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Clinical and Experimental Dental... Jun 2024Self-performed oral hygiene is essential for preventing dental caries, periodontal, and peri-implant diseases. Oral irrigators are adjunctive oral home care aids that... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Self-performed oral hygiene is essential for preventing dental caries, periodontal, and peri-implant diseases. Oral irrigators are adjunctive oral home care aids that may benefit oral health. However, the effects of oral irrigation on oral health, its role in oral home care, and its mechanism of action are not fully understood. A comprehensive search of the literature revealed no existing broad scoping reviews on oral irrigators. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive systematic review of the literature on oral irrigation devices and identify evidence gaps.
METHODS
The Joanna Briggs Institute and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines were utilized to prepare the review. Four databases and eight gray literature sources were searched for English publications across any geographical location or setting.
RESULTS
Two hundred and seventy-five sources were included, predominantly from scientific journals and academic settings. Most studies originated from North America. Research primarily involved adults, with limited studies in children and adolescents. Oral irrigation was safe and well-accepted when used appropriately. It reduced periodontal inflammation, potentially by modulating the oral microbiota, but further research needs to clarify its mechanism of action. Promising results were reported in populations with dental implants and special needs. Patient acceptance appeared high, but standardized patient-reported outcome measures were rarely used. Anti-inflammatory benefits occurred consistently across populations and irrigant solutions. Plaque reduction findings were mixed, potentially reflecting differences in study designs and devices.
CONCLUSIONS
Oral irrigators reduce periodontal inflammation, but their impact on plaque removal remains unclear. Well-designed, sufficiently powered trials of appropriate duration need to assess the clinical, microbiological, and inflammatory responses of the periodontium to oral irrigation, particularly those with periodontitis, dental implants, and special needs. Patient-reported outcome measures, costs, caries prevention, and environmental impact of oral irrigation need to be compared to other oral hygiene aids.
Topics: Humans; Therapeutic Irrigation; Oral Hygiene; Oral Health; Dental Caries; Periodontal Diseases
PubMed: 38881230
DOI: 10.1002/cre2.912 -
Cureus Feb 2024Arthritis affects millions of lives with its pervasive effects on physical health and quality of life. Addressing the complexities of managing symptoms such as swelling,... (Review)
Review
Arthritis affects millions of lives with its pervasive effects on physical health and quality of life. Addressing the complexities of managing symptoms such as swelling, inflammation, and pain requires prolonged treatment. Naturopathy is a treatment method that enhances the body's innate ability to restore optimal health through a holistic approach including natural products and lifestyle modifications. This systematic review addresses the intersection of naturopathy and arthritis treatment to provide current evidence about its potential benefits. Four databases (PubMed, AYUSH Research Portal, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) were searched with the keywords "Naturopathy" AND "Arthritis". Randomized, non-randomized, and cross-over studies in English were included. Studies reporting perceived pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS) were selected for meta-analysis. A total of 15 studies were included in the systematic review. The studies were from Denmark, Egypt, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Spain, and Turkey, and the study periods ranged from 1992 to 2017. They suggested that naturopathic treatment modalities like exercise, mud compress, sand bath, or hydrotherapy may be used in addition to conventional modes of treatment for added benefit. There was a diversity of naturopathic treatment modalities and outcome evaluation methods. Most studies used mud compress or mud baths with reported improvement of symptoms. The meta-analysis of 10 studies (11 sets of data) showed a significant improvement in pain measured by VAS. The studies included in the review have a high level of heterogenicity. There is a need for more studies and uniform assessment methods with standardization of interventions for robust evidence. More clinical trials from countries where naturopathy is approved treatment modalities are needed.
PubMed: 38524044
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.54589 -
Journal of Dentistry May 2024Synthesise evidence on post-endodontic pain (PEP) in adult teeth undergoing primary root canal treatment with the adjunctive use of laser-activated irrigation (LAI) as... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Synthesise evidence on post-endodontic pain (PEP) in adult teeth undergoing primary root canal treatment with the adjunctive use of laser-activated irrigation (LAI) as compared with conventional needle irrigation (CNI) during the first post-operative week.
DATA
An electronic search was performed; no language constraints or restriction on the year of publication were applied.
SOURCES
Medline, Scopus, Cochrane and PubMed on 04 June 2023 STUDY SELECTION: Randomised clinical trials (RaCTs) that evaluated PEP after LAI of endodontic irrgants were included. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used. PEP was analysed at various time intervals until 1 week after treatment, related to the type of LAI used and the need for analgesia.
