Efficacy of manual therapy in osteoarthritis of the hip: systematic review

Abstract

[Objective] The purpose of this review was to examine the effectiveness of manual therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip. [Design] A systematic review was prepared with reference to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) Statement. [Setting] Searches were conducted using MEDLINE/PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) untilfor papers up to March 31, 2022. The target population iswas hip OA patients over 40 years of age. [Results] As a result of the survey, identified 4,630 papers were extracted, and 13 papers were selected that met the eligibility criteria. NThere were no reports from Japan. Twelve papers demonstrated high research quality, scoring 8 or higher on the PEDro scale. Manual therapy has been reported to be more effective in improving hip OA pain, physical function, quality of life, and increasing QALYs compared tothan general and non-manual therapies. However, three reports have questioned its effectiveness. [Conclusions] The effectiveness of manual therapy for hip OA is not as clear-cut as other treatment modalities. Since there are no reports from Japan, it is advisable to conduct an independent investigation.