Table 3.
Characteristics of Cochrane Reviews of Moxibustion and T'ai Chi
| Review title, author, and date | Author conclusionsa | Trials(N) | Participants(N) | Trials with allocation concealment(N)(%) | Forest plots(N) | Meta-analyses(N) | Significant meta-analyses(N)(%) | Significant meta-analytic outcomes in reviews suggesting intervention benefitsb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cephalic version by moxibustion for breech presentation. Coyle et al., 200585 | A | 3 | 597 | 2 (67) | 12 | 0 | N/A | N/A |
| T'ai chi for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Han et al., 200486 | A | 4 | 206 | 0 (0) | 16 | 6 | 1 (17) | Withdrawals overallc |
A = abstract conclusions statement indicated a suggestion of benefit, which was qualified by a caveat about the poor quality and quantity of included studies and B = abstract conclusions statement indicated that the currently available data do not allow any conclusions to be drawn.
Outcomes are reported only for reviews that (1) include a significant meta-analysis and (2) for which the authors' abstract conclusions statement indicated a suggestion of benefit.
Findings of benefit of treatment were based upon improvements in lower limb flexion identified in a single trial and therefore no meta-analysis on this outcome was conducted. Fewer withdrawals from treatment in the t'ai chi group were reported by authors to be possibly due to greater enjoyment and perceived benefit by t'ai chi participants.