Search Results (1,630)

Background and Objectives: Pregnancy-related low back pain (PLBP) is one of the most frequent musculoskeletal complications during pregnancy and may negatively affect physical function, occupational performance, and quality of life. Although regular physical activity (PA) is recommended during pregnancy, the relationship between self-perceived physical fitness (SPPF) and PLBP remains insufficiently explored. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between SPPF assessed using the International Fitness Scale (IFIS) and PLBP in a cohort of physically active pregnant women. Materials and Methods: A secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study including 147 physically active pregnant women was performed. All participants fulfilled the World Health Organization recommendations for PA during pregnancy (≥600 MET·min/week). PA was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), whereas SPPF was evaluated using the IFIS. PLBP was assessed using structured questionnaires and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate independent associations between IFIS scores and PLBP. Results: PLBP was reported by 95 women (64.6%). During pregnancy, women without PLBP showed significantly higher IFIS scores across all evaluated fitness dimensions compared with women with PLBP (all p < 0.05). Women with PLBP additionally exhibited significant reductions in perceived speed/agility and flexibility compared with prepregnancy values. In multivariable analyses, higher global IFIS scores during pregnancy were independently associated with lower odds of PLBP (adjusted OR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.15–0.60; p < 0.001). No significant associations were observed between IFIS scores and occupational interruption, umbilical artery pH, or instrumental delivery. Conclusions: Lower SPPF assessed using the IFIS was associated with PLBP in physically active pregnant women. Higher IFIS scores during pregnancy were independently associated with lower odds of PLBP, highlighting the potential clinical relevance of SPPF beyond PA volume alone. Given its simplicity, low cost, and ease of administration, the IFIS may constitute a practical tool for the assessment of SPPF during routine prenatal care. However, prospective studies are needed to clarify the temporal relationship between SPPF and PLBP and to determine its potential predictive value. Full article

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a connective tissue disorder classically associated with cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and ocular manifestations. Neurological involvement is increasingly recognized and is most commonly related to spontaneous intracranial hypotension secondary to dural ectasia and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. By contrast, idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is exceptionally rare in pediatric patients with MFS. We report the case of an 8-year-old girl with Marfan syndrome presenting with neck pain, diplopia, bilateral papilledema, and bilateral sixth cranial nerve palsy. Brain MRI demonstrated optic nerve tortuosity, distension of the perioptic subarachnoid spaces, and partial empty sella, while venous sinus thrombosis and spinal CSF leakage were excluded. Lumbar puncture confirmed markedly elevated CSF opening pressure (48 cmH₂O), consistent with IIH. CSF and plasma neurofilament light chain levels were elevated, whereas anti-MOG antibodies and autoimmune investigations were negative. The patient showed rapid clinical improvement following therapeutic CSF drainage and acetazolamide treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this represents only the second report of pediatric IIH associated with Marfan syndrome. Our patient developed idiopathic intracranial hypertension, an uncommon neurological manifestation in this condition. Through this case, we aim to highlight the diagnostic challenges, discuss the possible pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this rare association and emphasize the importance of considering intracranial hypertension in the differential diagnosis of children with Marfan syndrome presenting with neuro-ophthalmological symptoms. Full article

We thank Dr. Kiral for a thoughtful and constructive commentary, with which we largely agree. Surrogate biomechanical markers and direct visualisation of the SCN are complementary rather than competing: the markers were intended to extend diagnostic support to the many settings and patients in whom direct visualisation is not easy to achieve, whether for patient-related reasons or because high-resolution equipment and dedicated expertise are not universally available. We agree that these findings are supportive rather than primary diagnostic markers, and that their value may lie in the triad within a clinically pre-selected population rather than in any single sign. The nociceptive–neuropathic distinction the author emphasises is itself one of the central conclusions of our study. Full article

