Key result
Following mHealth-based exercise therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain, reduced pain intensity was associated with higher physical function (r = -0.55; 95% CI -0.67 to -0.41; p<0.01).
Why the study?
Exercise therapy is recommended for chronic musculoskeletal pain and mHealth represents a feasible delivery tool, but factors associated with changes in pain and function remained to be identified.
What factors are associated with changes in pain and function following mHealth-based exercise therapy in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain?
Meta-Analysis (n=51,755)
What factors are associated with changes in pain and function following mHealth-based exercise therapy in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain?
While mHealth-based exercise therapy shows an association between reduced pain and improved physical function in chronic musculoskeletal pain, the evidence is of very low certainty.
This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.
Exercise therapy is the first-line intervention recommended for those with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP). Smartphone technologies (mHealth) represent a feasible means for exercise prescription and individualization. This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to identify factors associated with changes in pain and function following mHealth-based exercise therapy in patients with CMP. CINAHL (via EBSCOhost), Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and SPORTdiscus were searched from inception to February 2023. Observational and controlled clinical trials with correlation or regression analysis of factors associated with the effect of mHealth exercise interventions on pain and function were included. The risk of bias, completeness of interventions, spin of information, and certainty in the evidence were evaluated. Eight studies with 51,755 participants were included. Reduced pain intensity after intervention was associated with higher physical function: r (95% CI) = −0.55 (−0.67 to −0.41); I2 = 86%, Tau2 = 0.02; p < 0.01. Meta-regression identified the Body Mass Index (BMI), exercise dose, and completion rate as potential moderators between changes in pain and physical function following mHealth exercise therapy. No association was found between pain and anxiety: r (95% CI) = 0.15 (−0.08 to 0.37); I2 = 87%, Tau2 = 0.02; p = 0.19. Very low certainty in the evidence was observed due to serious concerns regarding the risk of bias, inconsistency, and indirectness. The limited available evidence detracts from the clinical interpretation of the findings.
May guide personalized mHealth exercise prescriptions in CMP; leaves open which factors best predict response in trials.
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Sánchez-Laulhé et al. (2024) conducted a meta-analysis in chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) (n=51,755). mHealth-based exercise therapy was evaluated on association between reduced pain intensity and physical function (r -0.55, 95% CI -0.67 to -0.41, p=< 0.01). Following mHealth-based exercise therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain, reduced pain intensity was associated with higher physical function (r = -0.55; 95% CI -0.67 to -0.41; p<0.01).
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