Role of physiotherapy in M.P.D.S: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Aim: To analyze the methodologic quality, summarize the findings, and perform a meta-analysis of the results from randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of physiotherapy management of Myofascial Pain Dysfunction syndrome (MPDS). Methodology: A literature review was performed using the electronic databases PubMed, Science Direct. Each article was independently assessed by two investigators using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. A meta-analysis was conducted to obtain summary estimates of the standardized mean differences (SMD) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Between-study heterogeneity was computed and publication bias was assessed. Results : Seven articles met the inclusion criteria and were used in the analysis, corresponding to nine estimates of SMD. The meta-analysis showed that for pain reduction, the summary SMD favored physiotherapy (SMD = −0.63; 95% CI: −0.95 to −0.31; number of studies = 8; I2 = 0.0%), while for active range of movement (ROM) the differences between the intervention and control groups were not statistically significant (SMD = 0.33; 95% CI: −0.07 to 0.72; number of studies = 9; I2 = 61.9%). Conclusion: Physiotherapy seems to lead to decreased pain and may improve active muscle movement.