Effectiveness of musculoskeletal manipulations in patients with neck pain: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Neck pain is a common global health problem and a leading cause of disability, imposing significant personal and societal burdens. Musculoskeletal manipulations are recommended as the first-line treatment for neck pain in clinical practice guidelines, valued for their non-invasive and cost-effectiveness.

Objective

To determine the most effective musculoskeletal manipulation for neck pain by integrating both direct and indirect evidence through a network meta-analysis, enabling comparisons among interventions even in the absence of direct head-to-head evidence.

Design

Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Data sources

Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Clinical Trials Registry, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Dat

SUBMITTER: Gong Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12519666 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature