Tuina combined with other therapies for treating insomnia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
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By
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Zihang Tong
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Shun Fan
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Yusheng Li
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Qiaoling Chen
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Huanan Li
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Jingui Wang
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May 28, 2026
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Objective:
To compare the impacts of various Tuina-based combination therapies on patients with confirmed insomnia.
Key Findings:
- Thirty-four RCTs comprising 2,663 subjects were included, assessing 12 distinct Tuina-based combined interventions.
- Tuina+breath guiding+acupoint application, Tuina+music, and Tuina+foot bath showed significant improvement in total effective rate compared to oral medication (P < 0.05).
- For PSQI score improvement, Tuina+breath guiding+acupoint application, Tuina+music, Tuina+foot bath, and Tuina+acupuncture were significantly better than oral medication (P < 0.05).
- Tuina+acupoint application exhibited the lowest rate of adverse events, but this finding was based on limited evidence.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
- Most evidence quality was assessed as low or very low.
- Sparse evidence network limits definitive conclusions on safety.
Conclusion:
Further verification through high-quality RCTs is needed.
