Table 2. Search phrases/terms utilised across the databases.

FSHD: Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy; SMA: spinal muscular atrophy; DMD: Duchenne muscular dystrophy; HD: Huntington's disease

Database	Search string
PubMed	("physiotherapy" OR "physical therapy" OR "exercise" OR "rehabilitation") AND ("genetic muscle-wasting disorders" OR "facioscapulohumeral dystrophy" OR "spinal muscular atrophy" OR "Duchenne muscular dystrophy" OR "Huntington’s disease")
Cochrane Library	(("physiotherapy" OR "physical therapy" OR "exercise" OR "rehabilitation") AND ("genetic muscle-wasting disorders" OR "FSHD" OR "SMA" OR "DMD" OR "Huntington’s disease"))
Embase	('physiotherapy' OR 'physical therapy' OR 'exercise' OR 'rehabilitation') AND ('genetic muscle-wasting disorder' OR 'facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy' OR 'spinal muscular atrophy' OR 'Duchenne muscular dystrophy' OR 'Huntington disease')
Web of Science	TS=("physiotherapy" OR "physical therapy" OR "exercise" OR "rehabilitation") AND TS=("genetic muscle-wasting disorders" OR "facioscapulohumeral dystrophy" OR "spinal muscular atrophy" OR "Duchenne muscular dystrophy" OR "Huntington’s disease")
Scopus	TITLE-ABS-KEY ("physiotherapy" OR "physical therapy" OR "exercise" OR "rehabilitation") AND TITLE-ABS-KEY ("genetic muscle-wasting disorders" OR "facioscapulohumeral dystrophy" OR "spinal muscular atrophy" OR "Duchenne muscular dystrophy" OR "Huntington’s disease")
CINAHL	("physiotherapy" OR "physical therapy" OR "exercise" OR "rehabilitation") AND ("genetic muscle-wasting disorders" OR "FSHD" OR "SMA" OR "DMD" OR "Huntington’s disease")
PEDro	("physiotherapy" OR "physical therapy" OR "exercise" OR "rehabilitation") AND ("genetic muscle-wasting disorder" OR "facioscapulohumeral dystrophy" OR "spinal muscular atrophy" OR "Duchenne muscular dystrophy" OR "Huntington’s disease")