The effectiveness of structured patient education for the management of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the extremities: a systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration.

PURPOSE To determine the effectiveness of structured patient education for the management of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the extremities. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 1, 1990 to March 14, 2015. Paired reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts for eligibility. The internal validity of studies was assessed using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) criteria. Results from studies with a low risk of bias were synthesized using the best-evidence synthesis methodology. RESULTS We identified two randomized trials with a low risk of bias. Our review suggests that: 1) multimodal care and corticosteroid injections lead to faster pain relief and improvement than reassurance and advice in the short-term and similar outcomes in the long-term for patients with persistent lateral epicondylitis; and 2) providing health education material alone may be less effective than multimodal care for the management of persistent patellofemoral pain syndrome. CONCLUSION Our systematic search of the literature demonstrates that little is known about the effectiveness of structured patient education for the management of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the extremities. Two studies suggest that when used alone, structured patient education may be less effective than other interventions used to manage persistent lateral epicondylitis and persistent patellofemoral syndrome.