Background: Evidence-based/evidence-informed Manual therapy thus describes an explicit self-reflective process of applying current Manual therapy research evidence into clinical decision-making in individualizing manual examination and treatment along an impairment-based biopsychosocial model.
Objective: To systematically explore the evidence contributed by the four leading Manual therapy journals quantitatively and to synthesize the literature to imply Evidence-based practice in Manual Therapy.
Materials and Methods: Descriptive exploratory study through a literature search was done to identify nine time-points in the timeline from 1970-2010, with five-year intervals in order to identify the scientific trend. The number of obtained citations were classified and analyzed under the names of search filters of PubMed namely- text availability, publication date, species, article type, language, gender, subject areas, journal categories and age groups. The numbers for categories and subcategories of search filters were considered for comparison and analysis. Descriptive analysis using frequencies on Microsoft Excel 2010 worksheet was done.
Results: Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) was the first to begin publishing, the first to get indexed in PubMed, and also the longest duration of indexation; and Manual Therapy (MT) the last to start publishing and Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (JBMT) the last to get indexed and also the least duration as indexed; MT was indexed from its year of first publication while JBMT was indexed 26 years after its first publication; JMPT had the largest number of articles and Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy (JMMT) the least, indexed in PubMed.
Conclusion: The contribution to Evidence-base in manual/manipulative therapy was substantially done by JMPT and MT whilst the roles of JBMT and JMMT are yet to evolve with increasing numbers of randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews published respectively.
Key words: Manual therapy journals, Journal analysis, Evidence-based practice, Manual therapy evidence.
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