Clinical Effectiveness of Manual Therapy for the Management of Musculoskeletal and Non-Musculoskeletal Conditions: Systematic Review and Update of UK Evidence Report
Clinical Effectiveness of Manual Therapy for the Management of Musculoskeletal and Non-Musculoskeletal Conditions: Systematic Review and Update of UK Evidence Report
This systematic review updated an earlier UK evidence report on manual therapy, searching more than ten major databases and screening over 25,000 records. It aimed to establish, comprehensively and honestly, which musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal conditions manual therapy is well-supported for treating.
What was studied?
The review included 178 studies in total: 72 systematic reviews, 96 randomised controlled trials, and 10 non-randomised studies, covering both musculoskeletal conditions like shoulder and neck pain and a wide range of non-musculoskeletal conditions.
What did they find?
Overall, high-quality evidence for manual therapy's effectiveness remained limited, with most available evidence rated low-to-moderate quality. Evidence had strengthened since the earlier report in three specific areas: manipulation or mobilisation with exercise for rotator cuff problems, and mobilisation for cervicogenic and other headaches.
Why it matters
This is a genuinely comprehensive stock-take of where manual therapy evidence actually stands, pointing to specific areas, like certain headaches and shoulder conditions, where the evidence has measurably improved.
Why we included it
It illustrates why treatment claims should be scoped precisely: confidence should track the evidence for each specific condition, not be borrowed from a treatment's general reputation.
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What was studied?
The review included 178 studies in total: 72 systematic reviews, 96 randomised controlled trials, and 10 non-randomised studies, covering both musculoskeletal conditions like shoulder and neck pain and a wide range of non-musculoskeletal conditions.
What did they find?
Overall, high-quality evidence for manual therapy's effectiveness remained limited, with most available evidence rated low-to-moderate quality. Evidence had strengthened since the earlier report in three specific areas: manipulation or mobilisation with exercise for rotator cuff problems, and mobilisation for cervicogenic and other headaches.
Why it matters
This is a genuinely comprehensive stock-take of where manual therapy evidence actually stands, pointing to specific areas, like certain headaches and shoulder conditions, where the evidence has measurably improved.
Why we included it
It illustrates why treatment claims should be scoped precisely: confidence should track the evidence for each specific condition, not be borrowed from a treatment's general reputation.