Zeng 2003.

Study characteristics
Methods	RCT, parallel
Participants	N = 60 Age range: 38‐71 Sex: 42 males Shoulder‐hand syndrome following stroke Diagnostic criteria not reported Duration of symptoms; described as "in the early stages of SHS complicated with paralysis" Previous treatment not specified Mean baseline pain, 0‐10 VRS (SD): SGB + rehab group: 6.95 (3.24) Rehab‐only group: 6.85 (3.24) Medico‐legal factors: not reported Concomitant treatments: not reported
Interventions	Stellate ganglion block + rehabilitation versus rehabilitation only SGB: anterior entry, transverse process of C7, agent, dose not reported Rehabiliation details: reports "comprehensive treatment" eliminating causes of oedema, avoid weight loading of limb, avoid limb trauma, remove factors causing shoulder pain, movement exercises, joint mobilisations, ice therapy, physical therapy
Outcomes	Pain VAS (0 = no pain, 2 = little pain, 4 = frequent mild pain or occasional severe pain, 6 = severe pain but tolerable, 8 = continuous pain and intolerable, 10 = severe pain that couldn't be touched). Pain was measured before treatment, at 10 days and 20 days post‐treatment
Country of origin	China
Study aim	Effect of stellate ganglion is observed on base of comprehensive rehabilitation treatment (sic)
Notes	No statement of financial support or conflict of interest; adverse events not reported
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Quote: "randomly divided into two groups" Comment: method of randomisation not reported
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Allocation concealment not reported
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Index and control groups are not indistinguishable and success of blinding was not tested
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	Participant‐rated outcomes; participants not blinded (as above)
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	No drop‐outs
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	All prespecified outcomes adequately reported on
Adequate sample size?	High risk	N = 60 (30 in each group)
Adequate duration of follow‐up?	Unclear risk	20 days follow‐up
Free of other bias?	Low risk	Quote: "All patients were in early stage of SHS complicated with paralysis"; "there weren't statistical differences at age, sex, rehabilitation kind" Comments: no difference between groups in age, sex, rehabilitation and duration of symptoms; outcome assessment timing identical

ARR: absolute risk reduction; BTA: botulinum toxin A; CIBP: continuous infraclavicular brachial plexus block; CRPS: complex regional pain syndrome; CSG: continuous stellate ganglion block; IASP: International Association for the Study of Pain;IV: intravenous; IVRB: intravenous regional blockade; LASB: local anaesthetic sympathetic blockade; NNTB: number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome; PRF: pulsed radiofrequency; RCT: randomised controlled trial; RSD: reflex sympathetic dystrophy; SD: standard deviation; SE: standard error; SF‐36: 36‐item short‐form health survey; SGB: stellate ganglion blockade; SMP: sympathetically maintained pain; VAS: visual analogue scale; VRS: verbal report scale.