Abstract
Background:Starting in December 2019 in Wuhan (Hubei province, China), a novel coronavirus, designated SARS-CoV-2, has caused an international outbreak of a respiratory illness and rapidly evolved into a pandemic.Given the rapidly growing pandemic and the overwhelmedmedical system, the number of self‐quarantined and recovering patients is increasing.There is an urgentneed of alternative medicine to help patients relieve symptoms duringself‐quarantine, and possibly to help increase their chances of survivaland recovery from COVID-19.Massage (tuina) therapy is one of the widely employed complementary and alternative medicine interventions in the world.Long-term clinicalpractices and experiences have shown that massage therapy could significantly contribute to the healing of most respiratory conditions and lung disease.This systematic review and meta-analysis will summarize the current evidence of tuina (massage) used as an intervention for pulmonary function in COVID-19 recovering patients.Methods:We will search the following electronic databases for randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of massage therapy inimproving pulmonary function ofCOVID-19 recovering patients: Wanfang and Pubmed Database, CNKI, CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE and MEDLINE. Each database will be searched from inception to June 2020. The entire process will include study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment and meta-analyses.Discussion:This proposed systematic review will evaluate the existing evidence and explore the potential roleof massage therapyon the effectiveness and safety in pulmonary function of COVID-19 recovering patients.The outcomes will include the improvement of pulmonary function and adverse effect.PROSPERO registration number:CRD42020192107
Massage Therapy for Pulmonary Function in Patients Recovering From Covid-19: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
