ArticlePharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)2023
Efficacy of Topical Essential Oils in Musculoskeletal Disorders: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Article in Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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
7 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adjuvant Interventions in Levofloxacin-Exposed Rabbit Achilles Tendons: An Exploratory Controlled Pilot Study with Histopathological and Ultrasonographic Endpoints.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Preparation and pharmacological study ofBiomedical reports · 2026Article
- Camphor's Therapeutic Uses and Potential Hazards: An In-Depth Review of Its Medicinal Applications.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The Effect of Timing of Sports Massage on 60-m Sprint Performance in Competitive Athletes.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2025Article
- The Role of Essential Oils in Sports Recovery and Performance.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Updated meta‑analysis on the therapeutic effects of botanical extract interventions for chronic lower back pain.Experimental and therapeutic medicine · 2025Article
- Therapeutic applications of eucalyptus essential oils.Inflammopharmacology · 2025Review
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 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Essential oils (EOs) are widely used topically in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs); however, their clinical efficacy is controversial. Our aim was to find evidence that topical EOs are beneficial as an add-on treatment in MSDs. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the evidence on the available data of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The protocol of this work was registered on PROSPERO. We used Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, Central Cochrane Library and Scopus electronic databases for systematic search. Eight RCTs were included in the quantitative analysis. In conclusion, EO therapy had a favorable effect on pain intensity (primary outcome) compared to placebo. The greatest pain-relieving effect of EO therapy was calculated immediately after the intervention (MD of pain intensity = -0.87;
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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.