Physical therapy in the treatment of chronic headache

The efficacy and safety of massage therapy as an adjuvant in the treatment of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in neonates: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) has become a major problem that endangers the life and health of newborns. It is the most serious complication after neonatal asphyxia with a high mortality rate. Even survivors of HIE would suffer permanent neurological developmental impairment that seriously affects the growth and development in the future. Previous studies have shown that massage therapy can improve the prognosis of neonatal HIE. However, the efficacy of massage therapy on the growth, development, and sleep in neonates with HIE reported by various studies is inconsistent, which will be thoroughly assessed in this meta-analysis.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials of massage therapy on the growth, development, and sleep neonates with HIE published before February 2022 will be retrieved from the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, and Clinical Trial Register. Literature selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and meta-analyses will be independently completed by 2 researchers. Meta-analysis will be performed by using RevMan5.4.

RESULTS

The results of this meta-analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review provides a high-quality synthesis to assess the effect of massage therapy on growth, development, and sleep in neonates with HIE.

OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/G9WXN.

Efficacy and safety of Tuina for treatment of pediatric recurrent respiratory tract infections: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs) are common respiratory ailments in children. RRTIs are often difficult to control and thus generally have a long-term disease course. Children who receive ineffective treatments or those that experience poor treatment outcomes are prone to developing complications such as edema, cough and asthma. Such complications can seriously hinder a child's growth and development, while also adversely affecting the child's physical and mental health. Tuina massage, a traditional Chinese technique that has been practiced in China for >5000 years, has recently been used to treat RRTIs, with good effect. However, no systematic review of research studies focusing on massage as a treatment for RRTIs can be found in the literature to date. The purpose of this study will be to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tuina massage for the treatment of pediatric patients who experience RRTIs.

METHODS

We will search the following databases using electronic methods: the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data (WAN FANG), VIP Information (VIP), MEDLINE, PUBMED, EMBASE, and CINAHL. For each database search, the scope will include articles published between the date of database inception to September 2021. Revman5.4 software will be used to conduct this systematic review and meta-analysis.

RESULTS

This meta-analysis will confirm whether Tuina massage is of clinical benefit to pediatric patients who experience RRTIs.

CONCLUSION

The results of our systematic review and meta-analysis will be used to formulate conclusions as to whether massage therapy is an effective treatment for children suffering from RRTIs.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This systematic review will evaluate the efficacy and safety of tuina in the treatment of recurrent respiratory tract infections. Since all the data included were published, the systematic review did not require ethical approval.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202190107.

Assessment of the efficacy of tuina on treating cervicogenic headache: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cervicogenic headache is a secondary headache characterized by unilateral headache, symptoms, and signs of neck involvement. It is often worsened by neck movement, sustained awkward head position, or external pressure over the upper cervical or occipital region on the symptomatic side. In this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of massage therapy for the treatment of cervicogenic headache.

METHODS

We searched the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, Wanfang Database, China Doctoral Dissertations Full-Text Database, China Master's Theses Full-Text Database, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and Embase. We will select all eligible studies published on or before April 1, 2021. We will use Review Manager 5.4, provided by the Cochrane Collaborative Network for statistical analysis. We then assessed the quality and risk of the included studies and observed the outcome measures.

RESULTS

This meta-analysis further confirmed the benefits of tuina in the treatment of cervicogenic headache.

CONCLUSION

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to explore the effect of tuina on patients with cervicogenic headache and to provide more options for clinicians and patients to treat cervicogenic headache.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This systematic review will evaluate the efficacy and safety of tuina in the treatment of cervicogenic headache. Since all the data included were published, the systematic review did not require ethical approval.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202150053.

[Impact of physiotherapy, massages and lymphatic drainage in migraine therapy]

Physical treatment, spinal manipulative therapy and massages are often recommended to treat migraine as a prophylactic therapy. Clinical experience and theoretical concepts support their usefulness. However, data on these therapies are scarce. On the basis of the available studies, it is impossible to determine whether or not these therapies are effective. There is a lack of well-designed prospective, randomized controlled trials with a sufficiently long follow-up to observe these therapies. Due to the high acceptance of physical treatment on the one hand and preconceptions about drug treatment on the other, these types of therapies may be an alternative option for some patients if their efficacy is established. A cost-benefit analysis of theses therapies should consider the long amount of time required for them compared with drug intake.

Pediatric headache

Migraine is very treatable in children and adolescents. Principles of treatment include early intervention, elimination of triggers, involvement of parents and schools, and judicious use of medicines. Although there is no pediatric indication in the United States, triptans are safe and effective in this age group. Prophylactic drugs should be used when significant disability from migraine exists. Choice of drug is based upon comorbidity. Nonpharmacologic treatment has an important role.

Characteristics and Treatment of Headache After Traumatic Brain Injury

Headache is one of the most common complaints in patients with traumatic brain injury. By definition, headache that develops within 1 wk after head trauma (or within 1 wk after regaining consciousness) is referred to as posttraumatic headache (PTH). Although most PTH resolves within 6-12 mos after injury, approximately 18-33% of PTH persists beyond 1 yr. We performed a systematic literature review on this topic and found that many patients with PTH had clinical presentations very similar to tension-type headache (37% of all PTH) and migraine (29% of all PTH). Although there is no universally accepted protocol for treating PTH, many clinicians treat PTH as if they were managing primary headache. As a result of the heterogeneity in the terminology and paucity in prospective, well-controlled studies in this field, there is a definite need for conducting double-blind, placebo-controlled treatment trials in patients with PTH.