BACKGROUND & AIMS: Musculoskeletal pain, the most common cause of disability globally, is most frequently managed in primary care. People with musculoskeletal pain in different body regions share similar characteristics, prognosis, and may respond to similar treatments. This overview aims to summarise current best evidence on currently available treatment options for the five most common musculoskeletal pain presentations (back, neck, shoulder, knee and multi-site pain) in primary care.
METHODS: A systematic search was conducted. Initial searches identified clinical guidelines, clinical pathways and systematic reviews. Additional searches found recently published trials and those addressing gaps in the evidence base. Data on study populations, interventions, and outcomes of intervention on pain and function were extracted. Quality of systematic reviews was assessed using AMSTAR, and strength of evidence rated using a modified GRADE approach.
RESULTS: Moderate to strong evidence suggests that exercise therapy and psychosocial interventions are effective for relieving pain and improving function for musculoskeletal pain. NSAIDs and opioids reduce pain in the short-term, but the effect size is modest and the potential for adverse effects need careful consideration. Corticosteroid injections were found to be beneficial for short-term pain relief among patients with knee and shoulder pain. However, current evidence remains equivocal on optimal dose, intensity and frequency, or mode of application for most treatment options.
CONCLUSION: This review presents a comprehensive summary and critical assessment of current evidence for the treatment of pain presentations in primary care. The evidence synthesis of interventions for common musculoskeletal pain presentations shows moderate-strong evidence for exercise therapy and psychosocial interventions, with short-term benefits only from pharmacological treatments. Future research into optimal dose and application of the most promising treatments is needed.
OBJETIVO: Proporcionar recomendaciones basadas en la evidencia para el tratamiento de pacientes con espondilitis anquilosante (AS) y espondiloartritis axial nonradiographic (SpA).
MÉTODOS: Un grupo central condujeron al desarrollo de las recomendaciones, a partir de las preguntas de tratamiento. Un grupo de revisión de la literatura a cabo revisiones bibliográficas sistemáticas de estudios que abordaron 57 preguntas específicas de tratamiento, en base a búsquedas realizadas en OVID Medline (1946-2014), PubMed (1966-2014), y la Biblioteca Cochrane. Se evaluó la calidad de las pruebas utilizando la clasificación de las Recomendaciones, Método de evaluación (GRADE) Evaluación, Desarrollo y. Un grupo de votación separada revisó la evidencia y votó en las recomendaciones para cada pregunta utilizando el marco GRADO.
RESULTADOS: En los pacientes con EA activa, las fuertes recomendaciones incluyen el uso de antiinflamatorios no esteroideos (AINE), el uso de inhibidores del factor de necrosis tumoral (TNFi) cuando la actividad persiste a pesar del tratamiento con AINE, a no utilizar los glucocorticoides sistémicos, el uso de la terapia física, y el uso de la artroplastia de cadera en pacientes con artritis avanzada de la cadera. Entre las recomendaciones condicionales fue que ningún TNFi particular, se prefiere excepto en pacientes con enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal concomitante o iritis recurrente, en los que se deben utilizar anticuerpos monoclonales TNFi. En los pacientes con SpA axial nonradiographic activa a pesar del tratamiento con AINE, se recomienda el tratamiento con condicionalmente TNFi. Otras recomendaciones para los pacientes con SpA axial nonradiographic se basaron en pruebas indirectas y fueron los mismos que para los pacientes con EA.
CONCLUSIÓN: Estas recomendaciones proporcionan una guía para el manejo de las cuestiones clínicas comunes en la RA y SpA axial nonradiographic. Se necesita investigación adicional sobre la gestión óptima de la medicación con el tiempo, la vigilancia de enfermedades y atención preventiva para ayudar a establecer las mejores prácticas en estas áreas.
OBJECTIVE: To provide evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (SpA).
METHODS: A core group led the development of the recommendations, starting with the treatment questions. A literature review group conducted systematic literature reviews of studies that addressed 57 specific treatment questions, based on searches conducted in OVID Medline (1946-2014), PubMed (1966-2014), and the Cochrane Library. We assessed the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method. A separate voting group reviewed the evidence and voted on recommendations for each question using the GRADE framework.
RESULTS: In patients with active AS, the strong recommendations included use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) when activity persists despite NSAID treatment, not to use systemic glucocorticoids, use of physical therapy, and use of hip arthroplasty for patients with advanced hip arthritis. Among the conditional recommendations was that no particular TNFi was preferred except in patients with concomitant inflammatory bowel disease or recurrent iritis, in whom TNFi monoclonal antibodies should be used. In patients with active nonradiographic axial SpA despite treatment with NSAIDs, we conditionally recommend treatment with TNFi. Other recommendations for patients with nonradiographic axial SpA were based on indirect evidence and were the same as for patients with AS.
CONCLUSION: These recommendations provide guidance for the management of common clinical questions in AS and nonradiographic axial SpA. Additional research on optimal medication management over time, disease monitoring, and preventive care is needed to help establish best practices in these areas.
Musculoskeletal pain, the most common cause of disability globally, is most frequently managed in primary care. People with musculoskeletal pain in different body regions share similar characteristics, prognosis, and may respond to similar treatments. This overview aims to summarise current best evidence on currently available treatment options for the five most common musculoskeletal pain presentations (back, neck, shoulder, knee and multi-site pain) in primary care.
METHODS:
A systematic search was conducted. Initial searches identified clinical guidelines, clinical pathways and systematic reviews. Additional searches found recently published trials and those addressing gaps in the evidence base. Data on study populations, interventions, and outcomes of intervention on pain and function were extracted. Quality of systematic reviews was assessed using AMSTAR, and strength of evidence rated using a modified GRADE approach.
RESULTS:
Moderate to strong evidence suggests that exercise therapy and psychosocial interventions are effective for relieving pain and improving function for musculoskeletal pain. NSAIDs and opioids reduce pain in the short-term, but the effect size is modest and the potential for adverse effects need careful consideration. Corticosteroid injections were found to be beneficial for short-term pain relief among patients with knee and shoulder pain. However, current evidence remains equivocal on optimal dose, intensity and frequency, or mode of application for most treatment options.
CONCLUSION:
This review presents a comprehensive summary and critical assessment of current evidence for the treatment of pain presentations in primary care. The evidence synthesis of interventions for common musculoskeletal pain presentations shows moderate-strong evidence for exercise therapy and psychosocial interventions, with short-term benefits only from pharmacological treatments. Future research into optimal dose and application of the most promising treatments is needed.
