Local Heat Applications as a Treatment of Physical and Functional Parameters in Acute and Chronic Musculoskeletal Disorders or Pain.

Abstract Objectives The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of local heat applications (LHA) in individuals with acute or chronic musculoskeletal disorders. Data Sources An electronic search was conducted on MEDLINE, CENTRAL, CINHAL and the PEDro databases up to December 2019. Study Selection Studies incorporating adults suffering from any kind of musculoskeletal issues treated by LHA compared to any treatment other than heat were included. Quality assessment Two authors independently performed the methodological quality assessment using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Data Synthesis LHA showed beneficial immediate effects to reduce pain vs no treatment (p Conclusions Individuals suffering from acute musculoskeletal disorders might benefit from using LHA as an adjunct therapy. However, the studies included in this meta-analysis demonstrated a high heterogeneity and mostly an unclear risk of bias.