Should eighteen incompatibilities be used? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the analgesic effect of pinellia and aconitum used externally for cancer pain

Introduction Many clinical formulas containing the couplet Chinese medicines pinellia and aconitum (CMPA) have been recognized and demonstrated analgesic efficacy. However, CMPA belongs to the "eighteen incompatibilities" of traditional Chinese medicine theory, which is considered prohibited and dangerous by some medical practitioners. Whether CMPA can truly be used safely and without concern in the clinic urgently requires a more cohesive …