Effect of Matrix Rhythm Therapy versus Interferential current therapy with Laser therapy on plantar heel pain: A randomized clinical trial

Background: Heel pain is a highly prevalent problem in most developing and under-developing countries. There are many studies done that show beneficial effects by different manual and physical modalities and therapies yet there is more of research to be done on new modalities and therapies that are drug-free rapid in its effect. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of matrix rhythm therapy with strengthening exercises v/s interferential current therapy (ICT) with laser therapy and strengthening exercise. Methods: 30 participants with the age group 30 to 50 years old, experienced heel pain at least of one-month duration were randomly assigned to receive matrix rhythm therapy v/s ICT and LASER therapy. Strengthening exercises for plantar fascia were the same for both the groups. Intervention for both the groups was given alternatively for 15 sessions at the center by a certified therapist. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for the early morning first step pain and stiffness and Planter Fasciitis Pain/Disability Scale and revised Foot Function Index (FFI). Results: The pain subscale scores of the FFI showed significantly better results for the patients managed with the matrix rhythm therapy. Analysis of the response rates to the outcome measures also revealed significant differences with respect to pain, activity limitations, and patient satisfaction, with greater improvement seen in the group managed with the matrix rhythm therapy strengthening exercise. Conclusion: In the present study both the therapies showed the beneficial effects. However, matrix rhythm therapy was more significant than IFT and Laser therapy.

The Utilization of Medical Devices by Traditional Korean Medicine Doctors Investigated through Traditional Korean Medicine Clinical Studies

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of modern medical devices utilized in diagnosis and treatment in traditional Korean medicine (TKM). Methods. We searched the following six Korean electronic databases to collect TKM clinical studies that were published in a five-year period (January 2012 to December 2016). Clinical studies of TKM when medical devices were used for diagnosis or treatment were investigated. Results. The search generated a total of 3,735 articles, and 1,328 of these were considered to be clinical studies. Of a total of 1,328 clinical studies of TKM, 774 articles (58.3%) used medical devices for diagnosis or treatment, and 554 articles (41.7%) did not use medical devices for diagnosis or treatment. The three most used diagnostic devices were as follows: MRI scanners, which were used in 194 (20.6%) studies; X-ray machines, which were used in 172 studies (18.3%); and CT scanners, which were used in 139 studies (14.8%). The three most used treatment devices were electroacupuncture equipment (20.3%), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) equipment (18.4%), and interferential current therapy (ICT) equipment (16.4%). Conclusions. This study suggests that TKM doctors use diagnostic information derived from modern medical devices clinically. It is therefore necessary to institutionalize considering changes to the medical acts of traditional medicine (TM) doctors. Additionally, this information can be utilized as a reference for developing TM policy and education.

Effect of interferential current in patients with fibromyalgia: a systematic review

ABSTRACT High-intensity and widespread muscle pain is the main complaint of patients with fibromyalgia. Interferential current is a treatment often used in pain relief; however, its effects on these patients are unclear. The objective of this review was to analyze the effects of interferential current therapy on the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia in previously published scientific articles. We searched the following databases: Central, CINAHL, Lilacs, PEDro, Medline (PubMed), SciELO, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science on November 2016. We included only controlled clinical trials and had no restrictions for language and date of publication. We used the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool to assess the risk of bias of the articles. We found a total of 415 articles, however, only four of them were selected for analysis. Three of these studies were excluded because they were not controlled clinical trials. Thus, only one study was analyzed for this review. According to the study the combination of ultrasound and interferential current improved pain relief and the sleep quality of patients with fibromyalgia. However, the study presented a high risk of bias, being impossible to verify the isolated effect of the interferential current in those patients. Randomized controlled studies on the use of interferential current in patients with fibromyalgia are lacking on literature. The results of this review evidence the importance of developing future studies with adequate methodological design and using only interferential current therapy to improve the use of this therapy for these patients in this clinical setting.