Table 7_Comparative effectiveness of non-invasive interventions for stage I post-stroke shoulder–hand syndrome: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.xlsx

Background<p>To compare the effectiveness of non-invasive interventions for pain, upper-limb motor function, and activities of daily living in patients with stage I post-stroke shoulder–hand syndrome (SHS) using network meta-analysis.</p>Methods<p>Randomized controlled trials evaluating non-invasive interventions for stage I SHS were systematically retrieved. Outcomes included visual analogue scale (VAS), Fugl–Meyer Assessment–Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), and Barthel Index (BI).

Mean differences (MDs) or standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated, and surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) values were calculated.</p>Results<p>Thirty-six RCTs involving 2,769 participants were included. The VAS, FMA-UE, and BI networks included 24, 28, and 18 RCTs, respectively. Compared with conventional treatment (CT), VAS scores were significantly reduced by kinesiology taping (KT) (MD = −1.95, 95% CI − 2.85 to −1.05), air pressure therapy (AT) (MD = −2.30, −4.31 to −0.29), Traditional Chinese Medicine External Herbal Therapy (TCM-EHT) (MD = −1.36, −2.08 to −0.64), Traditional Chinese Medicine External Physical Stimulation (TCM-EPS) (MD = −1.43, −2.36 to −0.50), and moxibustion (MD = −1.52, −2.53 to −0.51).