Spine
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Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common and costly musculoskeletal problems in modern society. Proponents of massage therapy claim it can minimize pain and disability and speed return-to-normal function. ⋯ Massage might be beneficial for patients with subacute and chronic nonspecific LBP, especially when combined with exercises and education. The evidence suggests that acupuncture massage is more effective than classic massage, but this needs confirmation. More studies are needed to confirm these conclusions, to assess the effect of massage on return-to-work, and to measure longer term effects to determine cost-effectiveness of massage as an intervention for LBP.
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A systematic critical literature review. ⋯ Occult pathoanatomical lesions in the cervical intervertebral disc and zygapophysial joints after fatal road traffic trauma may exist. Present imaging methods, especially conventional radiography, do not visualize these subtle lesions; hence, underreporting of pathoanatomical lesions during standard autopsy is probably common. These findings may have clinical relevance in the management of road traffic trauma survivors with potentially similar pathoanatomy.
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A systematic review. ⋯ There remains no standard PSLR procedure, no consensus on interpretation of results, and little recognition that a negative PSLR test outcome may be of greater diagnostic value than a positive one. The causal link between LBP pathology and hamstring action remains unclear. There is a need for research into the clinical use of the PSLR; its intra- and interobserver reliability; the influences of age, gender, diurnal variation, and psychosocial factors; and its predictive value in lumbar intervertebral disc surgery.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Surgical tracheostomy versus percutaneous dilational tracheostomy in patients with anterior cervical spine fixation: preliminary report.
A prospective, randomized study. ⋯ Our preliminary data demonstrate that ultrasound-guided PDT as regards to complications is at least equally safe as ST; at the same time, it is much quicker method, probably with less late infections of the stoma, which could be an important advantage in patients with ACSF.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Treatment of chronic lower back pain with lumbar extension and whole-body vibration exercise: a randomized controlled trial.
A randomized controlled trial with a 6-month follow-up period was conducted. ⋯ The current data indicate that poor lumbar muscle force probably is not the exclusive cause of chronic lower back pain. Different types of exercise therapy tend to yield comparable results. Interestingly, well-controlled vibration may be the cure rather than the cause of lower back pain.