SynthesisScientific reports2025
A systematic review and meta analysis of open label placebo effects in chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Synthesis in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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.
- Immediate effects of spinal manipulation, exercise therapy, and open-label placebo on lifting performance and pain in individuals with chronic non-specific back pain: a motion laboratory-based crossover randomized controlled trial.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2026Trial
- Review
- Article
- Effects of prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation on open-label placebo responses.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Article
- The Possibility of Open-Label Use of Placebo in Healthcare Practice: A Systematic Review of Recent Clinical Trials.Cureus · 2025Review
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Placebo effects have been linked to a range of clinical symptoms. Traditionally, it was believed that deception was necessary for placebos to work. However, emerging research shows that openly administered placebos can benefit patients with various medical conditions. This study aimed to analyze the effects of Open-Label Placebo (OLP) on physical function and pain in individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain. We conducted, in August 2024, a systematic literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and EMBASE for RCTs comparing OLP with any other intervention or no treatment. The level of evidence was assessed with GRADE. The effects on physical function tests were analyzed descriptively, while patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) on physical functioning and pain were synthesized using random-effects meta-analyses. Study quality was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool, RoB2. From 1775 articles, seven RCTs with a total of 703 participants were included-five on back pain and two on knee pain. All seven studies had a high risk of bias for PROMs due to awareness of the intervention. Among the four studies that reported objective outcomes, two had a low risk of bias and two had some concerns. All studies included a follow-up between 3 and 12 weeks, except for one study that had a 3-year follow-up. With moderate evidence, we found that OLP as a stand-alone or add-on treatment had no effect on physical function tests, but concerning PROMs, there was low evidence for very small to moderate effects on self-reported physical function (SMD = 0.40, 95% CI 0.19-0.60) and small to moderate effects on pain intensity (SMD = 0.46, 95% CI 0.28-0.63) compared to treatment as usual or no treatment. These results suggest that OLP may enhance PROMs in chronic musculoskeletal pain patients, but one should keep in mind that the clinical value of OLP is not yet established. This study received no specific funding.Registered in PROSPERO: CRD42023487578.
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