SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2022
Digital Health Interventions for Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 7 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
46 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 72 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Digital Health Interventions in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Engagement in Digital Self-management Interventions for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review.The Clinical journal of pain · 2025Pooled it
- Behavioral Therapy-Based Digital Interventions for Treating Osteoarthritis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Rehabilitation Applications Based on Behavioral Therapy for People With Knee Osteoarthritis: Systematic Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of Digital Physical Health Exercises on Musculoskeletal Diseases: Systematic Review With Best-Evidence Synthesis.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Pooled it
- TRAK MSK: a randomised external feasibility trial and process evaluation of a digital physiotherapy supported self-management programme for people with musculoskeletal pain.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Trial
- Feasibility and Preliminary Effectiveness of a Mobile App-Based Personalized Exercise Program in Older Patients With Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Trial
- Effects of a Computer Vision-Based Exercise Application for People With Knee Osteoarthritis: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Digitally supported physical activity counselling for people with chronic back pain: a randomised controlled parallel feasibility study.BMC primary care · 2025Trial
- Trial
- [Digital rehabilitation with smart devices : Clinical evidence and practical implications].Orthopadie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026Review
- Development and proof-of-concept of a complex intervention to support appropriate imaging for musculoskeletal pain: the Betti programme.Implementation science communications · 2026Article
- Agreement Between Video-Based and In-Person Assessment in Patients with Knee Pain-A Prospective Repeated-Measures Pragmatic Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- A Therapeutic Conversational Agent (Solace) for Management of Chronic Pain: Acceptability and Usability Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2026Article
- Digital interventions for improving quality of life and physical function in adults aged 50 and over living with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026Article
- Locomotive Syndrome Digital Therapeutics Provided via a Smartphone App: Proof-of-Concept Single-Group Trial Study.JMIR aging · 2026Article
- Evidence-Based Self-Management Strategies for Fibromyalgia: Foundations for Digital Therapeutic Applications.Interactive journal of medical research · 2026Article
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 at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDigital health solutions can provide populations with musculoskeletal pain with high-reach, low-cost, easily accessible, and scalable patient education and self-management interventions that meet the time and resource restrictions.
objectiveThe main objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of digital health interventions for people with musculoskeletal pain conditions (ie, low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, elbow pain, ankle pain, and whiplash).
methodsA systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. We searched PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (from 1974 to August 2021) and selected randomized controlled trials of digital health interventions in the target population of patients with musculoskeletal pain with a minimum follow-up of 1 month. A total of 2 researchers independently screened and extracted the data.
resultsA total of 56 eligible studies were included covering 9359 participants, with a mean follow-up of 25 (SD 15.48) weeks. In moderate-quality evidence, digital health interventions had a small effect on pain (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.19, 95% CI 0.06-0.32), disability (SMD 0.14, 95% CI 0.03-0.25), quality of life (SMD 0.22, 95% CI 0.07-0.36), emotional functioning (SMD 0.24, 95% CI 0.12-0.35), and self-management (SMD 0.14, 95% CI 0.05-0.24).
conclusionsModerate-quality evidence supports the conclusion that digital health interventions are effective in reducing pain and improving functioning and self-management of musculoskeletal pain conditions. Low-quality evidence indicates that digital health interventions can improve the quality of life and global treatment. Little research has been conducted on the influence of digital health on expenses, knowledge, overall improvement, range of motion, muscle strength, and implementation fidelity.
trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42022307504; https://tinyurl.com/2cd25hus.
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.