Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39560389›Full record

SynthesisExperimental physiology2026

The effectiveness of aerobic exercise on pain and disability in individuals with neck pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ana Lzabela Sobral de Oliveira-Souza, Marie Kempe, Sofia Grimmelsmann, Luiz Felipe Tavares, Ester Moreira De Castro-Carletti, Angela Viegas Andrade, Liz Dennett, Harry Von Piekartz, Jorge Fuentes Contreras, Susan Armijo-Olivo

Registry-linked trialAbstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Experimental physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07477145 (Effect of Body Mind Exercises and Specific Neck Exercises in Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain), which is not on this map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07477145 nanot yet recruitingnot on this map

Effect of Body Mind Exercises and Specific Neck Exercises in Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain

TypeinterventionalSponsorCairo UniversityRan2026 to 2026Enrolled80ConditionsNeck Pain MusculoskeletalArmsConventional physical therapy group., Body mind exercises group (mindful aerobic exercises), specific neck exercise group, Combined exercise group.
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Ana Lzabela Sobral de Oliveira-SouzaFaculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7825-2676
Marie KempeFaculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
Sofia GrimmelsmannFaculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
Luiz Felipe TavaresFaculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5227-2599
Ester Moreira De Castro-CarlettiFaculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
Angela Viegas AndradeMaster's in Science of Rehabilitation, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Liz DennettGeoffrey and Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Harry Von PiekartzFaculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
Jorge Fuentes ContrerasFaculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy, Clinical Research Lab, Catholic University of Maule, Talca, Chile.
Susan Armijo-OlivoFaculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7942-433X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The present review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of aerobic exercise (AE) compared to other interventions in decreasing pain intensity and reducing disability in individuals with neck pain. A systematic review (SR) of randomized controlled trials was conducted. This SR was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021231231). Searches were conducted in five electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane and SCOPUS). Studies were selected if they included adults over 18 years old with neck pain. The primary outcomes were pain intensity and physical function. A meta-analysis was conducted when applicable. Cochrane RoB Tool-2 was used to determine the risk of bias of included studies, and the certainty of the evidence was determined using the GRADE approach. Out of 4669 initial records screened, six studies published in 12 articles were included. AE was not statistically different compared to no-treatment or other interventions (e.g., localized exercise or acupuncture) on pain intensity measured with a visual analogue scale (VAS) (mean difference (MD) [95%CI]: 5.16 mm [-6.38, 16.70]). Contrarily, strengthening exercise was better than AE for pain intensity (MD [95%CI]: -11.34 mm [-21.6, -1.09]) after treatment. However, when AE was combined with other therapy (strengthening exercises or acupuncture), the combined therapy was better than isolated treatments (MD [95%CI]: 7.71 mm [1.07, 14.35]). A high heterogeneity was observed between protocols, comparisons, and results (magnitudes and directions). In conclusion, AE had positive results only when combined with other therapies to reduce pain intensity and disability in patients with neck pain. However, the evidence is limited, low-quality, and heterogeneous.

Indexed as

ExerciseExercise TherapyNeck PainHumansPain ManagementPain MeasurementRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment Outcomeaerobic exercisedisability evaluationneck painpainphysical therapyrandomized controlled trialssystematic review

Identifiers

PMID39560389
PMCPMC13238618

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.