The inclusion criteria for trials are shown in Box 1. Twoarm trials that compared the relative effectiveness of two interventions, or different dosages or regimens of the same intervention, were excluded. Trials published in languages other than English were included if a suitable translation could be obtained. Trials that described participants having specific diagnoses

(eg, cervical osteoarthritis or cervical myofascial pain) without confirmatory diagnostic tests as inclusion criteria were considered to be trials TGF beta inhibitor of non-specific neck pain. Trials that investigated mixed populations (eg, neck and back pain, neck/shoulder pain, neck/arm pain) or diffuse pain states (eg, chronic pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, cervicobrachialgia) were included only if outcomes were reported separately for the group of participants with neck pain. Trials were excluded if any of the participants had been given a specific diagnosis such as radiculopathy, myelopathy, fracture, infection, dystonia, tumour, inflammatory disease, or

osteoporosis. Trials were excluded if some or all of the participants had whiplash-associated disorder or neck pain associated with trauma. Trials in which the participants’ primary complaint was headache or upper limb pain were excluded unless the presence of neck pain was a specific inclusion criterion. Trials were excluded if prevention of neck pain in otherwise pain-free participants was the main aim of the intervention. Design • Randomised controlled trial Participants Selleck Epigenetics Compound Library • Adults, of >18 years old Intervention • All interventions for neck pain Outcome measures • Pain Comparisons • Intervention versus placebo / sham Retrieved citations were screened (AML) and titles unrelated

to neck pain (eg, neck of femur, neck of bladder) were excluded. The remaining papers were independently screened by the lead author (AML) and by a second reviewer (KMR, CGM, or JHMc). Disagreement about inclusion or exclusion of studies was resolved by discussion. The reviewers were not blinded to information regarding the authors, journal of origin, or outcomes for each reviewed paper. Quality: Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale ( Maher et al 2003, de Morton 2009) by two independent trained assessors. Scores were extracted from the PEDro database where available. Trials were not excluded on the basis of quality. Participants: The duration of the neck disorder was recorded to allow separate analysis of acute and chronic non-specific neck pain. Duration of up to 12 weeks was considered acute. Interventions: Dosages of the interventions were recorded where available, as were descriptions of the intervention and the control intervention. Outcome measures: The outcomes extracted were neck pain using a numerical scale and disability using a multiitem scale. Outcome data were extracted at the time closest to the conclusion of a course of treatment (short term), and at medium- and long-term follow-ups.