scholarly journals Therapeutic Exercise in the Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (10) ◽  
pp. 1371-1380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paloma Carroquino-Garcia ◽  
José Jesús Jiménez-Rejano ◽  
Esther Medrano-Sanchez ◽  
Maria de la Casa-Almeida ◽  
Esther Diaz-Mohedo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Dysmenorrhea is a health problem with a high impact on health and society. Some drugs have been shown to be effective at treating dysmenorrhea. Therapeutic exercise is another option for reducing the symptomatology of this health problem, with a low cost and the absence of side effects. Purpose The purposes of this review were to study the efficacy of physical exercise for pain intensity in primary dysmenorrhea and to assess its effectiveness in decreasing the duration of pain and improving quality of life. Data Sources Searches were conducted between February 2017 and May 2017 in the databases Web of Science, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Dialnet, using the terms dysmenorrhea, exercise therapy, exercise movement technique, exercise, physical therapy, physical therapy speciality, treatment, primary dysmenorrhea, prevention, etiology, epidemiology, and pain. Study Selection We included randomized controlled trial studies conducted on women who were 16 to 25 years old and had primary dysmenorrhea, studies that included exercise as a type of therapy, studies that assessed the intensity and duration of pain and quality of life, and studies published in English or Spanish. Studies that included women with irregular cycles, women diagnosed with a gynecological disease, women who had had surgery, women with serious diseases, or women who used intracavitary or oral contraceptives were excluded. We started with 455 studies; 16 were included in the systematic review, and 11 were included in the 3 meta-analyses that were carried out. Data Extraction Two authors selected the studies and extracted their characteristics (participants, intervention, comparators, and outcomes) and results. The evaluation of the methodological quality of the studies was carried out by PEDro scale. Data Synthesis There was moderate evidence that therapeutic exercise can be considered a useful tool in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea in terms of a reduction in pain intensity. Regarding the duration of pain and quality of life, there was low evidence and very low evidence, respectively. In the 3 meta-analyses, the results were significantly positive in favor of exercise for decreases in both the intensity and the duration of pain. Limitations Limitations of this study include the great heterogeneity of the interventions applied in the studies in terms of type of exercise, in combination or alone, and dosage. This review includes a small number of studies with risk of bias, so the present findings must be interpreted with caution. Conclusions Therapeutic exercise reduces pain intensity in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Geng Li ◽  
Zhe Zhang ◽  
Li Zhou ◽  
Shaojun Liao ◽  
Jing Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Epidemiological studies have shown that young women often suffer from primary dysmenorrhea (PD) which is a common cause that affects their routine work and quality of life. Chinese herbal medicine has been widely used for PD in China. A systematic review found that Xuefu Zhuyu (XFZY) has a promising effect on PD management, yet there is a dearth of high-quality evidence in support of this claim. We want to conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of XFZY for PD patients. Methods This is a protocol for a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 248 participants with PD will be recruited at 6 centers and randomized into two groups—a herbal treatment group and a placebo group. The participants will receive either XFZY or placebo, three times per day, for 3 menstrual cycles, with a 12-week follow-up. The primary outcome will be the mean change in pain intensity as measured by VAS, while the change in menstrual pain duration, the change in peak pain intensity as measured by VAS, the Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale (CMSS), quality of life EQ-5D-5L, cumulative painkiller consumption, and health economics will be included as secondary outcomes. Adverse events will also be reported. Discussion This protocol describes a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that investigates the efficacy and safety of XFZY for primary dysmenorrhea. Validated evaluation tools will assess dysmenorrhea severity. We believe that this research will provide important evidence regarding the use of XFZY to treat dysmenorrhea. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900026819. Registered on 23 October 2019


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastianina Contena ◽  
Stefano Taddei

Abstract. Borderline Intellectual Functioning (BIF) refers to a global IQ ranging from 71 to 84, and it represents a condition of clinical attention for its association with other disorders and its influence on the outcomes of treatments and, in general, quality of life and adaptation. Furthermore, its definition has changed over time causing a relevant clinical impact. For this reason, a systematic review of the literature on this topic can promote an understanding of what has been studied, and can differentiate what is currently attributable to BIF from that which cannot be associated with this kind of intellectual functioning. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, we have conducted a review of the literature about BIF. The results suggest that this condition is still associated with mental retardation, and only a few studies have focused specifically on this condition.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faiza Siddiqui ◽  
Marija Barbateskovic ◽  
Sophie Juul ◽  
Kiran Kumar Katakam ◽  
Klaus Munkholm ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Major depression significantly impairs quality of life, increases the risk of suicide, and poses tremendous economic burden on individuals and societies. Duloxetine, a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, is a widely prescribed antidepressant. The effects of duloxetine have, however, not been sufficiently assessed in earlier systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Methods/design A systematic review will be performed including randomised clinical trials comparing duloxetine with ‘active’ placebo, placebo or no intervention for adults with major depressive disorder. Bias domains will be assessed, an eight-step procedure will be used to assess if the thresholds for clinical significance are crossed. We will conduct meta-analyses. Trial sequential analysis will be conducted to control random errors, and the certainty of the evidence will be assessed using GRADE. To identify relevant trials, we will search Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Excerpta Medica database, PsycINFO, Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, Conference Proceedings Citation Index—Science and Conference Proceedings Citation Index—Social Science & Humanities. We will also search Chinese databases and Google Scholar. We will search all databases from their inception to the present. Two review authors will independently extract data and perform risk of bias assessment. Primary outcomes will be the difference in mean depression scores on Hamilton Depression Rating Scale between the intervention and control groups and serious adverse events. Secondary outcomes will be suicide, suicide-attempts, suicidal ideation, quality of life and non-serious adverse events. Discussion No former systematic review has systematically assessed the beneficial and harmful effects of duloxetine taking into account both the risks of random errors and the risks of systematic errors. Our review will help clinicians weigh the benefits of prescribing duloxetine against its adverse effects and make informed decisions. Systematic review registration PROSPERO 2016 CRD42016053931


BMJ Leader ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. leader-2019-000199
Author(s):  
Charleen Singh ◽  
Caitlin Loseth ◽  
Noordeen Shoqirat

The number of women entering medicine significantly increased over the last decades. Currently, over half of the medical students are women but less than half are applying to surgery and even less go on to surgical specialties. Even fewer women are seen in leadership roles throughout the profession of surgery and surgical residency. Our purpose of the literature review is to identify any themes, which would provide insight to the current phenomenon. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method for a systematic review of the literature over a 20-year period (1998–2018). Five broad themes were identified: education and recruitment, career development, impact of/on life around the globe and surgical subspecialties as areas of barriers for women entering or considering surgery. The systematic review suggests there are opportunities to improve and encourage women entering the profession of surgery as well as the quality of life for surgeons. Creating systems for mentorship across programmes, having policies to support work–life balance and recognising surgical training overlaps with childbearing years are key opportunities for improvement. Improving the current status in surgery will require direction from leadership.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thara Govindaraju ◽  
Berhe Sahle ◽  
Tracy McCaffrey ◽  
John McNeil ◽  
Alice Owen

Dietary patterns may be related to quality of life (QoL) of older adults, although evidence from literature is conflicting. The demographic shifts toward ageing populations in many countries increases the importance of understanding the relationship between diet and QoL in older adults. This review was designed to investigate associations between dietary patterns and QoL in older adults. The systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eight electronic databases were searched to identify articles published in English from January 1975 to March 2018 that investigated associations between dietary patterns and QoL in older adults. Relevant studies were identified based on set inclusion and exclusion criteria, data were extracted and analysed to examine the relationships and possible implications for public health recommendations. The systematic review included 15 articles (One randomized control trial, six prospective cohorts and eight cross sectional). The studies looked at correlations between different dietary patterns and/or adherence to particular dietary patterns and self-reported QoL or self-rated health status. Excluding two studies which showed no significant association, healthy dietary patterns were associated with better self-rated health and QoL in one or more domains, and adherence to healthy dietary patterns like the Mediterranean diet were significantly associated with improvement in at least one of the QoL domains.


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