Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41640593›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2025

Efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Xianjun Liu, Wenxue Yuan, Xinman Gao, Ziqi Zhao, Rilang Leng, Yibing Xia

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 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. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
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.

Xianjun LiuSchool of General Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.
Wenxue YuanSchool of General Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.
Xinman GaoSchool of General Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.
Ziqi ZhaoDepartment of Physical Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Rilang LengFaculty of Health Sciences and Sports, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, Macao SAR, China.
Yibing XiaSchool of General Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a prevalent condition that causes substantial personal and societal burden, yet the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions remains debated. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and CBT-oriented cognitive-based interventions have been increasingly applied to pain management, but evidence has been fragmented across populations and treatment modalities. This study aimed to provide an updated synthesis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of CBT for chronic musculoskeletal pain. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library. Eligible studies were screened according to predefined criteria, quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool (ROB 2.0) and statistical analyses were performed in Stata 15.1. Results: Fourteen high-quality RCTs involving 2,677 patients were included. Meta-analysis indicated that CBT significantly reduced pain catastrophizing (SMD = -0.77, 95% CI: -1.10 to -0.43, Conclusion: These findings suggest that CBT exerts consistent therapeutic benefits for chronic musculoskeletal pain, supporting its role as a reliable clinical non-pharmacological treatment option. Systematic review registration: This study protocol has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (registration number: CRD420251073898).

Indexed as

cognitive behavioral therapyfunctional disabilitymusculoskeletal painpain catastrophizingsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41640593
PMCPMC12864466

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.