What do systematic reviews say?

Exercise therapy vs Placebo (sham/placebo device)

It is very uncertain whether exercise therapy changes pain compared with sham/placebo treatment (very low certainty).

• Exercise therapy for treatment of acute non‐specific low back pain 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 299 participants
  Very low

Exercise therapy vs no treatment

• Exercise therapy for treatment of acute non‐specific low back pain 2023 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies · 157 participants
  Very low

Exercise therapy vs adaptive pacing therapy

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Supervised exercise therapy vs home exercises

• Supervised exercise therapy versus home‐based exercise therapy versus walking advice for intermittent claudication 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  7 studies · 322 participants
  Moderate

Exercise therapy vs psychological treatment

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Exercise therapy vs control

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Exercise therapy vs antidepressants

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Exercise therapy vs psychological treatment

• Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 43 participants
  Very low

Exercise therapy vs control

• Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 43 participants
  Very low

Exercise therapy vs a control strategy (no treatment, placebo or waiting list controls)

It is very uncertain whether exercise therapy changes usual pain (long‐term) VAS (0 to 10; higher scores mean worse pain) compared with a control strategy (no treatment, placebo or waiting list controls) (very low certainty).

• Exercise for treating patellofemoral pain syndrome 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 94 participants
  Very low

Exercise therapy vs a control strategy (no treatment, placebo or waiting list controls)

It is very uncertain whether exercise therapy changes usual pain (short‐term) Scale (0 to 10; higher scores mean worse pain) compared with a control strategy (no treatment, placebo or waiting list controls) (very low certainty).

• Exercise for treating patellofemoral pain syndrome 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies · 41 participants
  Very low

Exercise therapy vs a control strategy (no treatment, placebo or waiting list controls)

It is very uncertain whether exercise therapy changes pain during activity (long‐term) Scale (0 to 10; higher scores mean… compared with a control strategy (no treatment, placebo or waiting list controls) (very low certainty).

• Exercise for treating patellofemoral pain syndrome 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies · 180 participants
  Very low

Exercise therapy vs a control strategy (no treatment, placebo or waiting list controls)

It is very uncertain whether exercise therapy changes pain during activity (short‐term) Scale (0 to 10; higher scores mean… compared with a control strategy (no treatment, placebo or waiting list controls) (very low certainty).

• Exercise for treating patellofemoral pain syndrome 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  5 studies · 375 participants
  Very low

Summary of findings table ‐ Adjunctive therapies in addition to land‐based exercise therapy vs land‐based exercise therapy

• Adjunctive therapies in addition to land‐based exercise therapy for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee 2022 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  41 studies · 3322 participants
  Low

Exercise therapy vs no treatment four to six weeks after lumbar disc surgery

• Rehabilitation after lumbar disc surgery 2014 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  272 participants
  Very low

Home‐based exercise therapy vs walking advice

• Supervised exercise therapy versus home‐based exercise therapy versus walking advice for intermittent claudication 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  3 studies · 107 participants
  Low

Supervised exercise therapy vs walking advice

• Supervised exercise therapy versus home‐based exercise therapy versus walking advice for intermittent claudication 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  4 studies · 508 participants
  High

Summary of findings table ‐ Adjunctive therapies in addition to land‐based exercise therapy vs placebo adjunctive therapies

• Adjunctive therapies in addition to land‐based exercise therapy for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee 2022 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  22 studies · 1428 participants
  Low

Exercise therapy plus antidepressants vs antidepressants alone

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Manual therapy and exercise vs placebo

• Manual therapy and exercise for rotator cuff disease 2016 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 120 participants
  High