Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41978692›Full record

ReviewRheumatology advances in practice2026

The prevalence of dysautonomia in chronic musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Norah A Almutairi, Darren C Greenwood, Manoj Sivan

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Rheumatology advances in practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

3 authors.

Norah A AlmutairiAcademic Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9164-5730
Darren C GreenwoodLeeds Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7035-3096
Manoj SivanAcademic Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0334-2968

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: Several chronic musculoskeletal disorders are characterized by pain, fatigue, dizziness and other associated symptoms that may be related to autonomic dysfunction. The aim of this review was to estimate the prevalence of autonomic dysfunction in chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions. Methods: MEDLINE and Embase were searched through 4 October 2024 for all peer-reviewed studies of dysautonomia in adult musculoskeletal conditions. Risk of bias was assessed using an adapted Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The prevalence of dysautonomia and relative risk compared with healthy controls were estimated using random effects meta-analysis. Results: A total of 17 studies (13 fibromyalgia, 3 Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, 1 rheumatoid arthritis) were identified, including 1003 participants with musculoskeletal pain and 417 healthy controls. In people with chronic musculoskeletal pain, the pooled prevalence of dysautonomia was 64% (95% CI 51, 76; Conclusion: The high prevalence of dysautonomia in patients with chronic musculoskeletal painful conditions illustrates the association between dysautonomia and chronic pain, suggesting regular screening for dysautonomia is warranted for all patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Indexed as

arthritisautonomic dysfunctioncardiovascularchronic widespread paininflammatoryneuropathic painnon-inflammatoryorthostatic intolerance

Identifiers

PMID41978692
PMCPMC13070644

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.