Table 2.
Summary of the findings and level of certainty using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation).
| Time point and outcomes | Risk of bias | Inconsistency | Indirectness | Imprecision | Publication bias | Participants, n | RCTa, n | Mean difference (95% CI) | Certainty | ||||||||||
| Immediate term | |||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Pain | Seriousb | Seriousc | Not serious | Not serious | Not serious | 879 | 19 | –1.43 (–1.86 to –1.00) |
 Low |
|||||||||
|
|
Pain-related fear | Seriousb | Seriousc | Not serious | Seriousd | Not serious | 229 | 6 | –5.46 (–9.40 to –1.52) |
 Very low |
|||||||||
|
|
Disability | Seriousb | Seriousc | Not serious | Seriousd | Not serious | 377 | 8 | –11.50 (–20.00 to –3.01) |
Very low |
|||||||||
| Short term | |||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Pain-related fear | Seriousb | Seriousc | Not serious | Seriousd | Not serious | 106 | 3 | –5.66 (–12.34 to 1.01) |
Very low |
|||||||||
|
|
Pain | Seriousb | Seriousc | Not serious | Seriousd | Not serious | 393 | 7 | –0.57 (–1.36 to 0.22) |
Very low |
|||||||||
|
|
Disability | Seriousb | Not serious | Not serious | Seriousd | Not serious | 96 | 3 | –1.28 (–4.47 to 1.90) |
Low |
|||||||||
aRCT: randomized controlled trial.
bDowngrade due to the majority of trials rated as some concerns.
cDowngrade due to I2 statistics >50%.
dDowngrade due to pooled sample sizes <400.