ArticleJMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies2022
Clinical Outcomes After a Digital Musculoskeletal Program for Acute and Subacute Pain: Observational, Longitudinal Study With Comparison Group.
Article in JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Information and communications technology-based versus handout-based home exercise programs for heel pain syndrome: a prospective randomized study.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Digital Health Approaches to Geriatric Rehabilitation: A Narrative Paper.Annals of rehabilitation medicine · 2026Article
- The Role of Virtual Physical Therapy in the Management of Musculoskeletal Patients: Current Practices and Future Implications.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine · 2025Review
- Real-World Effect of a Digitally Delivered Conservative Musculoskeletal Care Program on Spinal Diagnostic Imaging Utilization in a Commercially Insured Population with Chronic Back Pain.Journal of health economics and outcomes research · 2025Article
- Effects of a Digital Musculoskeletal Acute Care Program on Chronic Pain Prevention: An Observational Study with Nonparticipant Comparison Group.Journal of pain research · 2022Article
- The Evidence Driving Policy for the Implementation of Virtual Rehabilitation Is Riddled With Conflicts of Interest.Sports healthArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTelerehabilitation for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions may produce similar or better outcomes than usual care, but most telerehabilitation studies address only chronic or postsurgical pain.
objectiveWe aimed to examine pain and function at 3, 6, and 12 weeks for individuals with acute and subacute MSK pain who took part in a digital MSK program versus a nonparticipant comparison group.
methodsWe conducted an observational, longitudinal study with a nonparticipant comparison group. The intervention group had video visits with physical therapists who recommended exercise therapies and educational articles delivered via an app. Nonparticipants were those who were registered but unable to participate because their benefit coverage had not yet begun. We collected pain and function outcomes through surveys delivered at 3-, 6-, and 12-week follow-ups. We conducted descriptive analyses, unadjusted regression, and mixed effects regression adjusting for baseline characteristics, time as fixed effects, and a time*group interaction term.
resultsThe analysis included data from 675 nonparticipants and 262 intervention group participants. Compared to baseline, the intervention group showed significantly more pain improvement at 3, 6, and 12 weeks versus nonparticipants after adjusting for baseline factors. Specifically, the intervention group's pain scores decreased by 55.8% at 3 weeks versus baseline, 69.1% at 6 weeks, and 73% at 12 weeks. The intervention group's adjusted pain scores decreased from 43.7 (95% CI 41.1-46.2) at baseline to 19.3 (95% CI 16.8-21.8) at 3 weeks to 13.5 (95% CI 10.8-16.2) at 6 weeks to 11.8 (95% CI 9-14.6) at 12 weeks. In contrast, nonparticipants' pain scores decreased by 30.8% at 3 weeks versus baseline, 45.8% at 6 weeks, and 46.7% at 12 weeks. Nonparticipants' adjusted pain scores decreased from 43.8 (95% CI 42-45.5) at baseline to 30.3 (95% CI 27.1-33.5) at 3 weeks to 23.7 (95% CI 20-27.5) at 6 weeks to 23.3 (95% CI 19.6-27) at 12 weeks. After adjustments, the percentage of participants reporting that pain was better or much better at follow-up was significantly higher by 40.6% at 3 weeks, 31.4% at 6 weeks, and 31.2% at 12 weeks for intervention group participants versus nonparticipants. After adjustments, the percentage of participants with meaningful functional improvement at follow-up was significantly higher by 15.2% at 3 weeks and 24.6% at 12 weeks for intervention group participants versus nonparticipants.
conclusionsA digital MSK program may help to improve pain and function in the short term among those with acute and subacute MSK pain.
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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.