Superior cluneal nerve (SCN) entrapment is an underrecognized cause of chronic low back pain, and musculoskeletal ultrasound has recently gained attention as a potential diagnostic tool. In a recent pilot study, an indirect ultrasonographic triad consisting of thoracolumbar fascia thickening, iliac crest enthesophytes, and Copeman nodules was proposed as a potential diagnostic indicator of SCN entrapment. In this comment, we discuss several anatomical and methodological considerations regarding the ultrasonographic evaluation of SCN entrapment. Based on previous anatomical studies and our own ultrasonographic experience, we emphasize that the principal role of ultrasonography in SCN entrapment is to facilitate accurate ultrasound-guided diagnostic nerve blocks by identifying the target anatomy. Although direct visualization of the SCN may provide supportive anatomical information, the diagnosis should remain based on the clinical presentation and, when indicated, confirmation by an ultrasound-guided diagnostic nerve block. Further multicenter prospective studies are needed to establish standardized ultrasonographic diagnostic criteria for SCN entrapment. Full article

Objectives: To systematically evaluate the diagnostic accuracy, clinical applicability, and methodological maturity of artificial intelligence (AI)-based methods for temporomandibular disorders (TMD), temporomandibular joint (TMJ) abnormalities, and related cranio-cervico-mandibular (CCM) musculoskeletal conditions compared with conventional diagnostic methods and accepted reference standards. Materials and Methods: This systematic review and exploratory diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA-DTA. The protocol was retrospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261428138). PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus were searched from database inception through February 2026. Eligibility for the primary synthesis was restricted to published studies in English or Spanish involving adults aged 18 years or older. All extracted records were re-audited article by article to align the evidence with the diagnostic question. The domain-specific quantitative synthesis was restricted to TMJ osteoarthritis studies with explicit 2 × 2 diagnostic data or a unique, verifiable reconstruction from reported class totals and sensitivity/specificity. Risk of bias was assessed with QUADAS-2. Results: From 1471 records identified, 174 entered the master extraction dataset. After reclassification, 84 records were retained for primary TMD/TMJ qualitative synthesis, 8 as secondary CCM musculoskeletal evidence, 31 as conventional or reference standard supporting evidence, 33 as methodological or contextual evidence, 4 as differential orofacial pain evidence, and 14 as excluded or minimal-background records. Twenty-one studies were assessed as potential diagnostic accuracy candidates. Three TMJ osteoarthritis studies contributed to the domain-specific exploratory meta-analysis: two with explicit 2 × 2 data and one with a reproducible reconstruction. Pooled sensitivity was 0.791 (95% CI: 0.700–0.861) and pooled specificity was 0.869 (95% CI: 0.811–0.911). Heterogeneity was substantial for sensitivity (I² = 68.2%) and moderate for specificity (I² = 57.3%). Conclusions: AI demonstrates promising performance in selected image-based TMJ osteoarthritis tasks. Nevertheless, the evidence remains exploratory because only three studies were quantitatively comparable, one table was reconstructed, and modalities and validation designs differed. AI should be interpreted as an augmentative decision support tool rather than a replacement for MRI, CBCT, or validated clinical frameworks such as DC/TMD. Clinical Relevance: AI may support image-based TMD/TMJ workflows, but present evidence does not justify autonomous diagnosis or replacement of established clinical and imaging reference standards. Full article

Background/Objectives: Degenerative musculoskeletal diseases represent a major cause of chronic pain and disability worldwide and are increasingly associated with dysregulated oxidative stress and impaired redox signaling. Conventional therapeutic strategies are often limited to symptomatic management, prompting interest in adjunctive approaches that target underlying biological mechanisms. Among these, medical ozone therapy has been proposed as a redox-modulating intervention in various musculoskeletal conditions. Methods: A narrative clinical–mechanistic review of the literature was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify experimental and clinical studies examining oxidative stress, redox signaling, and the application of medical ozone therapy in degenerative musculoskeletal disorders. Preclinical models published between 2000 and 2025 and randomized controlled trials published between 2020 and 2025 were critically evaluated and synthesized qualitatively, with attention to biological plausibility, clinical outcomes, and methodological limitations. A PRISMA-style flow diagram was used to document study selection. Results: Evidence from experimental studies supports a role for controlled oxidative stimuli in activating adaptive cellular defense pathways, including redox-sensitive signaling mechanisms involved in inflammation and tissue homeostasis. Clinical studies across conditions such as intervertebral disc disease, knee osteoarthritis, and other degenerative or overuse-related disorders report short- to mid-term improvements in pain and function following ozone therapy. However, substantial heterogeneity in study design, treatment protocols, and outcome measures limits comparability. Critically, many trials report statistically significant differences that do not consistently exceed the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for pain and disability indices, and no trial has validated the proposed Nrf2-mediated mechanism in human tissue at clinically administered doses. Conclusions: Current evidence suggests that ozone therapy may exert biologically plausible effects through hormetic redox modulation and may provide symptomatic benefit in selected patients with degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. Nonetheless, the lack of standardized protocols, high-quality long-term data, and mechanistic biomarker validation warrants cautious interpretation. Ozone therapy should be regarded as an investigational adjunct rather than a disease-modifying or standalone standard of care. Further rigorous clinical trials integrating mechanistic biomarkers, sham-controlled designs, and standardized methodologies are needed to clarify the therapeutic role and safety profile of ozone therapy in musculoskeletal medicine. Full article

