Comparative Efficacy of Mind–Body Exercise for Treating Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and network meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy of different mind–body exercise (MBE) interventions, including Yoga, Pilates, Qigong, and Tai Chi, in managing chronic non-specific neck pain (CNNP). We searched randomized controlled trials in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. After screening eligible studies and extracting relevant data, risk of bias of included studies was assessed by the Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool, and network meta-analysis was performed by the Stata software version 16.0.

Of the 1019 studies retrieved, 18 studies with 1442 subjects were included. Fourteen studies were graded as high quality. Yoga plus hot sand fomentation was the most effective in reducing pain intensity and functional disability, and improving the quality of physical life in patients with CNNP. Yoga achieved the most improvement in cervical mobility. And Pilates was the best MBE intervention for improving the quality of mental life.

Overall, Yoga, Pilates, Qigong, and Tai Chi demonstrated considerable effectiveness in improving pain intensity, functional disability, cervical mobility, and quality of life in patients with CNNP. Yoga or Yoga plus heat therapy was the most effective method for patients with CNNP. Additional high-quality, large-scale, multi-center, long-term follow-up studies are necessary to fully understand the comparative effectiveness of different MBE interventions for CNNP, and to recognize the potential benefits of each MBE intervention and the need for individualized treatment approaches.