Thermotherapy for shoulder pain: A protocol for systematic review

BACKGROUND: Shoulder pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder prompting many patients to seek treatment. Thermotherapy is a common treatment for shoulder which has been widely used in hospitals. But its efficiency has not been scientifically and methodically evaluated. This protocol aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thermotherapy for treating shoulder pain. METHODS: Eight databases will be searched from their inception to October 2021. They are as follows: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database (CNKI), Weipu Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and Wanfang Database. Two researchers will independently select studies, collect data, and assess the methodology quality by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. RESULTS: The systematic review will provide high-quality evidence to assess the efficacy and safety of thermotherapy for shoulder pain as well as adverse events. CONCLUSION: The systematic review will provide evidence to assess the effectiveness and safety of thermotherapy therapy for shoulder pain patients. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2021110086.