“Do Not Mix Apples with Oranges” to Avoid Misinterpretation of Placebo Effects in Manual Therapy: The Risk Is Resulting in a Fruit Basket. Comment on Molina-Àlvarez et al. Manual Therapy Effect in Placebo-Controlled Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 14021

Abstract

We read with interest the systematic review with the meta-analysis by Miguel Molina-Álvarez et al. [...]

Comment on ‘The importance of context (placebo effects) in conservative interventions for musculoskeletal pain: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials’ by Saueressig et al.

“…sham kinesio taping, sham manipulation and detuned electrotherapy devices) within studies and the pooled effects of 'control groups' adds complexity and heterogeneity to the overall findings. This lack of subgroup analyses challenges the interpretation of authors' results, as everything is pooled together with the risk of comparing apples with oranges, thus not being informative for clinicians (Rossettini et al, 2023).…”