Table 13.
Qigong (氣功 qì gōng) for osteoarthritis of the knee (膝關節炎 xī guān jié yán) (GRADE).
| Number of studies | Design | Limitation | Inconsistency | Indirectness | Imprecision | Publication bias | Other considerations | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain after treatment | ||||||||
| 3 | RCT | Serious limitationa | Serious inconsistencyb | Serious indirectnessb | Serious imprecisionb | Undetected | None | – |
| Function after treatment | ||||||||
| 3 | RCT | Serious limitationa | No serious inconsistencyc | No serious indirectness | No serious imprecision | Undetected | None | Moderate |
a
One study had both unclear random sequence generation and allocation concealment. Two studies had no intention-to-treat analysis.
b
One study did not have pain score but had the WOMAC index that has a subscale of the pain scale. Two studies had decreased pain scale with significant differences.
c
Two studies had improved function without significant differences and one with significant differences.