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have been reported to be very common among hospital workers and particularly nurses. They are assumed or found to be a result of physical workload or poor posture at work and only secondarily a consequence of (general) stress. Due to the increasing workload, more and more digestive endoscopy nurses have WMSDs, but there is still a lack of comprehensive research on the specific factors and patterns of WMSDs in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 digestive endoscopy nurses from 35 cities across 10 provinces in China. Data were collected using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and analyzed using multivariable logistic regression and latent class analysis (LCA) to identify associated factors and WMSD occurrence patterns. Results: The overall 12-month prevalence of WMSDs was high (82.5%), particularly in the neck, shoulder, and lower back. Frequent participation in complex endoscopic procedures (adjusted OR range 1.6–1.7) and 6–10 years of work experience (adjusted OR range 1.7–2.5)—rather than daily procedure volume alone—were independently associated with an increased likelihood of WMSDs (p < 0.05). BMI, analyzed using three categories (<24, 24–27.9, ≥28 kg/m²), was not significantly associated with WMSDs in any body region. The LCA revealed three distinct WMSD patterns characterized by multisite pain: a Full-body Pain group (19.0%), a Neck–Shoulder–Lower Back–Upper Back Pain group (42.25%), and a Mild Pain group (38.75%). Conclusions: This study found that digestive endoscopy nurses were at high risk for WMSDs, mainly due to repetitive physical strain and ergonomic challenges. As this was a cross-sectional study, the reported associations should not be interpreted as causal. Ergonomic training, improved workstation design, and workload optimization are important measures to ensure nurses’ health and improve the quality of care. Full article

Background/Objective: The Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) is a patient-centered outcome measure that captures limitations in activities that are personally meaningful to patients. Although the Arabic PSFS has demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability, its responsiveness in individuals with lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders has not been established. This study aimed to examine the responsiveness of the Arabic PSFS in detecting changes in lower extremity function over time. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in three outpatient physical therapy clinics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Seventy-two adults with lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders receiving physical therapy care completed the Arabic PSFS, RAND-36, and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) at baseline and follow-up. At the follow-up, participants also completed the Global Rating of Change (GRC). Responsiveness was evaluated using eight a priori hypotheses following COSMIN recommendations. Change scores were analyzed using correlation coefficients, paired t-tests, effect size (ES), and standardized response mean (SRM). Results: Sixty participants (83.3%) reported improvement in the GRC. PSFS scores improved significantly (mean difference = 1.66; p < 0.001), demonstrating a large magnitude of improvement (ES = 0.80; SRM = 0.92). PSFS change scores correlated moderately with RAND-36 physical functioning (r = 0.51) and GRC (r = 0.55) and weakly with emotional well-being (r = 0.26) and showed smaller-than-expected associations with pain measures. Six out of eight (75%) predefined hypotheses were confirmed. Conclusions: The Arabic PSFS demonstrates sufficient responsiveness in detecting improvement in lower extremity function and is suitable for monitoring rehabilitation outcomes in Arabic-speaking adults with lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders receiving outpatient physical therapy. Full article

