Effectiveness of Physical Therapy Interventions for Women with Dysmenorrhea: a Systematic Review

Background and aims: Primary dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation, is common in menstruating females. However, in some, it can cause intense pain, disrupt activities of daily living, and impact quality of life. The treatment of dysmenorrhea does not traditionally include physical therapy. A systematic review was conducted to explore the role of physical therapy in treating dysmenorrhea. Methods: A search was performed in August 2020 and January 2021 using EBSCOhost, Academic Search Ultimate, CINAHL Complete, and MEDLINE. Search terms included exercise or physical activity or fitness AND dysmenorrhea or menstrual pain or painful menstruation. Inclusion criteria were articles that were peer-reviewed, published in the last 10 years, and available in full text in English. All articles included in the review were analyzed for quality on a hierarchy of evidence scale. Results: 22 results were included in this systematic review. 19 articles were level 2 and 3 articles were level 3 on the hierarchy of evidence scale. The Visual Analog Scale and Menstrual Distress Questionnaire were the widely utilized outcome measures used to determine the effectiveness of the interventions. Interventions including aerobic exercise, stretching, kinesio taping, aquatic therapy, acupressure, yoga, core stability, positional activities, spinal manipulation, and patient education have shown to be effective. Conclusions: Physical therapy can assist in the reduction of pain and other symptoms associated with dysmenorrhea. Overall, articles indicated that aerobic exercise, stretching, and core stability yielded the greatest improvement in patient symptoms of dysmenorrhea. Physicians should consider recommending physical therapy to patients with symptoms that disrupt their activities of daily living.https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/research_posters2021/1029/thumbnail.jp

The Efficacy of Physical Therapy for Pain Management in Women with Endometriosis: A Systematic Review

Abstract Background: Endometriosis is a disorder in which benign endometrial tissue grows due to atypical endometrial glands that form outside of the uterus. The disorder causes pain, excessive bleeding, dyspareunia, and may affect quality of life. Common medical treatment includes NSAIDS, hormonal therapy and surgery. Non-traditional interventions such as physical therapy may also be an option. The purpose of this review is to examine the effectiveness of physical therapy in decreasing pain and improving quality of life for women with endometriosis. Methods: A review was performed August/September, 2020 using CINAHL Complete, PubMed, PEDro, and Academic Search Ultimate. Search terms included endometriosis, exercise, physical therapy, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials, meta analyses, articles published in the last 15 years, and full text English. A hand search was also conducted. Results: 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. There were 2 level 1, 2 level 2, and 7 level 3 on the hierarchy of evidence scale included in the study. Articles were grouped into the following categories: modality therapy, physical activity, manual therapy, combined intervention and meta analysis. Conclusion: Research has shown a positive relationship between the use of combined physical therapy interventions as means of pain management for women with endometriosis. The study is inconclusive regarding use of a single intervention. The role of physical therapy for treating endometriosis needs further research to determine the best protocol for endometrial pain management.https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/research_posters2021/1028/thumbnail.jp

The Efficacy of Kinesiology Taping in the Treatment of Women with Post–Mastectomy Lymphedema: A Systematic Review

Objective: To examine the efficacy of kinesiology taping (KT) in the treatment of women with breast cancer–related post–mastectomy lymphedema. Study Design: Systematic review. Background: Post–mastectomy lymphedema is a common complication in women who have undergone treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer–related lymphedema has historically been treated with complete decongestive therapy; however, there is no consensus on a gold standard treatment. Kinesiology taping is an alternative intervention that is currently being explored. Methods and Measures: Two database searches and a hand search were conducted. Articles were selected on the basis of the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. All articles were analyzed for quality on the PEDro Scale and a hierarchy of evidence scale. Results: Eighty-six articles were retrieved from combined database and hand searches from which 14 articles met the inclusion criteria. Scores on a hierarchy of evidence scale ranged from 1b to 3b and on the PEDro scale ranged from 7/10 to 1/10. The outcomes explored in the articles included upper extremity circumference and volume, range of motion, upper extremity and grip strength, pain and discomfort, quality of life, and cost for the patient. Conclusion: Kinesiology taping effectively treats symptoms related to post–mastectomy lymphedema, and its use can provide an alternative treatment strategy to be used with patients who are noncompliant or have contraindications to traditional lymphedema treatment. Research is still limited, and future research is needed to determine whether and how KT can replace or complement these more conventional treatments

