Pediatric massage therapy for treatment of tic disorders in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Wu J, Yang F, Wang Z, Wang L, Tian T, Xue Z, Sun L · Medicine · 2024 March 22

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness and safety of pediatric massage therapy alone or combined with other therapies for treating tic disorders in children.

Conclusions

Pediatric massage therapy is effective in improving tic disorders in children, either alone or in combination with conventional medication.

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Insights

Pediatric massage therapy appears to reduce tic severity in children, whether used alone or alongside conventional medication, without increasing adverse reactions.

Researchers systematically searched major Chinese and international medical databases for randomized controlled trials published through October 2023 that evaluated pediatric massage therapy, alone or combined with other treatments, for childhood tic disorders. They assessed study quality using established Cochrane methods, pooled outcomes through meta-analysis, and examined publication bias using statistical tests. Across the included trials, massage therapy improved overall clinical outcomes and reduced tic severity and traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores compared with control treatments. Reported adverse reactions did not increase among children receiving massage therapy, and the analyses found no evidence of publication bias.