Occupational low back pain in nursing workers: massage versus pain

The importance of context (placebo effects) in conservative interventions for musculoskeletal pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Contextual effects (e.g. patient expectations) may play a role in treatment effectiveness. This study aimed to estimate the magnitude of contextual effects for conservative, non-pharmacological interventions for musculoskeletal pain conditions. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared placebo conservative non-pharmacological interventions to no treatment for musculoskeletal pain. The outcomes assessed included pain intensity, physical functioning, health-related quality of life, global rating of change, depression, anxiety and sleep at immediate, short-, medium- and/or long-term follow-up.

DATABASES AND DATA TREATMENT

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, CENTRAL and SPORTDiscus were searched from inception to September 2021. Trial registry searches, backward and forward citation tracking and searches for prior systematic reviews were completed. The Cochrane risk of bias 2 tool was implemented.

RESULTS

The study included 64 RCTs (N = 4314) out of 8898 records. For pain intensity, a mean difference of (MD: -5.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): -7.20, -3.44, N = 57 studies with 74 outcomes, GRADE: very low) was estimated for placebo interventions. A small effect in favour of the placebo interventions for physical function was estimated (SMD: -0.22, 95% CI: -0.35, -0.09; N = 37 with 48 outcomes, GRADE: very low). Similar results were found for a broad range of patient-reported outcomes. Meta-regression analyses did not explain heterogeneity among analyses.

CONCLUSION

The study found that the contextual effect of non-pharmacological conservative interventions for musculoskeletal conditions is likely to be small. However, given the known effect sizes of recommended evidence-based treatments for musculoskeletal conditions, it may still contribute an important component.

SIGNIFICANCE

Contextual effects of non-pharmacological conservative interventions for musculoskeletal conditions are likely to be small for a broad range of patient-reported outcomes (pain intensity, physical function, quality of life, global rating of change and depression). Contextual effects are unlikely, in isolation, to offer much clinical care. But these factors do have relevance in an overall treatment context as they provide almost 30% of the minimally clinically important difference.

Intervenções em saúde do trabalhador - contexto, desafios e possibilidades de desenvolvimento: uma revisão de escopo

Resumo Objetivo: analisar a estrutura, o funcionamento das intervenções para prevenção de agravos e a promoção da saúde do trabalhador no Brasil, segundo os critérios de sistematicidade, agência transformativa e transformação. Métodos: foi realizada uma revisão de escopo de estudos empíricos publicados entre 2010 e 2019. Para avaliar e interpretar os achados e discutir suas possibilidades e tendências de desenvolvimento, utilizaram-se os três critérios mencionados. Resultados: foram incluídos 147 estudos; observou-se que o objeto da intervenção é mais comum em elementos isolados do sistema de atividade produtiva do que sobre o conjunto completo; a agência transformativa dos atores envolvidos é pouco estimulada; a transformação efetiva das condições que deram origem às intervenções aparece com mais frequência nas situações em que se pretendia mudar apenas aspectos proximais aos agravos de saúde. Conclusão: embora parte dos estudos reporte mudanças implementadas, a maioria deles não refere intervenções sobre os determinantes de saúde e não envolve os trabalhadores como protagonistas das mudanças. Os achados permitiram discutir possibilidades de desenvolvimento e desafios para intervenções.

Placebo effects in low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The current treatments of primary musculoskeletal low back pain (LBP) have a low to moderate efficacy, which might be improved by looking at the contribution of placebo effects. However, the size of true placebo effects in LBP is unknown. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were executed of randomized controlled trials investigating placebo effects in LBP.

DATABASES AND DATA TREATMENT

The study protocol was registered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews Prospero (CRD42019148745). A literature search (in PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL and PsycINFO) up to 2021 February 16th yielded 2,423 studies. Two independent reviewers assessed eligibility and risk of bias.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies were eligible for the systematic review and 5 for the meta-analysis. Fourteen of the 18 studies were clinical treatment studies, and 4 were experimental studies specifically assessing placebo effects. The clinical treatment studies provided varying evidence for placebo effects in chronic LBP but insufficient evidence for acute and subacute LBP. Most experimental studies investigating chronic LBP revealed significant placebo effects. The meta-analysis of 5 treatment studies investigating chronic LBP depicted a significant moderate effect size of placebo for pain intensity (SMD = 0.57) and disability (SMD = 0.52).

CONCLUSIONS

This review shows a significant contribution of placebo effects to chronic LBP symptom relief in clinical and experimental conditions. The meta-analysis revealed that placebo effects can influence chronic LBP intensity and disability. However, additional studies are required for more supporting evidence and evidence for placebo effects in acute or subacute LBP.

