Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34485731›Full record

ReviewHeliyon2021

Relaxation techniques as an intervention for chronic pain: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Sara Magelssen Vambheim, Tonje Merete Kyllo, Sanne Hegland, Martin Bystad

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Heliyon, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 35 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
35citing papers in PubMed
6.6field-weighted citation impact, top 3% 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.

NCT06918535 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Vs Muscle Energy Technique on Nonspecific Neck Pain in Prolonged Computer Users. A Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorIQRA UniversityRan2025 to 2026Enrolled60ConditionsNeck Pain, Chronic Neck PainArmsProgressive Muscle Relaxation Technique, Muscle Energy Technique
NCT07302750 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

The Effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Relaxation and Breathing Training on Pain Intensity and Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women

TypeinterventionalSponsorBaskent UniversityRan2026 to 2027Enrolled48ConditionsPostmenopausal Period, Postmenopausal WomenArmsPhysiotherapist-Guided Relaxation and Breathing Training, Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Relaxation and Breathing Training, Control Group - No Structured Training Program
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

35 citing papers in PubMed, 65 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Sara Magelssen VambheimDepartment of Psychology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway.
Tonje Merete KylloDepartment of Psychology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway.
Sanne HeglandDepartment of Psychology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway.
Martin BystadDepartment of Pain Management and Research, Emergency Clinic, Oslo University, Norway.
UiT The Arctic University of Norway · NOUniversity Hospital of North Norway · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Chronic pain increases the risk of sleep disturbances, depression and disability. Even though medical treatments have limited value, the use of prescription-based analgesics have increased over the recent years. It is therefore important to evaluate the effect of non-pharmacological treatments. A systematic search for studies evaluating the effect of relaxation techniques on chronic pain was conducted. Randomized controlled trials were included. Significant effects on pain, or on pain and one or more secondary outcome measure, were found in 21 studies. Four studies found significant effects on secondary outcome measures only. Four studies showed no significant effects on any outcome measure. Thus, most of the studies reported that relaxation techniques reduced pain and/or secondary outcome measures. However, the included studies have evaluated effects across a wide variety of chronic pain conditions and relaxation techniques. Hence, there is a large degree of heterogeneity among the included studies. This complicates the effect evaluation and makes it difficult to draw a clear and unambiguous conclusion. Relaxation techniques are probably most effective when used through regular and continued practice. Future studies should therefore investigate long-term effects of relaxation technique interventions, evaluate the dose-response relationship and examine efficacy differences across pain conditions and interventions.

Indexed as

Chronic painInterventionRandomized controlled studiesRelaxation techniques

Identifiers

PMID34485731
PMCPMC8405991
OpenAlexW3193771652

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.