M., et al. The revised international association for the Study of Pain definition of pain: concepts, challenges, and compromises. Pain. 2020;161(9):1976–1982. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001939. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Williams A. C. D. C., Craig K. D. Updating the definition of pain. Pain. 2016;157(11):2420–2423. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000613. - DOI - PubMed
    1. May A. Chronic pain may change the structure of the brain. Pain. 2008;137(1):7–15. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2008.02.034. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sessle B. J. The pain crisis: what it is and what can be done. Pain Research and Treatment. 2012;2012:6. doi: 10.1155/2012/703947.703947 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Xu E., Li S. S., Wu C. W., et al. Factors influencing the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. World Latest Medicne Information (Electronic Version) 2019;19(45):114–116.

MeSH terms