Effectiveness of therapeutic strategies for patients with neck pain: Protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Neck pain is a common discomfort or more intense forms of pain in the cervical region. Neck pain has a large impact on individuals and their families, communities, healthcare systems, and businesses throughout the world. Therapeutic strategies are widely used for patients with neck pain in clinical practice, but the effectiveness of each therapeutic strategy is still unclear. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of therapeutic strategies for neck pain. METHOD: Seven electronic databases will be searched regardless of publication date or language. Randomized controlled trials will be included if they recruited participants with neck pain for assessing the effect of each therapy. Primary outcomes will include pain score. The risk of bias will be assessed by 2 authors using the Cochrane tool of risk of bias. Network meta-analysis in random effects model will be conducted to estimate the indirect and mixed effects of therapeutic strategies for neck pain by R-3.5.1 software. The confidence in cumulative evidence will be assessed by grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation. RESULTS: This study will be to assess the effect and safety of therapeutic strategies for neck pain. CONCLUSIONS: This study will assess the effect of different therapeutic strategies for neck pain and provide reliable evidence for the choice of treatments. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD42019102385).