SynthesisPloS one2019
The effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions on pain and quality of life in adults with persistent post-surgical pain compared to usual care: A systematic review.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A systematic review of physical activity-based interventions to prevent or reduce chronic post-surgical pain.Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2026Pooled it
- Use of commercially available wearable devices for physical rehabilitation in healthcare: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2024Pooled it
- Patient experience after pelvic exenteration: chronic pain and quality of life.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Article
- [Pain therapy in urology-overview of current S3 guideline recommendations].Urologie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2024Review
- Acute Pain Services and pain-related patient-reported outcomes in Hungarian hospitals.Perioperative medicine (London, England) · 2024Article
- Ways to improve surgical outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2022Article
- Association of Occupational and Physical Therapy With Duration of Prescription Opioid Use After Hip or Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Medicare Enrollees.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation · 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
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPersistent post-surgical pain (PPSP) is a common condition following surgery, resulting in persistent pain and reduced quality of life (QoL). While pharmacological management is common, its effectiveness remains equivocal. This systematic review investigated the effectiveness of physiotherapy management in adults with PPSP in comparison to usual care.
methodsA systematic search of six electronic databases was conducted. Studies of human adults (>18 years) with PPSP localised or directly referred from the surgical site, pain persisting for at least two months post-surgery and with physiotherapy as the intervention were included. This review was conducted and reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The McMaster critical review form for quantitative studies was utilised to assess the methodological quality. A descriptive synthesis was undertaken due to the heterogeneity of the included studies.
resultsOf the 1395 articles that were screened, eight studies met the inclusion criteria. A diverse range of physiotherapy interventions were utilised, and effectiveness was measured through diverse outcomes and measures. Summarised findings from the heterogenous evidence base indicated that physiotherapy interventions for PPSP has a positive impact across a range of outcomes, including pain, quality of life (QoL), physical function and depression. While these are encouraging findings, the current evidence base lacks uniformity with regards to participant characteristics, time periods since diagnosis, interventions delivered, and its parameters, and outcomes measured.
conclusionDue to ongoing challenges in the management of PPSP, alternate treatment strategies such as physiotherapy are being trialled. Despite a number of methodological constraints, current evidence indicates that physiotherapy could play a role in the management of PPSP. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42019129580.
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