Chinese Herbal Medicine for Cervicogenic Dizziness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) have been widely used in the treatment of cervicogenic dizziness (CGD) based on their empirical effectiveness and safety. Herein, we reviewed and evaluated the clinical evidence of the efficacy and safety of CHMs for CGD. METHODS: Among the relevant studies published in 11 electronic databases up to December 2021, only randomised controlled trials were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials, and the strength of evidence for the main outcomes was evaluated using the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation system. RESULTS: All 35 included randomised controlled trials with 3,862 participants were conducted with six types of modified CHM and four types of active controls. More than half of the included studies were of low quality because of the high risk of bias due to deviations from intended interventions. CHM plus active control was more effective in the treatment of CGD than active control alone. CHM plus anti-vertigo drugs, CHM plus manual therapy, CHM plus acupuncture therapy, and CHM plus manual and acupuncture therapy were all effective in treating CGD, with CHM plus manual and acupuncture therapy showing the most reliable effect. All CHMs were effective for specific patterns of CGD when administered with active controls, with Dingxuan Tang and Yiqi Congming Tang demonstrating the most reliable effects. No serious adverse events were reported in any of the included studies. CONCLUSION: The current evidence suggests that CHM may enhance the treatment of CGD when combined with other treatments without serious adverse events. Further high-quality evidence is needed to draw definitive conclusions.