Up to 10% of patients with Lyme borreliosis (LB) will experience symptoms that fulfill the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) criteria of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). This study assesses PTLDS in the Burden of Lyme Disease (BOLD) study through clinical assessment (“PTLDS Assessed by Clinicians”) and by post hoc evaluation of patient-reported outcomes, including the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (“PTLDS Assessed by Questionnaire”). Among 242 LB cases who completed antibiotic treatment and had objective manifestations stabilized or resolved, 99 (40.9%) reported ≥1 symptom of fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, or cognitive impairment 10 months after diagnosis. Fifteen (6.2%) cases met the PTLDS criteria assessed by either clinicians or predefined questionnaire severity thresholds; four (1.7%) met both. PTLDS cases assessed by questionnaires and LB cases with persistent symptoms both reported greater symptom severity and poorer physical functioning than PTLDS cases assessed by clinicians. These exploratory findings suggest that clinician- and questionnaire-based assessments may identify partially different subsets of patients with PTLDS and either method could underestimate the proportion of patients with PTLDS. Full article

Background and Objective: Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) and extracorporeal magnetotransduction therapy (EMTT) have shown promising results in various musculoskeletal disorders; however, substantial heterogeneity in application parameters has hindered the establishment of clear relationships between electromagnetic dosing and clinical response. This systematic review aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of PEMF and EMTT therapies for treating chronic musculoskeletal injuries in adults, based on research from 2015 to 2026. By analyzing how specific dosage parameters (such as intensity, frequency, and duration) influence clinical results, the study seeks to establish standardized, evidence-based guidelines for electromagnetic treatment prescriptions. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines and prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251059359). A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and ScienceDirect for the 2015–2025 period. Randomized clinical trials, quasi-experimental studies, and case reports were included. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed by two independent reviewers using RoB 2, ROBINS-I, and Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. Results were synthesized narratively following SWiM (Synthesis Without Meta-analysis) recommendations. Results: Twenty-eight studies (1060 participants) were included. A dosimetric dichotomy emerged: high-intensity protocols with rapid field variation rates (e.g., EMTT > 60 kT/s) were consistently associated with robust improvements in structural and mechanically driven pathologies. Conversely, low-intensity protocols (e.g., <5 mT) often yielded results indistinguishable from placebo or active controls, particularly in nociplastic pain conditions. Quantitative analysis indicated that in structural pathologies, functional gains were maintained or amplified post-treatment, whereas nociplastic conditions showed potential symptom recurrence. No serious adverse events were reported, confirming a favorable safety profile. Conclusions: PEMF and EMTT are promising adjunctive therapies for musculoskeletal disorders, with efficacy appearing sensitive to electromagnetic dosimetry. However, significant methodological heterogeneity and the use of combination therapies limit these findings to exploratory trends. The lack of standardized safety reporting and technical parameters (e.g., waveform, dB/dt) underscores a critical translational gap. Future research must prioritize rigorous, standardized randomized controlled trials to establish definitive, evidence-based therapeutic recommendations. Full article

Background: Thalidomide, prescribed to pregnant women in the late 1950s and early 1960s, caused severe congenital impairments known as thalidomide embryopathy, yet the long-term health and wellbeing of survivors as they reach older adulthood remains underexplored. Objectives: This scoping review updates the 2017 Newbronner and Atkin review by exploring evidence published between 2017 and 2025 on the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of ageing thalidomide survivors, identifying emerging health issues, care needs, and evidence gaps. Methods: Searches across nine academic databases and grey literature sources identified studies reporting health, wellbeing, or quality of life among middle-aged and older adults with documented prenatal thalidomide exposure. Results: Thirty papers from the UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, Sweden, Canada, and Australia were included, showing pervasive musculoskeletal deterioration, chronic pain, and increased metabolic disorders. Mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and stress, were common and often linked to pain severity and functional limitations, alongside sensory impairments, dental issues, and functional decline, though many survivors demonstrated resilience. Conclusions: Ageing thalidomide survivors face complex, progressive health challenges that extend beyond congenital impairments, highlighting a need for coordinated, specialist care to support wellbeing in later life. Full article