REULTS
Of the 793 articles identified through the electronic database search, 6 RaCTs were included. Qualitative review was favoured over meta-analysis due to substantial methodological heterogeneity between studies. Five studies were at high risk for bias determined by the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias 2 tool. Diode LAI demonstrated superior efficacy to needle irrigation in reducing pain 6-48 h post-treatment. The impact of LAI by photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS) was unclear and no difference was observed between PIPS and needle irrigation. However, PIPS mitigated PEP better than manual dynamic activation, sonic and ultrasonic activation. There was no difference in analgesia intake between LAI and needle irrigation groups.
CONCLUSIONS
LAI may help reduce PEP in the first 48 h. Methodological standardisation of future RaCTs on LAI would be beneficial in allowing a more accurate review with the possibility of quantitative synthesis.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
This unique synthesis used stringent criteria to reduce confounding factors and provided valuable evidence regarding PEP with different types of LAI. It helps clinicians choose an appropriate LAI technique as compared with CNI and predicts a time frame for reducing PEP.
Topics: Humans; Pain, Postoperative; Therapeutic Irrigation; Root Canal Therapy; Root Canal Irrigants; Root Canal Preparation; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Lasers; Adult; Pain Measurement
PubMed: 38484867
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2024.104928 -
Preventive Medicine Reports Mar 2024Cancer patients frequently turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to mitigate the adverse effects of conventional cancer treatments, alleviate stress,...
BACKGROUND
Cancer patients frequently turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to mitigate the adverse effects of conventional cancer treatments, alleviate stress, manage comorbidities, and address the cancer itself. This systematic review aims to investigate descriptive studies conducted in Iran, focusing on the prevalence and methods of CAM use among cancer patients.
METHODS
A thorough search of PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Magiran, and the Scientific Information Database (SID) was conducted in both English and Persian from inception to July 2023. Inclusion criteria targeted studies exploring the frequency and patterns of CAM utilization among Iranian patients across diverse cancer types.
RESULTS
A total of 604 articles were found in the preliminary search, and 14 were included in this review. Among the 3,990 participants in the included studies, a weighted average of 51.83% (range 4.6%-100%) had used at least one CAM method. The most commonly used CAM methods were prayer (41.8%), medicinal herbs (30.1%), traditional and folk treatments (27.2%), bloodletting (17.3%), and hydrotherapy (13%). Patients reported using CAM for various reasons, including their beliefs, desire to cure the disease, reduce stress, positive past experiences, and improve physical condition. On average, 39% of patients informed their physicians about their CAM use.
CONCLUSION
The findings underscore the relatively prevalent adoption of CAM by Iranian cancer patients. Given the low rate of disclosure to physicians, there is a compelling need for healthcare system vigilance and monitoring to ensure comprehensive patient care.
PubMed: 38384965
DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102644 -
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2023Hydrotherapy can improve the motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), but the long-term effects of hydrotherapy on PD are still unclear.
BACKGROUND
Hydrotherapy can improve the motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), but the long-term effects of hydrotherapy on PD are still unclear.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this systematic evaluation and meta-analysis was to explore the long-term effects of hydrotherapy on balance function in PD patients.
METHODS
A systematic search of five databases was conducted to identify appropriate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) according to the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. The general characteristics and outcome data (balance, exercise, mobility, quality of life, etc.) of the included studies were extracted, and the quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Finally, the outcome data were integrated for meta-analysis.
RESULTS
A total of 149 articles were screened, and 5 high-quality RCTs involving 135 PD patients were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed positive long-term effects of hydrotherapy on balance function compared to the control group (SMD = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.21, 1.17; = 0.005; = 44%), However, there were no significant long-term effects of hydrotherapy on motor function (SMD = 0.06; 95% CI = -0.33, 0.44; = 0.77; = 0%), mobility and quality of life (SMD = -0.21; 95% CI = -0.98, 0.57; = 0.6; = 71%). Interestingly, the results of the sensitivity analysis performed on mobility showed a clear continuation effect of hydrotherapy on mobility compared to the control group (SMD = -0.80; 95% CI = -1.23, -0.37; < 0.001; = 0%).
CONCLUSION
The long-term effects of hydrotherapy on PD patients mainly focus on balance function, and the continuous effects on motor function, mobility, and quality of life are not obvious.
