Table 1.
Characteristics of the included studies.
| Author, Year | Setting | Disease | Demographic Characteristics |
Intervention | Control | Physiotherapy Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dessie 2019 |
Outpatient office |
Myofascial pelvic pain |
N = 59 Groups and sex: 30 Int. (30 F, 0 M) 29 Cont. (29 F, 0 M) Age: (Median (Q1,Q3)) Int. 42 (30,55) Cont. 40 (31,54) Dropout: No dropouts |
20 BoNT-A injections (200 U) + Manual therapy (individualised abdominal soft and connective tissue targeted manual therapy) + Patient education + Exercise regarding movement, biopsychosocial pain concepts, alignment, and respiration |
20 saline injections (1 mL) + Manual therapy (individualised abdominal soft and connective tissue targeted manual therapy) + Patient education + Exercise regarding movement, biopsychosocial pain concepts, alignment, and respiration |
1 s/w for 8 weeks. Each session lasted 45–60 min. |
| Bao 2018 |
Rehabilitation department | Knee osteoarthritis |
N = 40 Groups and sex: 20 Int. (10 F, 10 M) 20 Cont. (11 F, 9 M) Age: (Mean ± SD) Int. 66 ± 3.5 Cont. 65 ± 3.52 Dropout: No dropouts |
BoNT-A injection (100 U) + Therapeutic exercise (strengthening and balance) |
Saline injection (2.5 mL) + Therapeutic exercise (strengthening and balance) |
5 s/w for 8 weeks. Each session lasted 30–45 min. |
| Fishman 2016 |
Private clinic |
Piriformis syndrome |
N = 54 Groups and sex: 27 Int. (NA F, NA M) 27 Cont. (NA F, NA M) Age NA Dropouts: 52 week 2 (25 Int., 27 Cont.) 49 week 4 (25 Int., 24 Cont.) 38 week 8 (19 Int., 19 Cont.) 15 week 12 (9 Int., 6 Cont.) |
4 BoNT-A injections (300 U) + Physical therapies (US, hot pack, cold spray) + Manual therapy (myofascial release, stretching) + Therapeutic exercises (McKenzie exercises) |
4 saline injections (3 mL) + Physical therapies (US, hot pack, cold spray) + Manual therapy (myofascial release, stretching) + Therapeutic exercises (McKenzie exercises) |
1 s/w for 12 weeks |
| Montesó-Curto 2015 |
Hospital | Fibromyalgia | N = 44 Groups and sex: 22 Int. (21 F, 1 M) 22 Cont. (21 F, 1 M) Age: N (%) N < 60 y, 22 (50%) N ≥ 60 y, 22 (50%) Dropout: No dropouts |
BoNT-A injections (unit not available) + Patient education |
Patient education | 4 sessions in total: 1 s/w per 3 weeks 1 session after 1 month from the third one |
| Ferrante 2005 |
Unknown | Cervicothoracic myofascial pain |
N = 133 Groups and sex: 98 Int. (61 F, 37 M) 35 Cont. (20 F, 15 M) Age: (Mean ± SD) Int. 45.5 ± 14.8 Cont. 45.3 ± 10.1 Dropout: No dropouts |
BoNT-A injection (10/25/50 U per TrP up to maximum of 5 TrPs) + Manual therapy (myofascial release) + Pharmacotherapeutic regimen (amitriptyline, ibuprofen, propoxyphene–acetaminophen napsylate) |
Saline injections (unit not available) + Manual therapy (myofascial release) + Pharmacotherapeutic regimen (amitriptyline, ibuprofen, propoxyphene–acetaminophen napsylate) |
No data available |
| Schnider 2002 |
Unknown | Cervical headache |
N = 33 Groups and sex: 17 Int. (10 F, 7 M) 16 Cont. (10 F, 6 M) Age: (Mean ± SD) Tot. 50.7 ± 10.4 Dropout: No dropouts |
BoNT-A injections (15 U each for 6 most painful TrPs) + Manual therapy (massage) + Physical therapy (hot packs) |
Saline injections (0.15 mL each for 6 most painful TrPs) + Manual therapy (massage) + Physical therapy (hot packs) |
9 sessions in total divided into 3 weeks |
Legend: N, number; Int., intervention; Cont., control; F, female; M, male; Q1; first quartile; Q3, third quartile; SD, standard deviation; NA, not available; y, years old; Tot, total group; BoNT-A, botulinum toxin A; U, unit; s/w, session per week; US, ultrasound; TrP, trigger point.