A systematic review of Tuina for women with primary dysmenorrhea: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) occurs most often in adolescent girls. Tuina, a kind of Chinese massage, can effectively relieve women's pain and is widely used in clinical practice. However, there is no relevant systematic review show its effectiveness and safety. The study aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of Tuina for PD. METHODS: The following electronic databases will be searched from the respective dates of database inception to September 1st, 2021: The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, Springer, MEDLINE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, the Chinese Scientific Journal Database, Wanfang database, and other sources. RESULTS: This study will provide a high quality comprehensive and/or descriptive analysis of existing evidence on Tuina therapy for PD. CONCLUSION: This study will provide the evidence of whether Tuina is an effective and safe intervention for women with PD. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021257392.