Combination of Rehabilitative Therapy with Ultramicronized Palmitylethanolamide for Chronic Low Back Pain: An Observational Study

Chronic low ba,:k pain (LBP) caused by intervertebral disc herniation was reported in the 2010 Global Burden of Disease study to be the main reason for;zears lived wittL disability. It causes significant personal, social, and economic burdens. Many of those who suffer from LBP find convent:ional medica.l treatments to be unsatisfactory for treating their pain, so they are increasingl'g resorting tcr complementary and alternalive medicine (CAM) therapies. Given that thr: population ir; aging, there is an urgent need to characterize the combinations of complementary therapie:; that yield the best outcomes and treatments, even for prolonged periods. The multiple action of PEA in connbination with CAVI therapies may represent the multitarget approachr needed trc tackle the as-yet unsolved problem of chronic pain resistant to conventional therapie

The Role of Acetyl-Carnitine and Rehabilitation in the Management of Patients with Post-COVID Syndrome: Case-Control Study

Post-COVID syndrome is characterized by the persistence of nonspecific disabling symptoms, even several months after the resolution of the infection, with clinical characteristics similar to fibromyalgia (FM) and a prevalence of 31%. We evaluated the effectiveness of physical exercise, in association with L-acetyl-carnitine (ALC) therapy, in patients with Post-COVID syndrome, on musculoskeletal pain, dyspnea, functional capacity, quality of life, and depression. We conducted an observational case-control study on patients with Post-COVID syndrome. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: a treatment group that received rehabilitation treatment in combination with ALC 500 mg therapy; a control group that received only rehabilitation treatment. Patients were assessed at the time of recruitment (T0) and one month after the end of therapy (T1), with the administration of rating scales: NRS, Barthel Dyspnea Index (NPI), 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12) scale, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The treatment group showed statistically higher variations in pain scores, quality of life, and depression. No statistically significant differences between the two groups emerged regarding changes in dyspnea and functional capacity scores. Combining exercise with ALC is a promising and effective treatment in the management of Post-COVID syndrome, especially for musculoskeletal pain, depression, and quality of life

Extracorporeal ShockWave Treatment vs. mesotherapy in the treatment of myofascial syndromes: a clinical trial

Numerous scientific papers have compared different treatment options in the management of myofascial pain syndrome. This study evaluated the efficacy of Extracorporeal ShockWave Treatment (ESWT) and mesotherapy in patients with Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) in terms of improvement in pain, functional capacity, and quality of life. A case–control study was conducted on 54 patients, who were randomized into 2 groups: group A, consisting of 27 patients, who were treated with 5 sessions of focal ESWT on a weekly basis; and group B, consisting of 27 patients, who underwent 5 sessions of mesotherapy with Thiocolchicoside fl 4 mg/2 mL and Mepivacaine fl 10 mg/1 mL on a weekly basis. Patients were evaluated at enrollment (T0), after 5 weeks, at the end of rehabilitation treatment (T1), and at a follow- up 30 days after the end of treatment (T2), by administering rating scales (Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) - Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) – Short Form-36 (SF-36)). The results showed that focal ESWT and Mesoterapy are two valid and effective treatment options in reducing algic symptoms and improving short- and long-term quality of life. However, the use of ESWTs, despite being mildly painful but tolerated, has been shown to be superior to mesotherapy in terms of pain reduction and increased functional capacity

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis screening: Could a school-based assessment protocol be useful for an early diagnosis?

BACKGROUND: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis screening still needs a considerable implementation, particularly throughout a school-based assessment protocol. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical examinations currently in use for the diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, through a survey carried out in secondary schools to standardize a screening protocol that could be generalized. METHODS: In their classrooms, the adolescents underwent an idiopathic scoliosis screening through three examinations: Adam’s test, axial trunk rotation (ATR) and plumb line. In case of single positivity to one of the three examinations, a column X-ray examination was recommended. RESULTS: The sensitivity and diagnostic specificity of Adam’s test or ATR were 56.3% and 92.7%, respectively. The positivity to at least one between ATR or plumb line showed that sensitivity was higher than specificity: 91.3% versus 80.8%; the positivity to at least one between Adams’s test or plumb line showed a sensitivity of 95.2% and a specificity of 81.5%. Finally, the positivity to all three examinations showed an increase in specificity (99.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings show that this school-based screening protocol had a very high specificity in early diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Immersion Ultrasound Therapy in Combination with Manual Therapy in the Treatment of Ischemic Digital Ulcers in Systemic Sclerosis

Background and Objectives: Digital ulcers (DUs) are the most common complication in patients with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). They cause pain with hand dysfunction and negatively impact activities of daily and working life. Our study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a combined treatment of manual therapy and ultrasound therapy in SSc patients with ischemic DU (IDU) compared to manual therapy alone. Materials and Methods: We conducted a before-and-after study (non-randomized study). We enrolled a consecutive series of IDU patients undergoing rehabilitation treatment and divided them into two groups: a treatment group consisting of patients undergoing a combination of manual therapy and US water immersion and a standard care group consisting of patients subjected to manual therapy alone. At the time of the first visit (T0) and at the end of the 4-week rehabilitation period (T1), we evaluated functional capacity, pain intensity, ulcer evolution, and quality of life. Results: In the treatment group, we observed a statistically significant improvement in the functional capacity of the hand (DHI: 28.15 11.0 vs. 19.05 8.83; p < 0.05), pain (NRS: 5.55 1.2 vs. 2.9 1.09; p < 0.05), and PSST score (24.4 4.0 vs. 16.2 2.36; p < 0.05). In the standard care group, we observed a statistically significant improvement only for the functional capacity of the hand (DHI: 28.85 9.72 vs. 22.7 7.68; p < 0.05). Finally, from the comparison between the treatment group and the standard care group, we observed statistically significant improvements in pain (2.9 1.09 vs. 4.5 1.07; p < 0.05) and in the PSST scale (16.2 2.36 vs. 20.4 4.02; p < 0.05). Furthermore, at the end of treatment in the treatment group, 15 ulcers (62.5%) were completely healed, while in the standard care group, only 3 ulcers were completely healed (14.3%). Conclusions: Combined treatment with manual therapy and ultrasound therapy appears to be useful in the management of IDU in patients with scleroderma

Sinergismo d'azione tra trattamento riabilitativo e denosumab: nostra esperienza

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Trattamento farmacologico dell'osteoporosi severa con Teriparatide: nostra esperienza

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