Background/objectives: Benzodiazepines are widely prescribed as adjuvants in pain management, particularly for musculoskeletal conditions, with prescription rates for back and chronic pain more than doubling between 2003 and 2015. Yet, the evidence supporting this practice remains poorly defined. This study evaluates the efficacy of benzodiazepines in pain management, analyzing comparative data, pharmacological mechanisms, and global clinical guidelines. Methods: Narrative review informed by a predefined systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. We searched for direct comparative studies between diazepam, alprazolam, and lorazepam in pain management identified no eligible studies, revealing a significant evidence gap despite decades of clinical use. This absence of comparative evidence prompted a broader narrative examination of the evidence base for benzodiazepines across pain conditions. Results: The available literature consistently fails to support benzodiazepine analgesia. Across 111 chronic pain conditions, analgesic benefit has been demonstrated for only two rare conditions: burning mouth syndrome (evidence primarily for topical clonazepam) and stiff person syndrome (primarily case series and clinical experience). In low back pain, the condition most associated with benzodiazepine prescribing, recent randomized trials show no benefit or even harm compared to placebo, and the only positive pooled evidence derived from trials of tetrazepam, a drug withdrawn from the European market in 2013. In rheumatoid arthritis, pooled data from six small trials show no benefit over placebo at any time point. The pharmacological basis for this clinical failure is now well characterized: conventional non-selective benzodiazepines produce dose-limiting sedation before achieving sufficient receptor occupancy at the α2/α3 GABA-A subtypes responsible for antihyperalgesic effects. Despite the lack of demonstrated efficacy, prescribing persists, likely driven by clinical inertia and patient expectations reflecting anxiolytic rather than analgesic properties. Guidelines from the WHO, NICE, the VA/DoD, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Wilderness Medical Society uniformly recommend against benzodiazepine use for pain. This convergence of absent efficacy, well-documented harm, and unanimous guideline opposition supports the conclusion that benzodiazepines should not be prescribed as analgesic adjuvants. Conclusions: Although the focused search targeted head-to-head trials, a broader narrative synthesis and prior comprehensive reviews likewise demonstrate a paucity of high-quality evidence for benzodiazepine analgesia. Future research should focus on subtype-selective GABA-A modulators and on strategies to align clinical practice with the existing evidence, including structured deprescribing interventions. Full article

Background: The directional relationship between epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) and musculoskeletal disease remains unresolved. This study integrated bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) with multi-layer genomic evidence to evaluate directionality, shared genetic architecture, and robustness to instrument definition. Methods: Four EAA clocks (IEAA, PhenoAA, HannumAA, and GrimAA) and ten musculoskeletal phenotypes were analyzed in a 10 × 4 bidirectional two-sample MR design. EAA instruments underwent GRCh37 functional annotation, genome-wide-significant external-association screening for the index variants and European linkage-disequilibrium proxies, pair-specific Steiger filtering, and conservative Set A/B/C sensitivity analyses. The juvenile-arthritis reverse models underwent instrument-flow reconstruction, strength assessment, liability-scale directionality testing, and minimum-detectable-effect analysis. Additional analyses comprised LD score regression (LDSC), PLACO+ cross-trait locus mapping, Bayesian colocalization, multivariable MR (MVMR) with exact-SNP matched univariable comparators, and integrated evidence synthesis. Results: Forward MR yielded two nominal HannumAA associations. The inverse HannumAA–spondyloarthritis estimate remained directionally consistent across the original, Steiger-filtered, and conservative external-association-filtered sets, whereas the HannumAA–pain-in-thoracic-spine estimate lost nominal significance in the conservative set; no forward result survived correction across 40 tests. GrimAA forward estimates were sensitive to use of the fallback instrument threshold. Reverse MR identified ten nominal associations. For juvenile arthritis, three harmonized instruments had F statistics of 51.25–102.35; liability-scale Steiger comparisons supported the tested direction under all 16 outcome-by-prevalence combinations, although the 788-case discovery GWAS and possible winner’s curse remained important limitations. LDSC identified FDR-significant positive genetic correlations of GrimAA with hip osteoarthritis (r_g = 0.267, p = 8.49 × 10⁻⁵, q = 0.0019) and knee osteoarthritis (r_g = 0.269, p = 9.52 × 10⁻⁵, q = 0.0019). PLACO+ identified 738 genome-wide-significant cross-trait variants and 65 independent loci; six of 37 evaluable loci showed strong colocalization. Of 96 MVMR models, 43 had primary-exposure conditional F ≥ 10, and 32 also had candidate-trait conditional F ≥ 10. After exact-SNP matching, the 43 primary-strength models were operationally classified as 35 partially attenuated and eight independent-signal models, with no fully attenuated model; no adjusted association survived multiplicity correction. Conclusions: The results support a prioritized genomic map with substantial instrument- and model-specific uncertainty. Disease-to-clock signals were richer than clock-to-disease signals, GrimAA shared polygenic architecture with osteoarthritis, and selected loci showed strong shared-variant evidence, while the MR and MVMR findings remained unsuitable for definitive causal or mediation claims. Full article

