ReviewCurrent reviews in musculoskeletal medicine2025
The Role of Virtual Physical Therapy in the Management of Musculoskeletal Patients: Current Practices and Future Implications.
Review in Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Protocol for a Pilot Two-Arm Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial of the ACTIVE Intervention for Older Adults with and Without Mild Dementia and Their Care Partners.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Digital Versus In-Person Physical Therapy in Adults With Musculoskeletal Conditions: Retrospective Matched-Cohort Analysis of Surgery and Low-Value Surgical Rates.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purpose of reviewThe rapid evolution of virtual technology and artificial intelligence (AI), combined with physical distancing limitations imparted by the COVID- 19 pandemic, has hastened the shift of healthcare toward digitally enabled practitioners. As physical therapy embraces virtual care, its impact is far-reaching across stakeholders, affecting patients, providers, and payors. This article seeks to explore the role of virtual physical therapy (VPT) in managing patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions and its impact on healthcare and patient outcomes. RECENT
findingsWhile research on VPT is growing, high-quality studies remain limited due to challenges in conducting blinded, randomized controlled trials, sponsor bias, and the diversity of digital solutions that complicate comparative studies. Nevertheless, general literature trends show that VPT, particularly when guided by a physical therapist, can yield improvements in pain and function comparable to in-person therapy. VPT demonstrates fair to excellent reliability and validity across key assessment areas, successfully identifying MSK diagnoses and delivering outcomes similar to conventional treatment for pain, function, and quality of life across multiple MSK disorders. Additionally, VPT addresses adherence issues by reducing travel, costs, and exposure risks, while technology enhancements foster patient engagement and communication with therapists. By increasing access and adherence to PT, VPT has the potential to optimize outcomes and curb long-term healthcare costs by preventing progression to more expensive interventions. Virtual care harnesses technology to advance musculoskeletal care by improving access, enhancing patient-provider communication and connection, and optimizing patient engagement and outcomes. VPT moves beyond replication of the in-person experience to an enhanced patient journey. This journey taps into technological advancements to deliver a more integrated experience that engages and supports the patient. VPT offers a sophisticated model of care from the therapist, emphasizing evidence-based practice and critical thinking.
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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.