Table 3.
Pairwise meta-analysis of pain-related disability.
| Comparison | Number | SMD (95% CI) | P | I 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA vs SA | 1 | –0.78 [–1.10, –0.45] | <.0001 | – |
| MA vs WM | 2 | 0.55 [–0.22, 1.31] | .1607 | 59.7% |
| MA vs UC | 4 | –0.40 [–1.13, 0.33] | .2792 | 83.0% |
| EA vs SA | 3 | –0.31 [–0.77, 0.15] | .1815 | 63.3% |
| EA vs NT | 1 | –1.02 [–1.72, –0.32] | .0044 | – |
| EA vs MA | 5 | –2.18 [–3.53, –0.83] | .0016 | 95.6% |
| WA vs MA | 2 | –0.68 [–1.02, –0.34] | <.0001 | 0% |
| WA vs EA | 1 | –0.34 [–0.85, 0.17] | .1968 | – |
| FA vs EA | 1 | –0.60 [–1.12, –0.08] | .0228 | – |
| ACE vs MA | 2 | –0.31 [–0.53, –0.10] | .0046 | 0% |
| SA vs NT | 1 | –0.12 [–0.76, 0.53] | .7199 | – |
ACE = acupoint catgut embedding, CI = confidence interval, EA = electroacupuncture, FA = fire acupuncture, MA = manual acupuncture, NT = no treatment, SA = sham acupuncture, SMD = standardized mean difference, UC = usual care, WA = warm acupuncture, WM = Western medicine.