SynthesisFrontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland)2025
Effectiveness of digital pain management for older adults with musculoskeletal pain: systematic review with meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland), 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
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
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Myofascial pain in older adults: a geroscience-informed framework integrating precision geriatrics and digital therapeutics.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Review
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
Introduction: Musculoskeletal pain is highly prevalent among older adults and a leading cause of disability. Digital health promises to deliver timely and quality care, but existing reviews fail to be specific for older adults, focus on a single type of technology or a single body site, and do not provide an integrated overview of the effectiveness of current digital interventions. This systematic review with meta-analysis (Prospero ID: CRD42024549668) aimed to assess the effectiveness of digital interventions for pain management in reducing pain intensity and self-reported disability in older adults with musculoskeletal pain. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Academic Search Complete from inception to April 2025; extracted data on participants, interventions, and primary (pain intensity and self-reported disability) and secondary outcomes (performance, pain-related psychological variables, and adverse events). Results: Thirty-six RCTs were included ( Discussion: The evidence is very uncertain on the effect of digital interventions on pain intensity and disability. They may decrease pain intensity and disability similarly to other interventions, but more research is needed to investigate the effect of digital interventions and identify key aspects that maximise the intervention. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024549668, PROSPERO CRD42024549668.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.