SIGNIFICANCE

This systematic review and meta-analysis provides evidence of true placebo effects in low back pain (LBP). It shows a significant contribution of placebo effects to chronic LBP symptom relief. The results highlight the importance of patient- and context-related factors in fostering treatment effects in this patient group. New studies could provide insight into the potential value of actively making use of placebo effects in clinical practice.

Effectiveness of placebo interventions for patients with nonspecific low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Little is known about the effectiveness of placebo interventions in patients with nonspecific low back pain (LBP). This systematic review assessed the magnitude of the effects of placebo interventions as compared to no intervention in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including patients with LBP. Embase, MEDLINE (Ovid), and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were searched from inception to December 5, 2019. Randomized controlled trials comparing placebo intervention vs no intervention in adult patients with nonspecific LBP were included. Pain intensity, physical functioning, and health-related quality of life measured at short-term, medium-term, and long-term follow-up were the outcomes of this review. Twenty-one randomized controlled trials were included; one concerning acute LBP and one subacute LBP, whereas 19 studies reported on chronic LBP. In chronic LBP, placebo interventions were more effective than no intervention at short-term follow-up for pain intensity (standardized mean difference = -0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.55 to -0.18, moderate-quality evidence), physical functioning (standardized mean difference -0.19, 95% CI = -0.39-0.01, moderate-quality evidence), and physical quality of life (mean difference = -2.71, 95% CI = -4.71-0.71, high-quality evidence), respectively. These effects were not significant at medium-term follow-up, and no data were available at long-term follow-up. These results show placebo interventions are more effective than no intervention at short-term follow-up in patients with chronic LBP. However, the magnitude of the effects is probably not clinically relevant (approximately 8 points on a 0-100 pain scale). Future research should identify effect modifiers and causal mechanisms explaining the short-term effects of placebo interventions in patients with chronic LBP.

Massagem e Reiki para redução de estresse e melhoria de qualidade de vida: ensaio clínico randomizado

RESUMO Objetivo Verificar se a Massagem (técnica Anmá) seguida de repouso ou Reiki auxilia na redução dos níveis de estresse e na melhoria da qualidade de vida de indivíduos atendidos em um ambulatório de práticas integrativas. Método Ensaio clínico controlado randomizado conduzido com 122 indivíduos randomizados em três grupos: G1 – Massagem seguida de repouso, G2 – Massagem seguida de Reiki e G3 – controle (sem intervenção). Os níveis de estresse e Qualidade de Vida foram mensurados por meio dos instrumentos LSS e SF-12v2, os quais foram aplicados antes e após intervenção. Resultados Finalizou-se o estudo com 101 participantes. As Massagens seguidas de repouso (G1) ou de Reiki (G2) se mostraram efetivas na redução dos níveis de estresse e melhoria de qualidade de vida quando comparadas ao Grupo Controle (G3). Os melhores resultados obtidos pelo grupo que recebeu Massagem seguida de Reiki (G2) foram observados no domínio mental de qualidade de vida, enfatizando a abrangência dos efeitos do Reiki sobre os aspectos mentais e psicológicos. Conclusão A Massagem seguida de repouso e a Massagem seguida pela aplicação de Reiki se mostraram efetivas na redução dos níveis de estresse e melhoria de qualidade de vida. Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos: RBR-42c8wp.

Identificação de transtornos traumáticos cumulativos em portuários para o raciocínio clínico

Resumo Objetivo Relacionar os transtornos traumáticos cumulativos autorreferidos por trabalhadores portuários e seus condicionantes socioambientais. Métodos Estudo transversal com 232 portuários (136 em terra e 96 a bordo) com média de idade de 48,7 anos. Os transtornos traumáticos cumulativos foram autorreferidos; a intensidade foi medida pela atribuição de uma nota de 1 a 4. Foi realizada análise do coeficiente de Spearman para relacionar intensidade dos transtornos e variáveis de caracterização, e teste qui quadrado de Pearson foi usado para relacionar grupos de trabalhadores aos transtornos. Resultados Ambas as categorias de portuários destacaram lombocitalgias (36,8% em terra e 28,1% a bordo) e tendinite (27,9% em terra e 31,3% a bordo de navio). Houve correlação estatística entre a idade e tempo de trabalho com a intensidade dos adoecimentos. Conclusão A autorreferência de adoecimentos ressaltou doenças lombares e tendinosas que inferiram causalidade às doenças autorreferidas, cuja clínica deve integrar o processamento do raciocínio clínico da enfermagem.