Effectiveness of musculoskeletal manipulations in patients with neck pain: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Neck pain is a common problem that severely affects physical and mental health. While musculoskeletal manipulations are recommended as the first-line treatment for adults with neck pain, the comparative effectiveness of different musculoskeletal manipulations remains unclear. This systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) will compare the effectiveness of different types of musculoskeletal manipulations, with the overarching aim of guiding clinical practice. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Two independent reviewers will search four English electronic databases (Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed) and three Chinese electronic databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang) for relevant RCTs published from 1 January 2013 to 30 April 2023. The Clinical Trials Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov) will be searched for completed but unpublished RCTs. English and Chinese will be used to search English databases and Chinese databases, respectively. RCTs of musculoskeletal manipulations for adults (aged ≥18 years) with neck pain will be considered eligible for inclusion. A pairwise meta-analysis and network meta-analysis will be performed, and pooled risk ratios, standardised mean differences and 95% CIs will be determined. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval is not required as this study is a literature review. The results of this review will be published in peer-reviewed journals or disseminated at conferences. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023420775.

Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends on Tuina Manipulation for Neck Pain Treatment Over the Past 10 Years.

Tuina is an effective treatment for neck pain (NP). However, there has been no bibliometric analysis of the global application and emerging trends of tuina performed for NP. Therefore, this study aimed to provide an overview of the current state and future trends in the field. Articles about tuina for NP, published from January 1, 2013, to January 1, 2023, were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection database. CiteSpace (6.1.R6) and VOSviewer (1.6.18) software were used to analyze annual trends in literature posts, countries, institutions, authors, cited references, and knowledge graphs of keyword co-occurrence, clustering, and burst using standard bibliometric indicators. The final analysis comprised 505 valid documents. The results demonstrate that the number of articles in the field of tuina therapy for NP has gradually increased over the years, showing the most active countries, institutions, journals, and authors. There were 323 keywords in the field, 322 research authors, and 292 research institutions, with the USA having the most publications (n = 140). The most published institution is Vrije University Amsterdam, and the most published journal is the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Peter R Blanpied is the most influential and most-cited author. Interventions (dry needling, massage therapy, and muscle energy techniques), common treatment sites for NP (upper trapezius), and complications (cervicogenic headache) are the top three frontiers mentioned in the field of tuina research for NP. The bibliometric study showed the current status and trends in clinical research on treating patients with NP using tuina, which may help researchers identify topics of interest and scope for future research in this field.

Traditional Chinese medicine intervention for autism spectrum disorders: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social communication, social interaction, and restrictive or repetitive behaviors. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used in the clinical management of ASD, especially in mainland China, where studies have shown promising efficacy. However, this remains to be further explored and clarified. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of conventional treatment-based TCM interventions for ASD. METHOD: The study will be conducted from January 2022, and the following electronic databases will be searched: China Biological Medicine Database, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, Wan Fang database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, and EMBASE Database. Only randomized controlled trials of TCM interventions for ASD will be included. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale, Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, and Childhood Autism Rating Scale will be the primary outcome indicators. The methodological quality of this Bayesian-based network meta-analysis will be performed using the "Risk of Bias" tool. Stata 14.0 and WinBUGS 1.4.3 will be used to analyze the data. In addition, assessment of heterogeneity, inconsistency, subgroups, sensitivity, and publication bias will be conducted using the Cochrane Collaboration's tools. RESULTS: The results of this study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CONCLUSION: This study will help patients recover better, provide clinical evidence for practitioners, and promote the use of TCM in ASD interventions.