Tuina for children with myopia: A protocol for a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatrics
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Myopia is a growing concern in children worldwide.
• Early intervention is crucial for managing pediatric myopia.
• Evaluating complementary therapies like Tuina is important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tuina for treating myopia in children.
• To synthesize current evidence on Tuina's impact on visual acuity and refractive error.
• To assess potential adverse effects associated with Tuina therapy.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive search of multiple electronic databases (e.g., Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CNKI) up to July 2019.
• Inclusion of all published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on Tuina for pediatric myopia.
• Data extraction, quality assessment, and analysis using Review Manager (V.5.3.5), including meta-analysis and subgroup analysis.

Main Results:

• The study will provide a high-quality synthesis of evidence regarding Tuina's effects.
• Outcomes will include improvements in distant vision and reduction in myopic diopter.
• Analysis will also cover the safety profile and side effects of Tuina.

Conclusions:

• This review aims to provide robust evidence on the effectiveness and safety of Tuina for children with myopia.
• Findings will inform clinical practice and guide future research in this area.
• The study will clarify Tuina's role as a potential intervention for pediatric myopia management.