This meta-analysis examined whether adding traditional Chinese massage therapy to standard Schroth therapy helps patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Researchers combined data from multiple studies involving a total of 549 patients to compare the combined treatment against Schroth therapy alone. The results showed that patients receiving both therapies had significantly better overall treatment outcomes compared to those receiving only Schroth therapy. Additionally, the combined group showed enhanced scores on the Scoliosis Research Society-22 questionnaire and a greater reduction in Cobb angles, which measures spinal curvature.
The review did not report any adverse events, serious adverse events, discontinuations, or issues with tolerability for the massage therapy. Despite these positive results, there are important reasons to be careful. The analysis was limited by a small number of included studies and concerns about the methodological quality of those studies. Because the level of evidence is very low, these results cannot yet be considered definitive proof of benefit.
Readers should understand that while the combination of therapies appears promising, this information comes from early research with significant limitations. The main takeaway is that traditional Chinese massage therapy combined with Schroth therapy may offer greater clinical benefits than Schroth therapy alone for patients with AIS, but this needs to be confirmed by further validated research before changing standard care practices.