The effectiveness of treatments for neck pain: A systematic review

Session

Medicine and Nursing

Description

Neck pain is among the most common musculoskeletal disorders and a leading cause of disability worldwide. Numerous interventions are available, but evidence regarding their effectiveness remains inconsistent. This review aims to synthesize evidence from 19 clinical studies, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical guidelines, to evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy and multimodal management of neck pain.A structured search of PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and guideline repositories was conductedExercise-based approaches demonstrated moderate-quality evidence for reducing pain and disability. Manual therapy was most effective as an adjunct. Pharmacological treatments such as NSAIDs provided short-term relief, while injections and surgery did not demonstrate superiority over conservative care. Risk of bias varied across studies. Multimodal physiotherapy care has the strongest evidence for managing chronic neck pain. Conservative approaches should be prioritized, while pharmacological and surgical options appear less effective long-term. High-quality RCTs and cost-effectiveness studies are needed to refine clinical guidelines.

Keywords:

Neck pain, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, manual therapy, multimodal care

Proceedings Editor

Edmond Hajrizi

ISBN

978-9951-982-41-2

Location

UBT Lipjan, Kosovo

Start Date

25-10-2025 9:00 AM

End Date

26-10-2025 6:00 PM

DOI

10.33107/ubt-ic.2025.378

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Oct 25th, 9:00 AM Oct 26th, 6:00 PM

The effectiveness of treatments for neck pain: A systematic review

UBT Lipjan, Kosovo

Neck pain is among the most common musculoskeletal disorders and a leading cause of disability worldwide. Numerous interventions are available, but evidence regarding their effectiveness remains inconsistent. This review aims to synthesize evidence from 19 clinical studies, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical guidelines, to evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy and multimodal management of neck pain.A structured search of PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and guideline repositories was conductedExercise-based approaches demonstrated moderate-quality evidence for reducing pain and disability. Manual therapy was most effective as an adjunct. Pharmacological treatments such as NSAIDs provided short-term relief, while injections and surgery did not demonstrate superiority over conservative care. Risk of bias varied across studies. Multimodal physiotherapy care has the strongest evidence for managing chronic neck pain. Conservative approaches should be prioritized, while pharmacological and surgical options appear less effective long-term. High-quality RCTs and cost-effectiveness studies are needed to refine clinical guidelines.