PubMed: 38152605
DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1320240 -
Journal of Pain Research 2023Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) is a prevalent global health issue, leading to prolonged discomfort and functional limitations. Hot spring hydrotherapy, which utilizes...
BACKGROUND
Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) is a prevalent global health issue, leading to prolonged discomfort and functional limitations. Hot spring hydrotherapy, which utilizes mineral-rich, warm spring water, offers a unique physical therapy that holds promise in alleviating CLBP symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
This meta-analysis aims to assess the effectiveness of hot spring hydrotherapy in improving CLBP symptoms, encompassing pain intensity, functional disability, quality of life, and medication usage.
METHODS
A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by searching relevant literature in multiple databases. Included studies compared hot spring hydrotherapy with control interventions or other treatments. Standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for pain intensity, functional disability, medication usage, and quality of life.
RESULTS
A total of 16 studies met the inclusion criteria, involving 1656 participants with chronic low back pain across various countries. The meta-analysis demonstrated that hot spring hydrotherapy was effective in reducing pain intensity (SMD = -0.901, 95% CI [-1.777, -0.025], < 0.05) and improving functional disability (SMD = -3.236, 95% CI [-4.898, -1.575], < 0.0001) in CLBP patients. Hot spring hydrotherapy also resulted in a significant reduction in medication usage ( < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that the effects of hot spring hydrotherapy were more pronounced in patients aged 60 and above, while no significant differences were observed in patients below 60 years of age, single hot Spring Hydrotherapy help improve patients' quality of life.
CONCLUSION
Hot spring hydrotherapy is an effective intervention for improving CLBP symptoms, including pain intensity, functional disability, and medication usage. It is particularly beneficial for CLBP patients aged 60 and above. These findings support the integration of hot spring hydrotherapy into the treatment approach for CLBP, although further research is needed to determine its efficacy in younger patients and to explore the underlying mechanisms of its therapeutic effects.
PROSPERO ID
CRD42023430860.
PubMed: 38026467
DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S438744 -
International Journal of Biometeorology Jan 2024Spa therapy consists of multiple techniques based on the healing effects of water, including hydrotherapy, balneotherapy, and mud therapy, often combined with... (Review)
Review
Spa therapy consists of multiple techniques based on the healing effects of water, including hydrotherapy, balneotherapy, and mud therapy, often combined with therapeutic exercises, massage, or physical therapy. Balneotherapy is a clinically effective complementary approach in the treatment of low-grade inflammation- and stress-related pathologies, especially rheumatic conditions due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The main objective of this investigation was to conduct a systematic review analyzing the available evidence on the effect of spa therapy on serotonin and dopamine function. The databases PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were used from June to July 2023. Exclusion criteria were (1) articles not written in English, (2) full text not available, (3) article not related to the objective of the review. JADAD scale was used for methodological quality evaluation. Four studies were included in the systematic review. Two studies were related to serotonin in healthy individuals, one to serotonin in fibromyalgia, and one to dopamine in healthy individuals. One of the studies evaluated hydrotherapy, another one balneotherapy and mud-bath therapy, and the other two assessed balneotherapy interventions. Studies were very heterogeneous, and their methodological quality was low, making it difficult to draw clear conclusions regarding the effect of spa therapy on peripheral serotonin and dopamine function. The findings of this review highlight the lack of studies evaluating these neurotransmitters and hormones in the context of spa therapy. Further research is needed to evaluate the potential effects of these therapies on serotonin or dopamine function.
Topics: Humans; Dopamine; Serotonin; Balneology; Mud Therapy; Hydrotherapy
PubMed: 37950094
DOI: 10.1007/s00484-023-02579-0 -
Sleep & Breathing = Schlaf & Atmung May 2024This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of aquatic therapy on pain, sleep quality, psychological symptoms, quality of life, and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of aquatic therapy on pain, sleep quality, psychological symptoms, quality of life, and health status in people diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, PEDro and Scopus databases. Articles were eligible if they were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) analysing the effects of aquatic therapy in adult people diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and published by October of 2022 in English or Spanish. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was employed to conduct the methodological quality assessment of the encompassed studies, and the overall quality of evidence for each comparison was determined using the GRADE approach.
