Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39962721›Full record

SynthesisPain management2025

Open label placebo for chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Victor Hugo Palhares Flávio-Reis, Yago Marcos Pessoa-Gonçalves, Camilo André Viana Diaz, Antonieta Santos Andrade Lamoglia, Chamberttan Souza Desidério, Carlo José Freire Oliveira

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Pain management, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. UK Medical Cannabis Registry: An Updated Analysis of Inflammatory Arthritis.Clinical medicine insights. Arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders · 2026
    Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
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

6 authors.

Victor Hugo Palhares Flávio-ReisImmunology Laboratory and Bioinformatics, Institute of Natural and Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.ORCID 0009-0007-9578-1258
Yago Marcos Pessoa-GonçalvesImmunology Laboratory and Bioinformatics, Institute of Natural and Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.
Camilo André Viana DiazImmunology Laboratory and Bioinformatics, Institute of Natural and Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.
Antonieta Santos Andrade LamogliaImmunology Laboratory and Bioinformatics, Institute of Natural and Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.
Chamberttan Souza DesidérioImmunology Laboratory and Bioinformatics, Institute of Natural and Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.
Carlo José Freire OliveiraImmunology Laboratory and Bioinformatics, Institute of Natural and Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo assess the therapeutic potential of Open-Label Placebo (OLP) for chronic low back pain (CLBP). MATERIALS &

methodsA systematic literature search was conducted on 12 September 2024. Data extraction focused on follow-up and change-from-baseline data of the placebo or control groups. The effect sizes were calculated using the inverse variance statistical method.

resultsA meta-analysis of four articles involving 171 OLP patients and 161 controls demonstrated a modest reduction in pain on the numerical rating scale (Mean difference = -0.62; 95% confidence interval: -1.09 to -0.14;

conclusionsOLP demonstrated a reduction in pain, with a slightly greater improvement observed during shorter intervention periods. However, the certainty of this evidence remains very low, indicating that these findings should be interpreted cautiously. Future clinical trials are needed to further explore the potential and limitations of this intervention. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero identifier is CRD42024568302.

Indexed as

Chronic PainLow Back PainHumansPlacebosRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicPlacebosback painmeta-analysisPlacebosrandomized controlled trialsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID39962721
PMCPMC11881878

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.