Clinical Report: Digital Health Interventions for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Overview

The supplied article context describes a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluating digital health interventions for chronic musculoskeletal pain. The provided excerpt establishes the clinical burden and describes intervention types and access limitations, but does not include the review’s methods, numerical results, or comparative efficacy findings.

Background

Chronic musculoskeletal pain is defined in the source context as noncancer pain involving musculoskeletal tissues that persists or recurs for more than 3 months. A cited systematic review estimated its prevalence at approximately 26% among adults across 28 countries, and the condition is associated with functional limitation and reduced health-related quality of life. Usual management may include education, exercise, behavioral support, and cognitive behavioral therapy, while face-to-face delivery and sustained professional involvement can be constrained by resources, geography, and cost. Digital interventions described in the context include mobile self-management, therapist-led telerehabilitation, wearable monitoring and feedback, virtual reality, and multicomponent programs.

Data Highlights

Key Findings

• The article concerns digital health interventions for chronic musculoskeletal pain and is identified as a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials; the supplied material does not report its included trial count or outcome estimates.
• The context defines chronic musculoskeletal pain as noncancer pain arising from muscles, bones, joints, tendons, or associated soft tissues and persisting or recurring beyond 3 months.
• A cited systematic review and meta-analysis estimated chronic musculoskeletal pain prevalence at approximately 26% among adults across 28 countries.
• The source context associates chronic musculoskeletal pain with functional limitation and diminished health-related quality of life, and identifies low back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis-related pain as leading contributors to years lived with disability.
• Digital intervention formats listed in the context include mobile app–based self-management, therapist-led telerehabilitation, wearable-supported monitoring and feedback, virtual reality, and multicomponent approaches.
• The context states that conventional care may be limited by health care resources, geographic barriers, and implementation costs; it does not provide comparative results establishing the effectiveness of particular digital formats.

Clinical Implications

The supplied context describes digital health interventions as approaches being used to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain and identifies access and follow-up constraints in conventional delivery. It does not provide the review’s comparative estimates or conclusions, so no specific digital modality can be identified from this material as superior or recommended.

Conclusion

The source frames digital health interventions as a varied set of delivery approaches for a prevalent condition associated with disability. The supplied excerpt does not include the meta-analysis findings needed to summarize comparative efficacy or safety.

Related Resources & Content

1. Perrot S, Cohen M, Barke A, et al., Pain, 2019 -- The IASP classification of chronic pain for ICD-11: chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain
2. Jackson T, Thomas S, Stabile V, Han X, Shotwell M, McQueen K., The Lancet, 2015 -- Prevalence of chronic pain in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
3. Dueñas M, Ojeda B, Salazar A, Mico JA, Failde I., Journal of Pain Research, 2016 -- A review of chronic pain impact on patients, their social environment and the health care system
4. Lin I, Wiles L, Waller R, et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2020 -- What does best practice care for musculoskeletal pain look like? Eleven consistent recommendations from high-quality clinical practice guidelines: systematic review
5. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2026 -- Effects of Digital Health Interventions in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
6. ASCO Publications — Comparative Efficacy of Therapeutics for Chronic Cancer Pain: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis
7. Journal of Medical Internet Research — Concerns About Methodology in the Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Telerehabilitation for Chronic Low Back Pain
8. Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) — Comparative Effectiveness of AI-Assisted Telerehabilitation, Telerehabilitation, In-Person Care, and Usual Care for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis
9. Pain Medicine — Systematic review and meta-analysis of conventional medical management in a patient population with refractory chronic pain suitable to receive a spinal cord stimulation system
10. Effects of Digital Health Interventions in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
11. WHO guideline for non-surgical management of chronic primary low back pain in adults in primary and community care settings
12. VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Non-Surgical Management of Hip & Knee Osteoarthritis
13. APA clinical practice guideline development
14. Multidisciplinary expert consensus on clinical diagnosis and therapies for low back pain | Bone Research
15. Guidelines | Rheumatology | Oxford Academic
16. The Relative Efficacy of Different Types of Telerehabilitation for Managing Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review With Network Meta-Analysis - PubMed
17. Journal of Medical Internet Research - Effect of Digital Exercise Therapy on the Pain and Physical Function of Patients With Osteoarthritis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
18. Digital therapeutic combining exercise and cognitive–behavioural therapy reduces pain in patients with chronic patellofemoral pain: a multicentre randomised controlled trial | British Journal of Sports Medicine