Evaluating Manual Therapy in Musculoskeletal Pain: Why Certain Trial Designs May Overestimate Effectiveness-A Scoping Review.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objective

Atraumatic musculoskeletal pain, regardless of the affected body region, is a highly prevalent condition impacting over 25% of the global population and contributing significantly to the burden of disease. A common study design compares physiotherapy or exercise therapy alone to the same intervention combined with MT (A vs. A + B). This study design is inherently flawed due to its inability to isolate the effect of treatment B, the potential for interaction effects, and the lack of control for non-specific contextual factors. The goal of this study was to compile studies using that approach and to examine the short-, medium-, and long-term effects of the addition of MT to a control treatment.

Databases and data treatment

This scoping review identifie

SUBMITTER: Grenier JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12614156 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature