SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2024
Effects of scapular treatment on chronic neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of stability exercise-based treatment strategies for non-specific neck pain: a network meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Pooled it
- Is chronic neck pain related to scapular dyskinesia? A systematic review.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy of Scapular Functional and Cervical Isometric Exercises in the Management of Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain: A Randomized Comparative Trial.Pain research & management · 2024Trial
- Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive Therapy Versus Dry Needling for Active Upper Trapezius Myofascial Trigger Points: Effects on Pain and Cervical Range of Motion a Randomized Controlled Trial.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Upper Crossed Syndrome in the Workplace: A Narrative Review with Clinical Recommendations for Non-Pharmacologic Management.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Review
- Article
- Full-House Arthroscopic Treatment of Snapping Scapula Syndrome: Bursectomy, Levator Scapulae Release, and Partial Scapulectomy.Arthroscopy techniques · 2025Article
- The magnitude of sagittal head posture displacement and patient demographics predict rehabilitation outcomes in patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Article
- Machine learning insights into scapular stabilization for alleviating shoulder pain in college students.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Machine learning-based classification of nonspecific neck pain using movement trajectories of scapular upward rotation.Digital healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChronic neck pain (CNP) is a common public health problem that affects daily living activities and quality of life. There is biomechanical interdependence between the neck and scapula. Studies have shown that shoulder blade function might be related to chronic neck pain. We therefore evaluated the effects of scapular targeted therapy on neck pain and function in patients with CNP.
methodsDatabases, including MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE (via Ovid), Ovid, Web of Science, and Scopus, were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials published in English investigating treatment of the scapula for CNP before July 16, 2023.
resultsA total of 313 participants were included from 8 RCTs. Compared with those in the control group, the intervention in the scapular treatment group exhibited greater improvement in pain intensity (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 2.55; 95% CI = 0.97 to 4.13; P = 0.002), with moderate evidence. Subgroup analysis for pain intensity revealed a significant difference between the sexes, with only the female population (SMD = 6.23, 95% CI = 4.80 to 7.65) showing better outcomes than those with both sexes (SMD = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.57 to 1.56) (p < 0.00001). However, moderate evidence demonstrated no improvement in neck disability after scapular treatment (SMD of 0.24[-0.14, 0.62] of Neck Disability Index or Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire). No effect of scapular treatment was shown on the pressure pain threshold (PPT). The cervical range of motion (CROM) and electromyographic activity of neck muscles could not be conclusively evaluated due to limited support in the articles, and further study was needed. However, the patient's head forward posture appeared to be corrected after scapular treatment.
conclusionScapular therapy was beneficial for relieving pain intensity in patients with CNP, especially in women. Head forward posture might also be corrected with scapular therapy. However, scapular therapy may have no effect on the PPT or neck disability. However, whether scapular therapy could improve CROM and cervical muscle activation in patients with CNPs had not been determined and needed further study.
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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.