SynthesisMedicine2016
The effectiveness of complementary manual therapies for pregnancy-related back and pelvic pain: A systematic review with meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06340126 (Effects of Active Tissue Release Techniques on Groin Pain, Hip Range of Motion, and Functional Disability in 2nd Trimester of Pregnancy), which is not on this map. Cited by 26 papers, 5 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 Active Tissue Release Techniques on Groin Pain, Hip Range of Motion, and Functional Disability in 2nd Trimester of Pregnancy
Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- Interventions to improve the psychosocial outcomes of individuals with lymphedema: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of breathing exercise on the duration of labour: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of global health · 2023Pooled it
- Outcomes and outcomes measurements used in intervention studies of pelvic girdle pain and lumbopelvic pain: a systematic review.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2019Pooled it
- The risk associated with spinal manipulation: an overview of reviews.Systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Effectiveness of conservative therapy on pain, disability and quality of life for low back pain in pregnancy: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Brazilian journal of physical therapyPooled it
- The Benefits of an Integral HAMMAM Experience Combining Hydrotherapy and Swedish Massage on Pain, Subjective Well-Being and Quality of Life in Women with Endometriosis-Related Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Trial
- Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy for the treatment of primary dysmenorrheal.Medicine · 2017Trial
- Managing Musculoskeletal Pain Through Targeted Therapeutic Massage During Pregnancy: A Case Report.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2026Article
- The association between sleep trajectories throughout pregnancy and postpartum pain in individuals with overweight or obesity: A prospective cohort study.Journal of psychosomatic research · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of Hypnobirthing, Music therapy and Combined Intervention in Reducing Low Back Pain Among Third-Trimester Pregnant Women: A Quasi-Experimental Study.F1000Research · 2025Article
- The Effectiveness of Massage in Managing Pregnant Women with Pelvic Girdle Pain: a Randomised Controlled Crossover Feasibility Study.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2023Article
- Review
- Review
- Delivery of Complementary and Integrative Health Using Virtual Health Resources: A Scoping Review.Journal of integrative and complementary medicine · 2022Article
- Physical therapists' experiences and perceptions of antepartum and postpartum care.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Article
- Common Pregnancy Complaints Can Lead to Motor Vehicle Collisions or Near-Miss Incidents.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Effects, Side Effects and Contraindications of Relaxation Massage during Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Review
- Adverse events from spinal manipulations in the pregnant and postpartum periods: a systematic review and update.The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association · 2021Article
- Objectivation of an Educational Model in Cranial Osteopathy Based on Experience.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2021Article
- The Challenges and Perspectives of the Integration Between Virtual and Augmented Reality and Manual Therapies.Frontiers in neurology · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLow back pain and pelvic girth pain are common in pregnancy and women commonly utilize complementary manual therapies such as massage, spinal manipulation, chiropractic, and osteopathy to manage their symptoms.
objectiveThe aim of this systematically review was to critically appraise and synthesize the best available evidence regarding the effectiveness of manual therapies for managing pregnancy-related low back and pelvic pain.
methodsSeven databases were searched from their inception until April 2015 for randomized controlled trials. Studies investigating the effectiveness of massage and chiropractic and osteopathic therapies were included. The study population was pregnant women of any age and at any time during the antenatal period. Study selection, data extraction, and assessment of risk of bias were conducted by 2 reviewers independently, using the Cochrane tool. Separate meta-analyses were conducted to compare manual therapies to different control interventions.
resultsOut of 348 nonduplicate records, 11 articles reporting on 10 studies on a total of 1198 pregnant women were included in this meta-analysis. The therapeutic interventions predominantly involved massage and osteopathic manipulative therapy. Meta-analyses found positive effects for manual therapy on pain intensity when compared to usual care and relaxation but not when compared to sham interventions. Acceptability did not differ between manual therapy and usual care or sham interventions.
conclusionsThere is currently limited evidence to support the use of complementary manual therapies as an option for managing low back and pelvic pain during pregnancy. Considering the lack of effect compared to sham interventions, further high-quality research is needed to determine causal effects, the influence of the therapist on the perceived effectiveness of treatments, and adequate dose-response of complementary manual therapies on low back and pelvic pain outcomes during pregnancy.
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.