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Each row is one question a systematic review asked: who, what, compared with what, and which outcome, with the effect it found and how certain that is. Words match anywhere in the field.
767 questions in 53 reviews · Back and Neck
current versionsNo studies 149 · 19.4%Ungraded 41 · 5.3%Very low 168 · 21.9%Low 226 · 29.5%Moderate 156 · 20.3%High 27 · 3.5%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
| Question | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
McKenzie therapy vs manual therapy Pain intensity: short‐term (closest to 2 weeks)a Multiples scales (scale from 0‐100, 0 is no pain) · patients with non‐specific acute and subacute low back pain The McKenzie method for (sub)acute non‐specific low back pain (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 298 participants | Low |
McKenzie therapy vs manual therapy Pain intensity: intermediate‐term (closest to 3 months) NRS (scale from 0‐100, 0 is no pain) · patients with non‐specific acute and subacute low back pain The McKenzie method for (sub)acute non‐specific low back pain (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 235 participants | Low |
McKenzie therapy vs manual therapy Disability: short‐term (closest to 2 weeks)a Multiples scales (scale from 0‐100, 0 is no disability) · patients with non‐specific acute and subacute low back pain The McKenzie method for (sub)acute non‐specific low back pain (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 298 participants | Low |
McKenzie therapy vs manual therapy Disability: intermediate‐term (closest to 3 months) RMDQ (scale from 0‐100, 0 is no disability) · patients with non‐specific acute and subacute low back pain The McKenzie method for (sub)acute non‐specific low back pain (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 235 participants | Low |
Spinal cord stimulation vs placebo Pain intensity VAS, translated to a 0‐ to 100‐point scale, where 0 is no pain Medium‐term · adults with low back pain Spinal cord stimulation for low back pain (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 50 participants | Moderate |
Spinal cord stimulation vs placebo Function Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire & Oswestry Disability Index translated to a 0‐ to 100‐point scale, where 0 is no disability or best function Medium‐term · adults with low back pain Spinal cord stimulation for low back pain (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 50 participants | Moderate |
Spinal cord stimulation vs placebo Health‐related quality of life EQ‐5D, index from 0 to 1 where 0 is worst quality of life Medium‐term · adults with low back pain Spinal cord stimulation for low back pain (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 50 participants | Moderate |
Spinal cord stimulation vs placebo Global assessment of efficacy ≥ 50% improvement in pain Medium‐term · adults with low back pain Spinal cord stimulation for low back pain (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies · 0 participants | Ungraded |
Spinal cord stimulation vs placebo Withdrawals due to adverse events · adults with low back pain Spinal cord stimulation for low back pain (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies · 0 participants | Very low |
Spinal cord stimulation vs placebo Adverse eventsc · adults with low back pain Spinal cord stimulation for low back pain (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies · 0 participants | Very low |
Spinal cord stimulation vs placebo Serious adverse eventsd · adults with low back pain Spinal cord stimulation for low back pain (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies · 0 participants | Very low |
Yoga vs sham yoga Back‐specific functional status · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Yoga vs non‐exercise Clinical improvement Assessed as participant rating that back pain was improved or resolved. Improvement measured differently in each study · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 2.33 [1.46, 3.71] | 4 studies · 353 participants | Low |
Yoga vs non‐exercise Physical quality of life · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 6 studies · 686 participants | Moderate |
Yoga vs non‐exercise Mental quality of life · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 6 studies · 686 participants | Moderate |
Yoga vs non‐exercise Depression · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 241 participants | Low |
Yoga vs non‐exercise Adverse events (1 participant withdrew due to increased back pain) · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 4.76 [2.08, 10.89] | 8 studies · 1037 participants | Low |
Yoga vs exercise Outcomesa · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Yoga vs exercise Back‐specific functional status · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 4 studies · 575 participants | Moderate |
Yoga vs exercise Pain · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 326 participants | Very low |
Yoga vs exercise Clinical improvement Assessed as participant rating that back pain was improved or resolved. Improvement measured differently in each study · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 0.97 [0.72, 1.31] | 3 studies · 433 participants | Very low |
Yoga vs exercise Physical quality of life · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 237 participants | Very low |
Yoga vs sham yoga Pain · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Yoga vs exercise Mental quality of life · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 237 participants | Very low |
Yoga vs exercise Depression · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Yoga vs exercise Adverse events · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 0.93 [0.56, 1.53] | 5 studies · 640 participants | Low |
Yoga vs sham yoga Physical quality of life · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Yoga vs sham yoga Mental quality of life · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Yoga vs sham yoga Depression · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Yoga vs sham yoga Adverse events · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Yoga vs non‐exercise Outcomesa · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Yoga vs non‐exercise Back‐specific functional status · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 11 studies · 1155 participants | Low |
Yoga vs non‐exercise Pain · people with chronic non‐specific low back pain Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 9 studies · 946 participants | Moderate |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Pain (continuous) Standardized to 0–10 scale · people with radicular low back pain (not due to spinal stenosis) Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 5 studies · 430 participants | Moderate |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Function (continuous) RDQ‐18 (scale 0–18) · people with non‐radicular low back pain Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 86 participants | Low |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Function (dichotomous) RDQ‐18 = 0 · people with non‐radicular low back pain Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 1.05 [0.82, 1.33] | 1 study · 86 participants | Low |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Participants who underwent surgery · people with non‐radicular low back pain Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Participants who experienced a serious adverse event · people with non‐radicular low back pain Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Participants who experienced any adverse event Adverse event regardless of severity · people with non‐radicular low back pain Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 0.45 [0.23, 0.88] | 1 study · 86 participants | Low |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Pain (continuous) Standardized to 0–10 scale · people with spinal stenosis Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 154 participants | Moderate |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Function (continuous) RDQ‐18 (scale 0–18) · people with spinal stenosis Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 154 participants | Moderate |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Participants who experienced any adverse event · people with spinal stenosis Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Pain (dichotomous) Pain improved (definitions varied)c · people with radicular low back pain (not due to spinal stenosis) Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 1.21 [0.88, 1.66] | 2 studies · 345 participants | Moderate |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Function (continuous) SMD (scales varied) · people with radicular low back pain (not due to spinal stenosis) Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 4 studies · 364 participants | Low |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Function (dichotomous) Function improved (definitions varied)f · people with radicular low back pain (not due to spinal stenosis) Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 1.52 [1.22, 1.91] | 3 studies · 403 participants | Moderate |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Participants who underwent surgery Underwent surgery · people with radicular low back pain (not due to spinal stenosis) Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 1 [0.68, 1.47] | 5 studies · 442 participants | Moderate |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Participants who experienced a serious adverse event Adverse event requiring hospitalization or resulting in death · people with radicular low back pain (not due to spinal stenosis) Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 0.74 [0.13, 4.33] | 2 studies · 267 participants | Very low |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Participants with hyperglycemia "Transient hyperglycemia" or blood sugar increase ≥ 50 mg/dL · people with radicular low back pain (not due to spinal stenosis) Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 1.07 [0.47, 2.47] | 2 studies · 151 participants | Low |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Pain (continuous) Standardized to 0–10 scale · people with non‐radicular low back pain Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 86 participants | Low |
Systemic corticosteroids vs placebo Pain (dichotomous) No pain in last 24 hours · people with non‐radicular low back pain Systemic corticosteroids for radicular and non‐radicular low back pain (2022) · Cochrane | RR 0.95 [0.66, 1.39] | 1 study · 86 participants | Low |