Study	Reason for exclusion
Cao 2013	Control treatment (Celebrex) did not met the inclusion criteria.
Carvalho 2013	Quasi‐randomised (assigned alternately).
Chen 2011	Control treatment (Celebrex) did not met the inclusion criteria.
Gu 2008	Control treatment did not met the inclusion criteria (eight methods of intelligent turtle combined with point selection treatment based on syndrome differentiation versus point selection treatment based on syndrome differentiation)
Hong 2002	Quasi‐randomised (by the visiting sequence).
Hu 2010	Control treatment (Xiaoyao Pill) did not met the inclusion criteria.
Jiang 2005	Quasi‐randomised (by the visiting sequence).
Koleini 2017	Control treatment (vitamin B6) did not meet the inclusion criteria.
Li 2004	Not randomised, no control group.
Li 2008	Not randomised, no control group.
Li 2014	Control treatment (Xiaoyao Pill) did not met the inclusion criteria.
Sun 2004	Quasi‐randomised (by the visiting sequence). Control treatment was comprehensive treatment method (medroxyprogesterone acetate and diazepam).
Sun 2008	Control treatment (ibuprofen) did not met the inclusion criteria.
Wang 2003	Not randomised, no control group.
Xu 2006a	Control treatment was comprehensive treatment method (medroxyprogesterone acetate and diazepam).
Xu 2006b	Control treatment was comprehensive treatment method (medroxyprogesterone acetate and diazepam).
Xu 2011	Control treatment was comprehensive treatment method (Vitamin B1 and Oryzanol and Xiaoyao Pills).
Zhang 1994	Control treatment was comprehensive treatment method (Ciwujia Injection combined with diazepam and Xiaoyao Pills).
Zhao 2012	Control treatment did not met the inclusion criteria (fire‐needles versus ordinary needles).
Zheng 2001	Control treatment (vitamin B6) did not meet inclusion criteria.