ArticleThe Journal of manual & manipulative therapy2014
The efficacy of manual therapy and exercise for different stages of non-specific low back pain: an update of systematic reviews.
Article in The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 36 papers, 4 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.
A Randomized Controlled Double Blind Study on the Pragmatic Application of a Clinical Prediction Rule in Primary Care to Treat Low Back Pain Patients With a Brief Spinal Manipulation Intervention: a Validation Study
Additional Effect of Pain Neuroscience Education to Spinal Manipulative Therapy on Pain And Disability in Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Who cites it
36 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 118 citations in OpenAlex.
- Application of variance ratios to assess heterogeneity of spinal manipulative therapy for chronic low back pain: A meta-epidemiological study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation · 2026Pooled it
- Exercise Therapy Versus Manual Therapy for the Management of Pain Intensity, Disability, and Physical Function in People With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of exercise therapy in patients with acute low back pain: a systematic review of systematic reviews.Systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- The efficacy of manual therapy and exercise for treating non-specific neck pain: A systematic review.Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation · 2017Pooled it
- Lipid and metabolic alteration involvement in physiotherapy for chronic nonspecific low back pain.Lipids in health and disease · 2022Trial
- The effect of spinal manipulation on brain neurometabolites in chronic nonspecific low back pain patients: a randomized clinical trial.Irish journal of medical science · 2020Trial
- A randomized clinical trial comparing non-thrust manipulation with segmental and distal dry needling on pain, disability, and rate of recovery for patients with non-specific low back pain.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2019Trial
- Manual therapy applied by general practitioners for nonspecific low back pain: results of the ManRück pilot-study.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2018Trial
- Comparison of Kaltenborn-Evjenth, McKenzie, and HVLA Manipulation Techniques in the Treatment of Lumbar Spine Pain: A Review of the Literature.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Physiotherapy Reduces Pain and Alters Fatty Acid Biomarkers in Women with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain.International journal of women's health · 2025Article
- Neuroplastic Responses to Chiropractic Care: Broad Impacts on Pain, Mood, Sleep, and Quality of Life.Brain sciences · 2024Article
- Article
- The coping strategies employed by individuals with chronic low back pain: secondary qualitative analysis of data from diverse adult populations in two sub-Saharan African countries.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2024Article
- Effects of the Addition of Hands-on Procedures to McKenzie Exercises on Pain, Functional Disability and Back Mobility in Patients with Low Back Pain: A Randomised Clinical Trial.The Malaysian journal of medical sciences : MJMS · 2023Article
- Mid-term Effect of Lumbar Sustained Natural Apophyseal Glides in Patients with Non-specific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.The Eurasian journal of medicine · 2023Article
- An Updated Overview of Low Back Pain Management.Asian spine journal · 2022Article
- Influence of Stabilization Techniques Used in the Treatment of Low Back Pain on the Level of Kinesiophobia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Exploring expectations and perceptions of different manual therapy techniques in chronic low back pain: a qualitative study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2021Article
- Clinical Effectiveness and Efficacy of Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation for Spine Pain.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Knowledge and Practices of Back Care, Experience in Colombian Children.Global pediatric health · 2021Article
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 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveto review and update the evidence for different forms of manual therapy (MT) for patients with different stages of non-specific low back pain (LBP). DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Cochrane-Register-of-Controlled-Trials, PEDro, EMBASE.
methodA systematic review of MT with a literature search covering the period of January 2000 to April 2013 was conducted by two independent reviewers according to Cochrane and PRISMA guidelines. A total of 360 studies were evaluated using qualitative criteria. Two stages of LBP were categorized; combined acute-subacute and chronic. Further sub-classification was made according to MT intervention: MT1 (manipulation); MT2 (mobilization and soft-tissue-techniques); and MT3 (MT1 combined with MT2). In each sub-category, MT could be combined or not with exercise or usual medical care (UMC). Consequently, quantitative evaluation criteria were applied to 56 eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and hence 23 low-risk of bias RCTs were identified for review. Only studies providing new updated information (11/23 RCTs) are presented here.
resultsAcute-subacute LBP: STRONG-evidence in favour of MT1 when compared to sham for pain, function and health improvements in the short-term (1-3 months). MODERATE-evidence to support MT1 and MT3 combined with UMC in comparison to UMC alone for pain, function and health improvements in the short-term. Chronic LBP: MODERATE to STRONG-evidence in favour of MT1 in comparison to sham for pain, function and overall-health in the short-term. MODERATE-evidence in favour of MT3 combined with exercise or UMC in comparison to exercise and back-school was established for pain, function and quality-of-life in the short and long-term. LIMITED-evidence in favour of MT2 combined with exercise and UMC in comparison to UMC alone for pain and function from short to long-term. LIMITED-evidence of no effect for MT1 with extension-exercise compared to extension-exercise alone for pain in the short to long-term.
conclusionThis systematic review updates the evidence for MT with exercise or UMC for different stages of LBP and provides recommendations for future studies.
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.