Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27484765›Full record

SynthesisChinese journal of integrative medicine2017

Is manipulative therapy clinically necessary for relief of neck pain? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Min Yao, Yue-Li Sun, Rong-Liang Dun, Tian-Ying Lan, Jin-Long Li, Hyo Jin Lee, Noriko Haraguchi, Yong-Jun Wang, Xue-Jun Cui

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Chinese journal of integrative medicine, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Manual physical therapy for neck disorders: an umbrella review.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Min YaoInstitute of Spine Disease, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Yue-Li SunInstitute of Spine Disease, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Rong-Liang DunYueyang College of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200403, China.
Tian-Ying LanShuguang College of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
Jin-Long LiInstitute of Spine Disease, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Hyo Jin LeeLonghua College of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Noriko HaraguchiShuguang College of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
Yong-Jun WangInstitute of Spine Disease, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Xue-Jun CuiInstitute of Spine Disease, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China. 13917715524@139.com.
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CNLonghua Hospital Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo summarize and critically assess the effificacy of Eastern and Western manipulative therapies for the treatment of neck pain in adults.

methodsA search of PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, EMBASE, etc. from their inception date to January 2014 with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean databases. Two reviewers independently selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with negative control or blank control, extracted data and assessed methodological quality. Meta-analysis and levels of evidence were performed by Revman5.1 and Grades of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

resultsNineteen clinical trials with adequate randomization were included in this review, 11 of them had a low risk of bias. The primary outcome for short-term pain had no significant differences, however, the secondary outcome, only the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) score of intermediate-term [n=916, pooled mean differences (MD) =-0.29, P=0.02], the Neck Disability Index (NDI) score of short-term (n=1,145, pooled MD=-2.10, P<0.01), and intermediate-term (n=987, pooled MD=-1.45, P=0.01) were signifificantly reduced with moderate quality evidence. However, it supported the minimally clinically important difference (MCID) of the Visual Analogue Scale and NPRS pain score to be 13 mm, while NDI was 3.5 points. The meta-analysis only suggested a trend in favor of manipulative therapy rather than clinical signifificance.

conclusionsThe results do not support the existing evidences for the clinical value of Eastern or Western manipulative therapy for neck pain of short-term follow-up according to MCIDs. The limitations of our review related to blinding, allocation concealment and small sample size.

Indexed as

Musculoskeletal ManipulationsCosts and Cost AnalysisDisability EvaluationHumansNeck PainPublication BiasTreatment Outcomemanipulative therapymeta-analysisminimally clinically important differenceneck painsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID27484765
OpenAlexW2481167202

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.