Meta-analysis of the clinical efficacy of wax therapy combined with conventional pharmacotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis treatment

doi:10.5246/jcps.2025.03.022

Abstract

Abstract:

This study aimed to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of combining wax therapy with conventional drug therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to provide evidence supporting its clinical application. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane Library, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and VIP databases from their inception to May 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the combination of wax therapy and conventional drug therapy for RA were included in the analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 software. Nine studies, encompassing a total of 843 patients, were included. The results demonstrated that the combination therapy significantly improved clinical efficacy compared to conventional drug therapy alone [RR = 1.22, 95% CI (1.11, 1.34)]. Moreover, the combination therapy led to notable improvements in DAS 28 scores [MD = –0.90, 95% CI (–1.23, –0.57), P < 0.00001], VAS scores [MD = –0.90, 95% CI (–1.13, –0.66), P < 0.00001], reduction in joint tenderness [MD = –1.27, 95% CI (–1.81, –0.72), P < 0.00001], decreased duration of morning stiffness [MD = –25.47, 95% CI (–34.33, –16.61), P < 0.00001], and lowered C-reactive protein levels [MD = –6.29, 95% CI (–12.02, –0.57), P < 0.05]. In conclusion, wax therapy combined with conventional anti-rheumatic drugs significantly enhanced the clinical outcomes for RA patients by alleviating symptoms, reducing joint pain and morning stiffness, and decreasing inflammatory markers more effectively than conventional drug therapy alone.

Key words: Rheumatoid arthritis, Wax therapy, Clinical effects, Meta-analysis

Supporting:

Wangxing Zeng, Qian Deng, Zining Peng, Fanyu Meng, Weitian Yan, Nian Liu, Jiangyun Peng. Meta-analysis of the clinical efficacy of wax therapy combined with conventional pharmacotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis treatment[J]. Journal of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025, 34(3): 284-292.

Figures/Tables 9

Table 1. Presents the fundamental characteristics of the literature included in the study.

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