SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Med.
Sec. Rheumatology
Efficacy and safety evaluation of massage combined with traction for lumbar disc herniation: a meta-analysis
Baoli Zhao 1
Qi Zhao 2
Yin Jing 1
Hongdong Wang 1
Xiaohong Wu 1
Liyong Liu 1
Gang Bai 1
Junjie Li 1
1. Beijing Electric Power Hospital, Beijing, China
2. Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China
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Abstract
Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed that tuina combined with traction significantly improved clinical outcomes compared with control interventions, including JOA scores (OR = 4.56, 95% CI: 2.76–6.36, P < 0.00001), VAS scores (OR = −1.47, 95% CI: −2.40 to −0.55, P = 0.0002), ODI scores (OR = −12.73, 95% CI: −23.88 to −1.59, P = 0.03), and lumbar posterior extension scores (exploratory results based on two studies) (OR = 6.51, 95% CI: 3.57–9.46, P < 0.0001). No significant difference was observed for forward bending motion scores. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the pooled estimates, while funnel plots suggested potential publication bias.
Summary
Keywords
Lumbar disc herniation, Massage, Meta-analysis, Traction, Tuina
Received
08 December 2025
Accepted
03 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Zhao, Zhao, Jing, Wang, Wu, Liu, Bai and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Junjie Li
Disclaimer
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