Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38373986›Full record

SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2024

Changes of trunk muscle stiffness in individuals with low back pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Rok Vatovec, Matej Voglar

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07026071 (Effects Of Positional Release Technique Versus Stretching Exercises Combined With Standard Physical Therapy Treatment On Pain, Range Of Motion And Disability In Patients With Chronic Non-Specific Lowback Pain), which is not on this map. Cited by 21 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
12.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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.

NCT07026071 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Effects Of Positional Release Technique Versus Stretching Exercises Combined With Standard Physical Therapy Treatment On Pain, Range Of Motion And Disability In Patients With Chronic Non-Specific Lowback Pain

TypeinterventionalSponsorRiphah International UniversityRan2025 to 2025Enrolled40ConditionsLow Back PainArmsPositional Release Technique, Stretching Exercises
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  10. Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Injuries Among Climbers-A Systematic Review.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025
    Review
  11. Assessing the association between degenerative disc disease and spinal mobility.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 · 2025
    Article
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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

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Rok VatovecFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Polje 42, 6310, Izola, Slovenia.
Matej VoglarFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Polje 42, 6310, Izola, Slovenia. matej.voglar@fvz.upr.si.
University of Primorska · SI

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLow back pain (LBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions. People with LBP often display changes of neuromuscular control and trunk mechanical properties, including trunk stiffness. Although a few individual studies have examined back muscle stiffness in individuals with LBP, a synthesis of the evidence appears to be lacking. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to synthesize and evaluate the available literature investigating back muscle stiffness in association with LBP.

methodsWe conducted a systematic review of the literature according to the PRISMA guidelines. We searched Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect for studies, that compared back muscle stiffness, measured either by ultrasound-based elastography or myotonometry, between individuals with and without LBP. Pooled data of the included studies were presented descriptively. Additionally, we performed two meta-analyses to calculate the standardized mean difference between the two groups for resting stiffness of the multifidus and erector spinae muscle. For both meta-analyses, the random effect model was used and the weight of individual studies was calculated using the inverse-variance method. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional studies. Furthermore, the certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach.

resultsNine studies were included in our systematic review. Our results suggest that individuals with LBP have higher stiffness of the multifidus (SMD = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.15 - 0.81, p < 0.01; I

conclusionsBased on the findings of this systematic review we conclude that people with LBP may have higher back muscle stiffness compared to asymptomatic controls. Addressing muscle stiffness might represent an important goal of LBP treatment. Nevertheless, our findings should be interpreted with extreme caution due to a limited quality of evidence, small number of included studies and differences in measurement methodology.

Indexed as

Low Back PainBack MusclesElasticity Imaging TechniquesHumansParaspinal MusclesTorsoelastographylow back disordersMuscle propertiesmyotonometryneuromuscular control

Identifiers

PMID38373986
PMCPMC10875766
OpenAlexW4391988886

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.