SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Orthopedics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1502741
Traditional Chinese Medicine for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Physical Education and Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- 2Sichuan Provincial Ba-Yi Rehabilitation Center Chengdu ,Sichuan Province，China,631000;And Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Chengdu university of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Chengdu ,Sichuan, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- 3Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- 4Longjing Middle School, Renhuai City, Guizhou province, Renhuai City, China
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To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) interventions-such as spinal manipulation, Daoyin exercises, acupuncture, and massage-in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis, and to summarize structured treatment regimens for clinical reference.A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang databases from inception to March 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing TCM with conventional treatments in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were included.TCM interventions-ranging from spinal manipulation and Daoyin corrective exercises to acupuncture and massage-were delivered 2-5 times per week over 4 to 12 weeks. Meta-analysis showed a significant reduction in Cobb angle (MD = -5.68, 95% CI: -7.13 to -4.23, p < 0.001) and increased total effectiveness (OR = 4.85, 95% CI: 3.13 to 7.53, p < 0.001). Egger's test and funnel plots showed no major publication bias. Subgroup analysis indicated consistent outcomes across different TCM techniques. This meta-analysis demonstrates that TCM interventions-particularly spinal manipulation, Daoyin exercises, acupuncture, and massage-are effective in improving both structural and clinical outcomes in AIS. A practical regimen of manual therapy (2-3 times/week), daily Daoyin exercise, and supportive acupuncture and massage over 12 weeks offers a safe, non-invasive alternative to bracing or surgery, with high patient compliance
Keywords: Traditional Chinese Medicine ( TCM ), Adolescent scoliosis, non-surgical treatment, Spinal deformity, Complementary therapy
Received: 29 Sep 2024; Accepted: 31 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, He, Zhou and He. 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: Peng Li, School of Physical Education and Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.