SynthesisPloS one2014
Massage therapy for fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02864524 (Effects of Manipulative Therapy in the Lower Thoracic and Cervical Spine in Subjects With Fibromyalgia Syndrome), which is not on this map. Cited by 34 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effects of Manipulative Therapy in the Lower Thoracic and Cervical Spine in Subjects With Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 108 citations in OpenAlex.
- Brazilian Society of Rheumatology's fibromyalgia treatment guidelines - part I: monitoring and non-pharmacological management.Advances in rheumatology (London, England) · 2026Guideline
- Interventions for Depressive Symptoms in People Living with Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses.Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2022Pooled it
- Massage and touch-based therapy : Clinical evidence, neurobiology and applications in older patients with psychiatric symptoms.Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie · 2021Pooled it
- Association of Therapies With Reduced Pain and Improved Quality of Life in Patients With Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA internal medicine · 2021Pooled it
- Functional Somatic Symptoms.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2019Pooled it
- Massage for Pain: An Evidence Map.Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2019Pooled it
- [Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy in fibromyalgia syndrome : Updated guidelines 2017 and overview of systematic review articles].Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2017Pooled it
- Short-Term Tensiomyography Responses of the Vastus Medialis to Percussive Massage Therapy with Different Frequency-Duration Combinations.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- A Mindbody Approach to Long-standing Fatigue: A Case Report on Emotional Somatic Release Using HeartSpeak Lite for BodyWork.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2026Article
- Through Massage to the Brain-Neuronal and Neuroplastic Mechanisms of Massage Based on Various Neuroimaging Techniques (EEG, fMRI, and fNIRS).Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Evolving Concepts in the Diagnosis and Management of Fibromyalgia: A Moving Target.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Acupressure attenuates fibromyalgia central sensitization via MAPK phosphorylation-mediated neuroinflammation regulation.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Article
- Impact of Manual Therapy on Plantar Pressures in Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Single-Arm, Non-Randomized Pilot Clinical Trial.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- A Comprehensive Analysis of Fibromyalgia and the Role of the Endogenous Opioid System.Biomedicines · 2025Review
- Using Natural Language Processing and Social Media Data to Understand the Lived Experience of People with Fibromyalgia.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- The Hedonic Experience Associated with a Gentle Touch Is Preserved in Women with Fibromyalgia.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Manual Therapy Improves Fibromyalgia Symptoms by DownregulatingInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2024Observational
- Effectiveness of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Network Meta-Analysis.Journal of pain research · 2024Review
- Beyond the Pain: A Systematic Narrative Review of the Latest Advancements in Fibromyalgia Treatment.Cureus · 2023Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAlthough some studies evaluated the effectiveness of massage therapy for fibromyalgia (FM), the role of massage therapy in the management of FM remained controversial.
objectiveThe purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the evidence of massage therapy for patients with FM.
methodsElectronic databases (up to June 2013) were searched to identify relevant studies. The main outcome measures were pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. Two reviewers independently abstracted data and appraised risk of bias. The risk of bias of eligible studies was assessed based on Cochrane tools. Standardised mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by more conservative random-effects model. And heterogeneity was assessed based on the I(2) statistic.
resultsNine randomized controlled trials involving 404 patients met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analyses showed that massage therapy with duration ≥ 5 weeks significantly improved pain (SMD, 0.62; 95% CI 0.05 to 1.20; p = 0.03), anxiety (SMD, 0.44; 95% CI 0.09 to 0.78; p = 0.01), and depression (SMD, 0.49; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.84; p = 0.005) in patients with FM, but not on sleep disturbance (SMD, 0.19; 95% CI -0.38 to 0.75; p = 0.52).
conclusionMassage therapy with duration ≥ 5 weeks had beneficial immediate effects on improving pain, anxiety, and depression in patients with FM. Massage therapy should be one of the viable complementary and alternative treatments for FM. However, given fewer eligible studies in subgroup meta-analyses and no evidence on follow-up effects, large-scale randomized controlled trials with long follow-up are warrant to confirm the current findings.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.