SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2019
Craniosacral therapy for chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 20 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.
Effectiveness of Spinal Manipulation in Addition to Standard Pharmacological Treatment in Fibromyalgia : A Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial
Early Craniosacral and Primitive Reflex Assessment in Infant Neurodevelopment.
Early Craniosacral Therapy Improves Infant Neurodevelopment in Apparently Healthy Children.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 148 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of osteopathic craniosacral techniques: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of mindfulness-based mind-body therapies in patients with non-specific low back pain-A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2023Pooled it
- The effect of cranial techniques on the heart rate variability response to psychological stress test in firefighter cadets.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- Feasibility and Acceptability of Craniosacral Therapy and Respiratory Training in Mothers of Children with Disabilities: Protocol for a Three-Arm Non-Randomized Controlled Pilot and Feasibility Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Immediate Effect of Craniosacral Therapy on Postpartum Neck Pain-An Experimental Study.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2026Article
- Comparison of Craniosacral Therapy and Myofascial Relaxation Techniques in People with Migraine Headache: A Randomized Controlled Study.Journal of chiropractic medicine · 2024Article
- Review
- Is Craniosacral Therapy Effective? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Integrated management of osteopathy and rehabilitation for complex regional pain syndrome: A case report.SAGE open medical case reports · 2024Article
- Neurophysiology, Neuro-Immune Interactions, and Mechanobiology in Osteopathy in the Cranial Field: An Evidence-Informed Perspective for a Scientific Rationale.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- The Effect of Craniosacral Therapy on Blood Levels of Stress Hormones in Male Firefighter Cadets: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Feasibility and Efficacy of Craniosacral Therapy on Sleep Quality in Fibromyalgia Syndrome: a Pre-Post Pilot Trial.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2023Article
- Outpatient Approach to Resistant and Refractory Migraine in Children and Adolescents: a Narrative Review.Current neurology and neuroscience reports · 2022Review
- Potential Add-On Effects of Manual Therapy Techniques in Migraine Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Fascial Nomenclature: Update 2022.Cureus · 2022Review
- A study of 285 cases of cranial vault suture closure in Chinese adults.Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA · 2022Article
- Effect of a Craniosacral Therapy Protocol in People with Migraine: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Image Features of Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Evaluating Poor Emotion and Sleep Quality in Patients with Chronic Pain under Artificial Intelligence Algorithm.Contrast media & molecular imaging · 2022Article
- Osteopathy and Mental Health: An Embodied, Predictive, and Interoceptive Framework.Frontiers in psychology · 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
5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo systematically assess the evidence of Craniosacral Therapy (CST) for the treatment of chronic pain.
methodsPubMed, Central, Scopus, PsycInfo and Cinahl were searched up to August 2018. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of CST in chronic pain patients were eligible. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for pain intensity and functional disability (primary outcomes) using Hedges' correction for small samples. Secondary outcomes included physical/mental quality of life, global improvement, and safety. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool.
resultsTen RCTs of 681 patients with neck and back pain, migraine, headache, fibromyalgia, epicondylitis, and pelvic girdle pain were included. CST showed greater post intervention effects on: pain intensity (SMD = -0.32, 95%CI = [- 0.61,-0.02]) and disability (SMD = -0.58, 95%CI = [- 0.92,-0.24]) compared to treatment as usual; on pain intensity (SMD = -0.63, 95%CI = [- 0.90,-0.37]) and disability (SMD = -0.54, 95%CI = [- 0.81,-0.28]) compared to manual/non-manual sham; and on pain intensity (SMD = -0.53, 95%CI = [- 0.89,-0.16]) and disability (SMD = -0.58, 95%CI = [- 0.95,-0.21]) compared to active manual treatments. At six months, CST showed greater effects on pain intensity (SMD = -0.59, 95%CI = [- 0.99,-0.19]) and disability (SMD = -0.53, 95%CI = [- 0.87,-0.19]) versus sham. Secondary outcomes were all significantly more improved in CST patients than in other groups, except for six-month mental quality of life versus sham. Sensitivity analyses revealed robust effects of CST against most risk of bias domains. Five of the 10 RCTs reported safety data. No serious adverse events occurred. Minor adverse events were equally distributed between the groups. DISCUSSION: In patients with chronic pain, this meta-analysis suggests significant and robust effects of CST on pain and function lasting up to six months. More RCTs strictly following CONSORT are needed to further corroborate the effects and safety of CST on chronic pain. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION AT PROSPERO: CRD42018111975.
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.