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Efficacy of mobilization with movement (MWM) for shoulder conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Authors: Kiran Satpute, Sue Reid, Thomas Mitchell, Grant Mackay, Toby HallJournal: The Journal of manual & manipulative therapyPublished: May 3, 2022DOI: 10.1080/10669817.2021.1955181
Q2 JournalSJR: 0.789h-index: 25SCImago
Strong EvidenceMeta Analysis

Key Findings: what this meta-analysis found

  • ✓Mobilization with movement (MWM) demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing pain and improving function in patients with shoulder conditions compared to control interventions.
  • ✓MWM showed particularly strong evidence for treating lateral epicondylalgia and glenohumeral joint dysfunction when combined with exercise.
  • ✓The meta-analysis revealed that MWM techniques produced clinically meaningful improvements in shoulder range of motion and disability outcomes across multiple shoulder pathologies.

What This Means for You

This is strong evidence that MWM can help shoulder problems, though this study focuses on manual therapy techniques rather than reflexology specifically.

What This Means for Practitioners

If you incorporate or refer clients for MWM techniques, this systematic review provides robust evidence supporting their use for shoulder conditions, strengthening your recommendations.

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Common questions about this study

What does this study mean in practice?

This is strong evidence that MWM can help shoulder problems, though this study focuses on manual therapy techniques rather than reflexology specifically.

What did this study find?

Mobilization with movement (MWM) demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing pain and improving function in patients with shoulder conditions compared to control interventions. MWM showed particularly strong evidence for treating lateral epicondylalgia and glenohumeral joint dysfunction when combined with exercise. The meta-analysis revealed that MWM techniques produced clinically meaningful improvements in shoulder range of motion and disability outcomes across multiple shoulder pathologies.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a meta-analysis and we rate its evidence strong. It was published in The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy, a Q2 journal. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.

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