Effectiveness of telerehabilitation on pain and function in musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

AbstractIntroductionMusculoskeletal disorders are common, causing high hospital and healthcare utilisation. Telerehabilitation (TR) is a new strategy to deliver treatment remotely to patients in their own homes, with lower costs and easier accessibility. This study investigated the effectiveness of TR on pain and function in musculoskeletal disorders.MethodsA literature search of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in the Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Library, and PEDro databases was conducted by two reviewers on 10 Jan 2023. We included studies that investigated pain and function with TR compared with a control group in any musculoskeletal disorders. The data synthesis included the TR platforms and measured outcomes. Effectiveness was measured based on the pain and function results. The study methodological quality was assessed by the PEDro scale for RCTs.ResultsAfter removing duplicated and irrelevant studies, 200 were initially identified. This review includes seven RCTs of a total of 183 participants with musculoskeletal conditions such as low back pain, fibromyalgia, total knee arthroplasty, shoulder subacromial decompression, knee osteoarthritis, and rotator cuff syndrome. The TR platforms used were smartphone and web apps, video, phone calls, and teleconference sessions. The findings showed no significant differences between the TR and control groups in pain and function. TR showed better improvement with a significant short‐term difference in some variables, but this was not sustained in the long term.ConclusionTR was comparably effective to clinic‐based rehabilitation for treating musculoskeletal disorders. However, it was not superior to conventional rehabilitation. TR showed lower costs and a high level of adherence. We recommend implementing new TR tools to remotely treat patients.Systematic Review RegistrationPROSPERO Registration Number CRD42022375048.