RESULTS
Of 375 articles found, 22 met the inclusion criteria. Forest plot analysis of Pittsburgh sleep quality index at short- and mid-term follow-up showed a trend in favour of aquatic therapy, although not statistically significant, with weighted mean difference (WMD) = -1.71 (95% CI: -4.17 to -0.75, p = 0.17). Heterogeneity was substantial (χ = 8.74, df = 5 (p < 0.000001; I = 95%). Relating the pain outcome by fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) short term showed a trend in favour of the aquatic therapy group with WMD = -5.04 (95% CI: - 9.26 to - 0.82, p = = 0.02) with heterogeneity χ = 11.07, df = 4 (p = 0.03; I = 64%). Great heterogeneity was found between trials in medium term.
CONCLUSION
This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated the effectiveness of aquatic therapy as an adjunct treatment to usual care in people suffering from fibromyalgia. Aquatic therapeutic exercise improves the symptomats of sleep quality, pain, and quality of life of adults with fibromyalgia. Further research on long-term outcomes may contribute to the currently available evidence.
Topics: Fibromyalgia; Humans; Hydrotherapy; Sleep Quality; Self Report; Quality of Life; Adult
PubMed: 37847348
DOI: 10.1007/s11325-023-02933-x -
Frontiers in Neurology 2023Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are a group of inheritance diseases resulting in gait abnormalities, which may be detected using instrumented gait analysis. The...
BACKGROUND
Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are a group of inheritance diseases resulting in gait abnormalities, which may be detected using instrumented gait analysis. The aim of this systematic review was 2-fold: to identify specific gait analysis patterns and interventions improving gait in HSP subjects.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, REHABDATA, and PEDro databases, in accordance with reporting guidelines of PRISMA statement and Cochrane's recommendation. The review protocol was recorded on the PROSPERO register. Patients with pure and complicated HSP of any age were included. All types of studies were included. Risk of bias, quality assessment, and meta-analysis were performed.
RESULTS
Forty-two studies were included: 19 were related to gait analysis patterns, and 24 were intervention studies. The latter ones were limited to adults. HSP gait patterns were similar to cerebral palsy in younger subjects and stroke in adults. Knee hyperextension, reduced range of motion at knee, ankle, and hip, reduced foot lift, and increased rapid trunk and arm movements were reported. Botulinum injections reduced spasticity but uncovered weakness and improved gait velocity at follow-up. Weak evidence supported intrathecal baclofen, active intensive physical therapy (i.e., robot-assisted gait training, functional exercises, and hydrotherapy), and functional electrical stimulation. Some improvements but adverse events were reported after transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation, and spinal cord stimulation implant.
CONCLUSION
Knee hyperextension, non-sagittal pelvic movements, and reduced ROM at the knee, ankle, and hip represent the most peculiar patterns in HSP, compared to diplegic cerebral palsy and stroke. Botulinum improved comfortable gait velocity after 2 months. Nonetheless, interventions reducing spasticity might result in ineffective functional outcomes unveiling weakness. Intensive active physical therapy and FES might improve gait velocity in the very short term.
PubMed: 37799279
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1256392 -
Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences Sep 2023Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most common ulcerative disease that affects oral mucosa. The coating agents, topical analgesics, and topical steroids are... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most common ulcerative disease that affects oral mucosa. The coating agents, topical analgesics, and topical steroids are usually used as treatment methods. has been used for RAS treatment based on its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. In this study, a systemic review on the therapeutic effect of topical licorice on RAS management was performed.
METHODS
Science Direct, Scopus, Cochrane databases, PubMed Google Scholar, and ResearchGate were searched up to September 2021 to find all English randomized clinical trials studying the effect of , or its compositions on RAS. Meta-analysis was not conducted because of data heterogeneity. Articles were reviewed qualitatively, and only those with a Jadad score ≥3 were included. Animal studies, , review papers, non-English papers, and case reports were excluded.
RESULTS
Six studies with 314 subjects were included after screening. The result showed licorice has significant effects on RAS pain reduction, ulcer size, and healing time. Its effectiveness is related to its dose-dependent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects through several mechanisms. It also has antibacterial effects against and as another mechanism of action in RAS treatment. In addition, licorice can elevate the epidermal growth factor (EGF) level compared to the control group, which has an essential role in oral mucosal tissue integrity.
CONCLUSION
Licorice extract has been used in different dosage forms, including paste, patch, and mouthwash with concentrations of 1% or 5%. The healing time after licorice therapy is expected to be within 4-8 days. Licorice did not show any adverse effect in the intervention groups, indicating its effectiveness and safety in RAS treatment.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Stomatitis, Aphthous; Glycyrrhiza; Anti-Inflammatory Agents
PubMed: 37786470
DOI: 10.30476/IJMS.2022.94467.2576