EJPRM systematic continuous update on Cochrane reviews in rehabilitation: news from the 3rd Issue 2009

Abstract

Aim: Since 2007 we have been focusing our attention to EJPRM as the best available clinical evidence as offered by the Cochrane Collaboration. Due to the absence of a specific Rehabilitation Group (only a Field does exist), some reviews in the field of PRM are not easy to find. Consequently, the EJPRM lists and presents all these reviews systematically. The aim of the present paper is to systematically review all the new papers in the field of rehabilitation published in the 3rd Issue of 2009 from the Cochrane Library in order to provide physicians a summary of the best updated evidence.

Methods: The authors systematically searched all the new papers of on rehabilitation from the 3rd Issue 2009 of the Cochrane Library. The retrieved papers have been divided in subgroups on the base of theirs topic and the Cochrane Groups.

Results: The number of included papers was 18, 14 of them being new reviews, 7 new reviews dealing with neurological rehabilitation, 4 dealing with musculoskeletal disorders, 3 dealing with pain management. In addition, 4 reviews have been updated, 1 in the field of musculoskeletal disorders, 2 on neuromuscular disorders, and 1 on elderly rehabilitation. The Cochrane Collaboration and the Cochrane Library are two important instruments to improve evidence-based medicine (EBM) in medical practice and in the field of rehabilitation.

Conclusions: The present paper can help rehabilitation specialists to retrieve the findings of the most relevant and updated reviews in order to better their clinical practice.