scholarly journals Acupuncture Treatment for Shoulder Impingement Syndrome: A Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-182
Author(s):  
Jae Eun Park ◽  
Woo Young Kim ◽  
Soo Jin Lee ◽  
Da Yoon Oh ◽  
Min Cheol Lee ◽  
...  

To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) a literature review was conducted of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where acupuncture was used as an intervention for patients diagnosed with SIS. Relevant clinical studies (N = 181) were retrieved from several databases based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria, and the interventions and results were analyzed. Six RCTs were selected to review based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. In all 6 studies, the acupuncture treatment group showed significant positive changes in indicators evaluating pain, disability, and quality of life. A significant decrease in the evaluation indicators (Shoulder Pain and Disability Index, numeric rating scale, Visual Analogue Scale, Constant Murley Shoulder Assessment Score, patient’s global assessment, and doctor’s global assessment) and a significant increase in the questionnaire scores (UCLA, AL-score, EuroQol 5 Dimension Self-Report Questionnaire, and disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand) were observed. In addition, 1 study showed similar improvements in pain and quality of life measures in the acupuncture group and corticosteroid injection group. No major side effects were reported. Acupuncture may be an effective and safe treatment for SIS however, further RCTs are required.

2021 ◽  
pp. 204589402110078
Author(s):  
Lu Yan ◽  
Wence Shi ◽  
Zhi-hong Liu ◽  
Qin Luo ◽  
Zhihui Zhao ◽  
...  

Background: Several studies have suggested that exercise capacity and quality of life are reduced in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), and exercise-based rehabilitation can improve exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with PH. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of exercise-based rehabilitation in patients with PH through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Medline, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to November 2018. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing exercise capacity and quality of life between patients undergoing exercise-based rehabilitation and those undergoing non-exercise training were included. Data were extracted separately and independently by two investigators, and discrepancies were arbitrated by the third investigator. We used the random-effects model to analyze the results, the GRADE to assess the risk of bias in the included studies, and I ² statistic to estimate the degree of heterogeneity. Results: Nine RCTs are included, however, only seven RCTs were able to extract data. Including inpatients and outpatients, the total number of participants was 234, most of whom were diagnosed as pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). The study duration ranged from 3 to15 weeks. The mean six-minute walk distance after exercise training was 51.94 metres higher than control (27.65 to 76.23 metres, n=234, 7 RCTs, low quality evidence), the mean peak oxygen uptake  was 2.96 ml/kg/minute higher (2.49 to 3.43 ml/kg/minute, n=179, 4 RCTs, low-quality evidence) than in the control group . Concluded: Our finding suggest that an exercise-based training program positively influences exercise capacity in patients with PH.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026921552110569
Author(s):  
Hsun-Yi Wang ◽  
Yu-Hsuan Chen ◽  
Yi-Chun Kuan ◽  
Shih-Wei Huang ◽  
Li-Fong Lin ◽  
...  

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation of the legs in patients with heart failure. Methods Data were obtained from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases until August 12, 2021. We included randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of functional electrical stimulation applied to the legs of patients with heart failure, namely changes in cardiopulmonary function, muscle strength, and quality of life. Results In total, 14 randomized controlled trials (consisting of 518 patients) were included in our article. Pooled estimates demonstrated that functional electrical stimulation significantly improved peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2; standardized mean difference = 0.33, 95% confidence interval = 0.07–0.59, eight randomized controlled trials, n = 321), 6-min walking distance (mean difference = 48.03 m, 95% confidence interval = 28.50–67.57 m, 10 randomized controlled trials, n = 380), and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire quality of life score (mean difference =  − 8.23, 95% confidence interval =  − 12.64 to − 3.83, nine randomized controlled trials, n = 383). Muscle strength of lower extremities was not significantly improved in the functional electrical stimulation group compared with that in the control group (standardized mean difference = 0.26, 95% confidence interval =  − 0.18 to 0.71, five randomized controlled trials, n = 218). Furthermore, the subgroup analysis revealed that functional electrical stimulation significantly improved peak VO2, 6-min walking distance, and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire quality of life score in the heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction subgroups. Conclusion Functional electrical stimulation can effectively improve the cardiopulmonary function and quality of life in patients with heart failure. However, functional electrical stimulation did not significantly improve muscle strength in the legs.


Author(s):  
Thi Mai Nguyen ◽  
Thi Thanh Toan Do ◽  
Tho Nhi Tran ◽  
Jin Hee Kim

Menopausal symptoms are associated with deterioration in physical, mental, and sexual health, lowering women’s quality of life (QoL). Our study objective is to examine the effect of exercise on QoL in women with menopausal symptoms. After initially identifying 1306 studies published on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library before June 2020, two researchers independently selected nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which any type of exercise was compared with no active treatment. We assessed the risk of bias in the included studies using the Cochrane risk-of-bias 2.0 tool for RCTs and computed the converged standardized mean difference with a 95% confidence interval. We found evidences for the positive effects of exercise on physical and psychological QoL scores in women with menopausal symptoms. However, there was no evidence for the effects of exercise on general, social, and menopause-specific QoL scores. The most common interventions for women with menopausal and urinary symptoms were yoga and pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), respectively. In our meta-analyses, while yoga significantly improved physical QoL, its effects on general, psychological, sexual, and vasomotor symptoms QoL scores as well as the effect of PFMT on general QoL were not significant. Our findings suggest that well-designed studies are needed to confirm the effect of exercise on QoL in women with menopausal symptoms.


Stroke ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 434-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary F. Love ◽  
Anjail Sharrief ◽  
Alejandro Chaoul ◽  
Sean Savitz ◽  
Jennifer E. Sanner Beauchamp

Background and Purpose—Psychological stressors, including poststroke depression, poststroke anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder, are highly prevalent in stroke survivors. These symptoms exact a significant toll on stroke survivors. Clinical and research efforts in stroke recovery focus on motor disability, speech and language deficits, and cognitive dysfunction while largely neglecting psychological stressors. Evidence suggests mind-body interventions in other chronic illness populations decrease symptoms of depression, regulate immune responses, and promote resilience, yet similar studies are lacking in stroke populations. This review aims to synthesize evidence of the effects of mind-body interventions on psychological stressors, quality of life, and biological outcomes for stroke survivors.Methods—A systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL was conducted from database inception to November 2017.Results—Eight studies were included in the review, with a total of 292 participants. Mind-body interventions included yoga or tai chi. Of the 5 included randomized controlled trials, most were pilot or feasibility studies with small sample sizes. Psychological stressors, including poststroke depression and anxiety, along with the quality of life, improved over time, but statistically significant between-group differences were largely absent. The 3 included studies with a qualitative design reported themes reflecting improvement in psychological stressors and quality of life. No included studies reported biological outcomes.Conclusions—Studies of mind-body interventions suggest a possible benefit on psychological stressors and quality of life; however, rigorously designed, sufficiently powered randomized controlled trials with mixed-methods design are warranted to delineate specific treatment effects of these interventions. Studies with both biological and psychological stressors as outcomes would provide evidence about interaction effects of these factors on stroke-survivor responses to mind-body interventions.


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