JOURNAL ARTICLE

The efficacy of manual therapy and therapeutic exercise for reducing chronic non-specific neck pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

  • Published In: Journal of Back & Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, 2025, v. 38, n. 3. P. 407 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Calafiore, Dario; Marotta, Nicola; Longo, Umile Giuseppe; Vecchio, Michele; Zito, Roberta; Lippi, Lorenzo; Ferraro, Francesco; Invernizzi, Marco; Ammendolia, Antonio; de Sire, Alessandro 3 of 3

Abstract

This article systematically reviews and meta-analyzes randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness of physical therapy techniques in treating chronic non-specific neck pain (CNSNP). It focuses on manual therapy (MT), therapeutic exercise (TE), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), assessing pain intensity outcomes across 11 RCTs involving 662 patients. The network meta-analysis indicates that the combination of TE and MT has the highest probability (91%) of being the most effective intervention for pain reduction, followed by MT alone and TE combined with CBT. Despite these findings, the overall quality of evidence is limited by small sample sizes, risk of bias, and heterogeneity among studies, highlighting the need for further high-quality research to guide clinical practice in CNSNP rehabilitation.

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of Back & Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. 2025/05, Vol. 38, Issue 3, p407
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Health and Medicine
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:1053-8127
  • DOI:10.1177/10538127241304110
  • Accession Number:184865118
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of Back & Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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