ReviewLife (Basel, Switzerland)2021
A Role for Superficial Heat Therapy in the Management of Non-Specific, Mild-to-Moderate Low Back Pain in Current Clinical Practice: A Narrative Review.
Review in Life (Basel, Switzerland), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparison of the effectiveness of high-intensity laser therapy versus low-level laser therapy in musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Lasers in medical science · 2026Pooled it
- A holistic guide to effective prevention and treatment for kidney stones: a systematic review exploring anti-urolithiasis approaches.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- The Effect of Superficial Heat-Cold Application on the Sleep Quality of Patients With Restless Leg Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nursing open · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy of High-intensity laser therapy in patients with temporomandibular joint disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Lasers in medical science · 2024Pooled it
- Automated thermo-mechanical therapy for immediate relief in chronic non-specific lower back pain: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in neuroergonomics · 2025Trial
- The Impact of a Heated Effleurage and Heated Tapotement Massage on Low-Back Discomfort from a Seat.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The use of superficial heat in the management of low back pain by chiropractors and osteopaths in Australia: an observational cross-sectional survey.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2026Observational
- Thermal Therapy is Associated With Decreased Pain Treatment Use: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Federal practitioner : for the health care professionals of the VA, DoD, and PHS · 2026Article
- Comparative analysis of pain management protocols in pediatric and adult emergency medicine: a narrative review.Frontiers in public health · 2026Review
- Toward function-oriented, neuroscience-based spine care in older adults: a structured narrative review and translational synthesis.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Superficial heat therapy in women's health.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Heat Therapy for Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions: Actionable Suggestions for Pharmacists from a Panel of Experts.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The Effects of Joint Mobilization and Myofascial Release on Muscle Thickness in Non-Specific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Thermal Modalities Including Hot Baths and Cold Plunges Play a Unique Role in Injury Prevention and Recovery.Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation · 2025Article
- A protocol for a wait list control trial of an intervention to improve pain and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older women living with disabilities.Contemporary clinical trials · 2025Article
- Complementary Approaches to Postoperative Pain Management: A Review of Non-pharmacological Interventions.Pain and therapy · 2025Review
- Clinical and radiological comparison of percutaneous cervical nucleoplasty combined with ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency of cervical nerve root for cervical radicular pain: a retrospective, matched-cohort study.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Expert opinion on heat therapy for teenagers' musculoskeletal pain management.Annals of translational medicine · 2024Review
- A Local Heating Profile to Manage Lower Back Pain in an Automotive Seat: A Pilot Study.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Current Indications and Future Direction in Heat Therapy for Musculoskeletal Pain: A Narrative Review.Muscles (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
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 7 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability. It significantly impacts the patient's quality of life, limits their daily living activities, and reduces their work productivity. To reduce the burden of LBP, several pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options are available. This review summarizes the role of superficial heat therapy in the management of non-specific mild-to-moderate LBP. First, we outline the common causes of LBP, then discuss the general mechanisms of heat therapy on (LBP), and finally review the published evidence regarding the impact of superficial heat therapy in patients with acute or chronic non-specific LBP. This review demonstrates that continuous, low-level heat therapy provides pain relief, improves muscular strength, and increases flexibility. Therefore, this effective, safe, easy-to-use, and cost-effective non-pharmacological pain relief option is relevant for the management of non-specific mild or moderate low back pain in current clinical practice.
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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.