ReviewMuscles (Basel, Switzerland)2024
Current Indications and Future Direction in Heat Therapy for Musculoskeletal Pain: A Narrative Review.
Review in Muscles (Basel, Switzerland), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Joint associations of chronic heat exposure and physical activity with the risk of knee osteoarthritis: a prospective cohort study based on the UK biobank.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Applying thermal therapy: Comparison of different commercially available heating devices to increase muscle temperature.Experimental physiology · 2026Article
- Maitland mobilisation improves all ranges of motion in non-traumatic shoulder injury: A randomised controlled trial.The South African journal of physiotherapy · 2026Article
- Passive hydrotherapy preserves cartilage and muscle integrity in a murine osteoarthritis model: potential role of integrin αV/TGF-β mechanotransduction.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMusculoskeletal pain is a non-negligible multifaceted condition affecting more than 30% of the global population. Superficial heat therapy (HT), through increasing tissue temperatures, plays a role in increasing local metabolism and function and relieving pain. Knee (KP) and sports pain represent two relevant fields of superficial HT application.
methodsIn the present paper, a panel of experts performed a narrative review of the literature regarding the role of superficial HT in the management of knee and sports activity-related pain.
resultsAccording to the reviewed literature, HT represents a therapeutic option in the management of musculoskeletal pain due to three main effects: pain relief, promotion of healing, and return to normal function and activity. Moreover, HT plays a role in sport activities both before and after exercise. Before performing sports, HT helps in preparing muscles for performance. After performing sports, it is capable to promote recovery and healing pathways. Combining and sequencing superficial heat and cold therapy represent an interesting topic of study. Overall, the application of heat wraps for superficial HT can be considered safe.
conclusionsHT has been shown to be a potentially beneficial and safe option in the management of several conditions including KP and sports. The key in the application of superficial HT is a multimodal and multidisciplinary approach.
Indexed as
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What Socratic holds
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.