Therapeutic effect and safety of Tuina on sciatica: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis(∗)

BACKGROUND: Sciatica is one of the common pain symptoms in the human body, also known as radiating leg pain. Sciatica is increasingly occurring due to poor posture and lack of physical exercise all over the world. At present, many studies have indicated that Tuina can improve the clinical symptoms and functional status of sciatica. However, there is currently no relevant systematic review to evaluate and report this clinical scientific issue. Consequently, this study will conduct a meta-analysis on the effectiveness and safety of Tuina therapy for sciatica. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to Tuina treatment of sciatica will be retrieved from the Chinese and English databases and Clinical Trial Register. These databases include China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Medline, etc. We will consider articles published in English or Chinese between database initiation and October 2021. Our team will use Review Manager Software 5.3 software provided by the Cochrane Collaborative Network to conduct this systematic review and meta-analysis. RESULTS: This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of Tuina therapy for sciatica. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of our study will provide scientific evidence and reference to determine whether Tuina is an effective and safe intervention for patients with sciatica. REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2021100034.