Basel, We Have a Problem. Reviews in Physiotherapy Often Miss the Goal: Incomplete and Flawed

Background In 2024, 713 systematic reviews related to physiotherapy were published. Yet many of these reviews offer limited value – not only for clinicians but also for researchers. Common problems include the omission of relevant studies, poorly defined or misaligned comparisons that do not match the stated PICO framework, and vague or inadequate descriptions of interventions. Frequently, comparisons combine treatments with differing goals, intensities, or delivery formats, making it unclear what is actually being tested. As a result, reviews often fail to provide meaningful guidance for clinical decision-makin…