Study designs of evaluations included in the review
No inclusion criteria for study designs were specified.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of MT were eligible for inclusion. In the included studies, MT was given by a parent or by a physical therapist, typically for 20 minutes. Control groups were read to by a parent, received progressive muscle relaxation or continued with their normal daily routine; one included study compared connective tissue massage with simple surface massage.
Participants included in the review
Studies of patients with CF or other respiratory conditions were eligible for inclusion. The authors stated that the review focused on children but was expanded to include adults because of the small number of studies found. The participants in the included studies were children with CF or asthma and adults with chronic lung disease or moderately severe asthma.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The inclusion criteria specified that studies had to report clinical outcomes. The outcomes assessed in the included studies were measures of lung function and anxiety; some studies assessed anxiety in the parents as well as the children.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.