Background: Lumbar radicular pain, commonly referred to as sciatica, is a prevalent musculoskeletal condition that negatively impacts patients’ quality of life. Evidence regarding the use of foot orthoses in patients with sciatica secondary to lumbar disc herniation remains limited. Objectives: To determine the influence of custom-made foot orthoses on health-related quality of life and perceived pain in patients with chronic radicular pain secondary to non-traumatic lumbar or lumbosacral disc herniation. Methods: A randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial was conducted. Fifty-two patients (mean age: 46.12 ± 9.37 years; 53.8% men, 46.2% women) were allocated to either a customized functional foot orthoses group or a cushioning flat insole group. Pain, foot-related disability, low back disability, and health-related quality of life were assessed at baseline and after three months using the 11-point Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index (MFPDI), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Short Form-12 (SF-12) questionnaire. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between treatment groups in foot pain ($p=0.821$), lower-limb pain ($p=0.244$), low back pain ($p=0.497$), low back disability ($p=0.684$), or physical quality of life ($p=0.069$) after follow-up. However, participants treated with customized functional foot orthoses showed significant intragroup improvements in foot function (MFPDI-Function: $p=0.046$; MFPDI-Total: $p=0.033$) and in the physical component of health-related quality of life (SF-12 Physical: $p=0.031$), whereas no significant changes were observed in the cushioning insole group ($p>0.05$). Conclusions: Customized functional foot orthoses may improve foot function and physical health-related quality of life in patients with chronic radicular pain secondary to lumbar or lumbosacral disc herniation. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are required to confirm these findings. Full article

Background: Rotator cuff tendinopathy is a common musculoskeletal disorder associated with shoulder pain, functional limitations, and reduced quality of life. A wide range of non-surgical interventions have been investigated, and uncertainty remains regarding their comparative effectiveness. Objective: This study aimed to summarize recent evidence on non-surgical treatments for rotator cuff tendinopathy and evaluate their reported clinical outcomes. Methods: A structured narrative review was conducted using Google Scholar to identify studies published between 2020 and 2025 involving adult patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy. Studies investigating exercise therapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), laser therapy, kinesiotaping, and percutaneous electrolysis were considered. Following screening and eligibility assessment, 21 studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: Exercise therapy was the most extensively investigated intervention and consistently improved pain, function, and shoulder mobility. PRP injections were associated with favorable effects on pain and functional outcomes, although treatment protocols varied substantially. Several studies reported improvements following ESWT in pain reduction and functional recovery. Evidence from a limited number of studies suggests that high-power laser therapy may improve clinical outcomes, whereas evidence supporting low-level laser therapy remained inconclusive. Kinesiotaping and percutaneous electrolysis demonstrated potential benefits, although the available evidence remains limited. Conclusions: Exercise therapy remains the cornerstone of conservative management for rotator cuff tendinopathy. Adjunctive interventions, including PRP, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, and high-power laser therapy, may provide additional benefits in appropriately selected patients. However, methodological heterogeneity and differences in treatment mechanisms limit direct comparisons between modalities. Full article