Treatment options for regional musculoskeletal pain: what is the evidence?

Decisions about the best treatment options for patients with regional muscu loskeletal pain must be made despite a lack of clear diagnostic criteria, a n absence of robust outcome measures by which to assess response, and a pau city of evidence from high-quality randomized controlled trials. Although t he randomized controlled trial is considered to be the 'gold standard' rese arch design, it does not lend itself easily to the evaluation of all manage ment strategies. This chapter explores these issues from a research perspec tive and reviews the various types of evidence available to help practition ers make informed decisions. The current evidence from systematic reviews i n this area is summarized in the final part of the chapter.