SynthesisEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2023
Mobile technologies for rehabilitation in non-specific spinal disorders: a systematic review of the efficacy and potential for implementation in low- and middle-income countries.
Synthesis in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of technology-supported mindfulness-based interventions for maternal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis with implementation perspectives for resource-limited settings.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Pooled it
- Predicting pain outcomes after digital care in chronic spinal pain: the roles of disability, work impairment, and occupation in a secondary analysis of a prospective clinical study.Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2026Observational
- Psychological mediators in chronic spinal pain after fully remote digital rehabilitation: a real-world, large-sample study.Physical therapy · 2026Article
- Exploring the Impact of Behavioral Engagement Indicators on Pain Outcomes in AI-Enabled Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation: A Real-World Investigation.Journal of pain research · 2026Article
- Applying AI to Safely and Effectively Scale Care to Address Chronic MSK Conditions.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Empowering sickle cell disease care: the rise ofFrontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2024Article
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 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe aim of this systematic review was primarily to identify the types of mHealth technologies for the rehabilitation of non-specific spinal disorders, second to evaluate their efficacy, and finally to determine their applicability in LMICs.
methodsThree databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science) were searched for randomized controlled trials and clinical trials from January 2012 until December 2022. Studies were found eligible when using mHealth technologies for the rehabilitation of non-specific spinal disorders. To evaluate efficacy, the primary outcome was pain intensity, and the secondary outcomes were disability and quality of life. To evaluate the applicability in LMICs, information about financial and geographical accessibility, offline usability, and languages was extracted.
resultsFifteen studies were included comprising 1828 participants who suffer from non-specific low back pain (86.05%) and non-specific neck pain (13.95%). Fourteen distinct smartphone-based interventions and two sensor system interventions were found, with a duration ranging from four weeks to six months. All mHealth interventions demonstrated efficacy for the improvement of pain, disability and quality of life in non-specific spinal disorders, particularly low back pain. Five of the evaluated smartphone applications were free of charge accessible and had language features that could be adapted for use in LMICs.
conclusionmHealth interventions can be used and integrated into the conventional treatment of non-specific spinal disorders in rehabilitation. They have demonstrated efficacy and could be implemented in LMICs with minor adaptations to overcome language barriers and the absolute necessity of the internet.
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.