The Effects of Resistance Exercises on Secondary Lymphedema Due to Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Review of Current Literature

Background: Breast cancer–related lymphedema has become a prevalent topic in physical therapy due to changing theories on treatment techniques. Low-level resistance exercise or active range of motion is a treatment used in complete decongestive therapy (CDT), which is currently the standard treatment. Progressive resistance exercise techniques are currently being researched to examine their effects on secondary lymphedema. Study Design: Systematic review. Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effect of resistance exercise on secondary lymphedema due to breast cancer treatment in women compared with active range of motion and low-level resistance exercises. Methods and Measures: Two searches of the literature were performed, the first between March 2015 and October 2015 and the second between January 2016 and February 2016, using PubMed, EBSCO (CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Academic Search Premiere) databases. Results: Thirteen articles were included and were divided into high-, medium-, or low-frequency exercise groups. The change in lymphedema was then examined. No studies showed a long-term increase in lymphedema, and in some instances, the lymphedema was reduced with resistance exercise. Conclusion: After reviewing current literature, it can be concluded that resistance exercise paired with CDT may be beneficial for patients post–breast cancer treatment. In high-frequency groups, a statistically significant difference was seen in lymphedema reduction compared with control groups. Even if lymphedema was not reduced, many patients still experienced other benefits of resistance exercises such as increased strength and increased quality-of-life scores

Effect of the Menstrual Cycle on Athletic Performance in NCAA Division III Collegiate Athletes

Background: Gender-specific aspects of physiology influence multiple systems including the cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, and musculoskeletal systems. Studies have shown that female athletes are 2 to 10 times more susceptible to ligamentous injury than men. Studies contributed these findings to varying anatomical structure between men and women, hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle, and some athletes taking oral contraceptives. A female athlete may be just as fit as her male counterpart, yet it is recognized that the menstrual cycle has unique physiological and psychological effects on athletic performance. Fluctuations in sex hormones and symptoms of the menstrual cycle may impact one\u27s ability to train and compete. Objectives: To analyze the effect of the menstrual cycle on athletic performance in NCAA Division III collegiate athletes. Study Design: Prospective, nonexperimental, descriptive study. Methods: Participants were recruited from NCAA Division III universities in Pennsylvania. Data were collected on participants\u27 demographics, menstrual cycle history, use of birth control, premenstrual symptoms, and athletic performance. Athletic performance was examined and compared during the follicular and luteal phases and during nonmenstruating and menstruating days. Results: Eight athletes were included in the analysis. No trends were observed when comparing athletic performance during the follicular and luteal phases. When examining nonmenstruating and menstruating days, most average race times slowed or increased. Conclusion: Incorporating menstrual cycle tracking into a plan of care can help therapists determine best exercises based on phase of cycle. Therapists can also educate patients at risk of injury, modifying training plans and expectations on performance

The Effectiveness of Biofeedback Therapy in Managing Bladder Bowel Dysfunction in Children: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of biofeedback therapy as a non-invasive intervention to treat Bladder Bowel Dysfunction in pediatrics. METHODS: Six databases were searched between February 2016 and September 2016. Biofeedback studies for children aged 4–16 with idiopathic urinary or fecal incontinence were included. Articles were excluded on subjects\u27 medical histories, study design, timeline of study, and lacking expert review. Quality was determined using Sackett\u27s Levels of Evidence and the PEDro scale. RESULTS: Twelve articles were included in the review. Quality of evidence was moderate, as the average PEDro score of the selected articles was 5.3. The participants\u27 ages ranged from 4–16 years old. Studies demonstrated that a multifactorial approach consisting of biofeedback therapy and behavioral modification can be successful in resolving Bladder Bowel Dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Biofeedback is a beneficial treatment for children with dysfunctional voiding and functional fecal incontinence. More conclusive research needs to be completed to explore the effects of biofeedback therapy treatment to make more concrete conclusions. Healthcare professionals should consider biofeedback as an alternative approach in conjunction with traditional treatments. A multidisciplinary approach is best when treating dysfunctional voiding and functional fecal incontinence in the pediatric population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR