Trials
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Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common chronic musculoskeletal disorder that seriously affects quality of life. Patients with KOA frequently develop one or more of the following typical symptoms: joint pain, stiffness, joint friction noise and impaired functionality. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been shown to have a superior effect and a particular advantage in the treatment of KOA; among TCM, the Tong-luo Qu-tong plaster is the convenient and most commonly used method in China to improve symptoms including pain, stiffness and limited mobility in patients with KOA, as it causes few adverse effects. But there is a lack of high-quality clinical evidences to support the therapeutic effect that Chinese adhesive plaster can have in relieving pain and stiffness. The purpose of this study will be to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tong-luo Qu-tong plaster in patients with KOA. ⋯ This study will provide reliable evidence of the effectiveness and safety of Tong-luo Qutong plaster in patients with KOA. If the results are favorable, it is expected that the patients with KOA will benefit from this study, many patients may have a good alternative treatment for KOA.
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The benefit of physical exercise in ageing and particularly in frailty has been the aim of recent research. Moreover, physical activity in the elderly is associated with a decreased risk of mortality, of common chronic illnesses (i.e. cardiovascular disease or osteoarthritis) and of institutionalization as well as with a delay in functional decline. Additionally, very recent research has shown that, despite its limitations, physical exercise is associated with a reduced risk of dementia, Alzheimer disease or mild cognitive decline. Nevertheless, the effect of physical exercise as a systematic, structured and repetitive type of physical activity, in the reduction of risk of cognitive decline in the elderly, is not very clear. The purpose of this study aims to examine whether an innovative multicomponent exercise programme called VIVIFRAIL has benefits for functional and cognitive status among pre-frail/frail patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. ⋯ Frailty and cognitive impairment are two very common geriatric syndromes in elderly patients and are frequently related and overlapped. Functional decline and disability are major adverse outcomes of these conditions. Exercise is a potential intervention for both syndromes. If our hypothesis is correct, the relevance of this project is that the results can contribute to understanding that an individualized multicomponent exercise programme (VIVIFRAIL) for frail elderly patients with cognitive impairment is more effective in reducing functional and cognitive impairment than conventional care. Moreover, our study may be able to show that an innovative individualized multicomponent exercise prescription for these high-risk populations is plausible, having at least similar therapeutic effects to other pharmacological and medical prescriptions.