A critical appraisal of review articles on the effectiveness of conservative treatment for neck pain

摘要: STUDY DESIGN: A criteria-based appraisal of review articles on neck pain. OBJECTIVES: To assess the methodologic quality, conclusions, and extent concordance among reviews conservative treatment disorders. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: During past decades there has been an increasing interest in summarizing analyzing available evidence effectiveness management Considering growing number quality reviews, consumers may question which to read believe. METHODS: Computerized bibliographic databases were searched without language restriction. The assessed had published before January 1998, included pain evaluated therapies, reported at least one controlled clinical trial. Identification, selection, assessment performed independently by two investigators. RESULTS: Of 108 identified articles, 25 selected, 12 systematic reviews. differed their reporting study population, interventions, outcomes. Statistical pooling was high-quality whereas other investigators explicitly decided not pool data. results current show that varied. Regarding manipulation traction, is inconclusive Concordance regarding interventions absent. Many displayed major flaws. CONCLUSIONS: Consumers should consider reports both carefully critically, given wide variety methodology, descriptive information, final conclusions. There a paucity from primary studies Therefore, more research needed allow formulate stronger