Research - Outcome Studies
Effective treatment options for musculoskeletal pain in primary care: a systematic overview of current evidence.
Year: 2017 Study type: Systematic review
Babatunde O, Jordan J, Van der Windt D, Hill J, Foster N, Protheroe J. Effective treatment options for musculoskeletal pain in primary care: A systematic overview of current evidence. PLOS ONE 2017;12(6):e0178621.
Objective
To identify the current best evidence on treatment options for the five most common musculoskeletal pain presentations (back, neck, shoulder, knee, and multi-site pain) in primary care.
Methods
Systematic literature review, included studies (n=146)
Quality assessment performed using AMSTAR
Strength of evidence evaluated using a modified GRADE approach
Outcome
Best available evidence shows that patients with musculoskeletal pain problems in primary care can be managed effectively with non-pharmacological treatments such as exercise therapy, self-management advice, and psychosocial interventions. For the short-term pain relief, corticosteroid injections (for knee and shoulder pain) can be effective treatment options and may be used in addition to non-pharmacological treatments.