EFFECTIVENESS OF CRYOTHERAPY ON PAIN INTENSITY, SWELLING, RANGE OF MOTION, FUNCTION AND RECURRENCE IN ACUTE ANKLE SPRAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS

The effectiveness of fire needling or warm needling treatment in clinical studies for the treatment of ankle sprains was reviewed using 4 international (PubMed, Cochrane library, EMBASE, CNKI) and 5 Korean databases (NDSL, RISS, KISS, OASIS, KTKP). Randomized controlled trials, that performed fire needling or warm needling treatment for ankle sprains until October, 2018 were retrieved (<i>n</i> = 8). All studies were performed in China, and 7 out of 8 studies were published within the last 5 years. There were 4 studies that used fire needling treatment, 3 studies used warm needling treatment, and 1 study used fire and warm needling treatment. The ashi-points and gallbladder meridian were the most frequently selected acupoint and meridian each. All intervention groups in the 8 studies showed statistically significant beneficial effects compared with control groups. The results of this study could provide preliminary data as the basis for welldesigned randomized controlled trials on fire needling or warm needling treatment for ankle sprains.

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Are Mindful Exercises Safe and Beneficial for Treating Chronic Lower Back Pain? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm8050628 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 628 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Liye Zou ◽

Yanjie Zhang ◽

Lin Yang ◽

Paul D. Loprinzi ◽

Albert S. Yeung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Back Pain ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Pain Intensity ◽

Active Control ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Control Comparison ◽

Superior Effect

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common health issue worldwide. Tai Chi, Qigong, and Yoga, as the most widely practiced mindful exercises, have promising effects for CLBP-specific symptoms. Objective: We therefore conducted a comprehensive review investigating the effects of mindful exercises versus active and/or non-active controls while evaluating the safety and pain-related effects of mindful exercises in adults with CLBP. Methods: We searched five databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) from inception to February 2019. Two investigators independently selected 17 eligible randomized controlled trials (RCT) against inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by data extraction and study quality assessment. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to determine the magnitude of mindful exercises versus controls on pain- and disease-specific outcome measures. Results: As compared to control groups, we observed significantly favorable effects of mindful exercises on reducing pain intensity (SMD = −0.37, 95% CI −0.5 to −0.23, p < 0.001, I2 = 45.9 %) and disability (SMD = −0.39, 95% CI −0.49 to −0.28, p < 0.001, I2 = 0 %). When compared with active control alone, mindful exercises showed significantly reduced pain intensity (SMD = −0.40, p < 0.001). Furthermore, of the three mindful exercises, Tai Chi has a significantly superior effect on pain management (SMD= −0.75, 95% CI −1.05 to −0.46, p < 0.001), whereas Yoga-related adverse events were reported in five studies. Conclusion: Findings of our systematic review suggest that mindful exercises (Tai Chi and Qigong) may be beneficial for CLBP symptomatic management. In particular, Tai Chi appears to have a superior effect in reducing pain intensity irrespective of non-control comparison or active control comparison (conventional exercises, core training, and physical therapy programs). Importantly, training in these mindful exercises should be implemented with certified instructors to ensure quality of movement and injury prevention.

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Effect of Ankle Joint Mobilization with Movement on Range of Motion, Balance and Gait Function in Chronic Stroke Survivors: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease ◽

10.2147/dnnd.s317865 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol Volume 11 ◽

pp. 51-60

Author(s):

Abayneh Alamer ◽

Haimanot Melese ◽

Kefale Getie ◽

Sisay Deme ◽

Molla Tsega ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Range Of Motion ◽

Ankle Joint ◽

Chronic Stroke ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Stroke Survivors ◽

Joint Mobilization ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Gait Function

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Analgesic Efficacy and Safety of Local Infiltration Following Lumbar Decompression Surgery: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10245936 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (24) ◽

pp. 5936

Author(s):

Georgia Tsaousi ◽

Parmenion P. Tsitsopoulos ◽

Chryssa Pourzitaki ◽

Eleftheria Palaska ◽

Rafael Badenes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Pain Intensity ◽

Analgesic Efficacy ◽

Lumbar Spine Surgery ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Efficacy And Safety ◽

Wound Infiltration ◽

Randomized Controlled

This systematic review aims to appraise available clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of wound infiltration with adjuvants to local anesthetics (LAs) for pain control after lumbar spine surgery. A database search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) pertinent to wound infiltration with analgesics or miscellaneous drugs adjunctive to LAs compared with sole LAs or placebo. The outcomes of interest were postoperative rescue analgesic consumption, pain intensity, time to first analgesic request, and the occurrence of adverse events. Twelve double-blind RCTs enrolling 925 patients were selected for qualitative analysis. Most studies were of moderate-to-good methodological quality. Dexmedetomidine reduced analgesic requirements and pain intensity within 24 h postoperatively, while prolonged pain relief was reported by one RCT involving adjunctive clonidine. Data on local magnesium seem promising yet difficult to interpret. No clear analgesic superiority could be attributed to steroids. Τramadol co-infiltration was equally effective as sole tramadol but superior to LAs. No serious adverse events were reported. Due to methodological inconsistencies and lack of robust data, no definite conclusions could be drawn on the analgesic effect of local infiltrates in patients undergoing lumbar surgery. The probable positive analgesic efficacy of adjunctive dexmedetomidine and magnesium needs further evaluation.

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