The Efficacy of Acupuncture and Acupoint Massage in Enhancing Lumbar Mobility and Alleviating Pain in Individuals with Lumbar Disc Herniation.

Background: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a prevalent condition in spinal surgery, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture has gained clinical attention as a potential treatment for LDH in recent years. Objective: This study aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture combined with acupoint massage in LDH patients. Methods: We enrolled a total of 135 LDH patients treated at our hospital from May 2021 to February 2023. Among them, 63 patients received acupuncture treatment (control group), while the remaining 72 received acupuncture combined with acupoint massage (observation group). We compared treatment efficacy and the time it took for lumbar stiffness, lower back and leg pain, bending and flexing difficulties, and other symptoms to disappear between the two groups. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Japanese Orthopedic Association Scoring System (JOA) were used to evaluate patients' pain levels and lumbar vertebral function before and after treatment. Additionally, we assessed patients using the Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 (GQOL-74) and recorded their treatment satisfaction. Results: The observation group exhibited a slightly higher total effective rate compared to the control group, with a shorter time for the resolution of lumbar stiffness, lower back pain, leg pain, and other symptoms (P < .05). Furthermore, the observation group had lower VAS scores and higher JOA scores (P < .05). They also achieved higher GQOL-74 scores and reported greater treatment satisfaction (P < .05). Conclusions: Acupuncture combined with acupoint massage effectively alleviated clinical symptoms and pain in LDH patients, demonstrating significant clinical utility.

Self-reported Measures of Function Compared to Lower Limb Motor Performance in People With and Without Imaging Evidence of Unilateral Lumbar Nerve Root Compression: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of the present study was to determine if imaging findings of unilateral lumbar nerve root compression (ULNRC) impact performance on a coordinated motor performance task and to determine if there were correlations between motor performance and self-reported clinical measures. METHODS: People with back pain (N = 45) were stratified into 3 groups based on combinations of: lumbar imaging; and clinical presentation for ULNRC. Group 1 included people with imaging of lumbar nerve root compression, who presented with neurological deficit. Group 2 people demonstrated imaging evidence of nerve compression, without motor, sensory or reflex change. Group 3 participants possessed only degenerative changes on lumbar imaging films, and were neurologically intact. Performance measures included behavioral and kinematic variables from an established lower limb Fitts' Task requiring movements to targets of different difficulties. Self-reported measures of disability, function and pain were collected. Analysis of variance for between and within group variables were conducted, and Pearson correlation compared performance with self-reported measures. RESULTS: All groups yielded main effects for movement time with increasing task difficulty as predicted by Fitts' Law. A main effect revealed Group 1 participants performed less accurately than Group 3 participants. Positive correlations were predominantly found between self-report measures and motor performance for Group 2 and Group 3. CONCLUSION: Imaging, and self-reported measures alone did not predict function, however, Fitts' task performance accuracy effectively differentiated groups.

Pubertal Suppression, Bone Mass, and Body Composition in Youth With Gender Dysphoria.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Puberty onset and development contribute substantially to adolescents' bone mass and body composition. Our objective with this study was to examine the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) on these puberty-induced changes among youth with gender dysphoria (GD). METHODS: Medical records of the endocrine diversity clinic in an academic children's hospital were reviewed for youth with GD seen from January 2006 to April 2017 with at least 1 baseline dual-energy radiograph absorptiometry measurement. RESULTS: At baseline, transgender females had lower lumbar spine (LS) and left total hip (LTH) areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and LS bone mineral apparent density (BMAD) z scores. Only 44.7% of transgender youth were vitamin D sufficient. Baseline vitamin D status was associated with LS, LTH aBMD, and LS BMAD z scores. Post-GnRHa assessments revealed a significant drop in LS and LTH aBMD z scores (transgender males and transgender females) without fractures and LS BMAD (transgender males), an increase in gynoid (fat percentage), and android (fat percentage) (transgender males and transgender females), and no changes in BMI z score. CONCLUSIONS: GnRHa monotherapy negatively affected bone mineral density of youth with GD without evidence of fractures or changes in BMI z score. Transgender youth body fat redistribution (android versus gynoid) were in keeping with their affirmed gender. The majority of transgender youth had vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency with baseline status associated with bone mineral density. Vitamin D supplementation should be considered for all youth with GD.

The contemporary model of vertebral column joint dysfunction and impact of high-velocity, low-amplitude controlled vertebral thrusts on neuromuscular function.

PURPOSE: There is growing evidence that vertebral column function and dysfunction play a vital role in neuromuscular control. This invited review summarises the evidence about how vertebral column dysfunction, known as a central segmental motor control (CSMC) problem, alters neuromuscular function and how spinal adjustments (high-velocity, low-amplitude or HVLA thrusts directed at a CSMC problem) and spinal manipulation (HVLA thrusts directed at segments of the vertebral column that may not have clinical indicators of a CSMC problem) alters neuromuscular function. METHODS: The current review elucidates the peripheral mechanisms by which CSMC problems, the spinal adjustment or spinal manipulation alter the afferent input from the paravertebral tissues. It summarises the contemporary model that provides a biologically plausible explanation for CSMC problems, the manipulable spinal lesion. This review also summarises the contemporary, biologically plausible understanding about how spinal adjustments enable more efficient production of muscular force. The evidence showing how spinal dysfunction, spinal manipulation and spinal adjustments alter central multimodal integration and motor control centres will be covered in a second invited review. RESULTS: Many studies have shown spinal adjustments increase voluntary force and prevent fatigue, which mainly occurs due to altered supraspinal excitability and multimodal integration. The literature suggests physical injury, pain, inflammation, and acute or chronic physiological or psychological stress can alter the vertebral column's central neural motor control, leading to a CSMC problem. The many gaps in the literature have been identified, along with suggestions for future studies. CONCLUSION: Spinal adjustments of CSMC problems impact motor control in a variety of ways. These include increasing muscle force and preventing fatigue. These changes in neuromuscular function most likely occur due to changes in supraspinal excitability. The current contemporary model of the CSMC problem, and our understanding of the mechanisms of spinal adjustments, provide a biologically plausible explanation for how the vertebral column's central neural motor control can dysfunction, can lead to a self-perpetuating central segmental motor control problem, and how HVLA spinal adjustments can improve neuromuscular function.

Faster Lumbar Spine Bone Loss in Midlife Predicts Subsequent Fracture Independent of Starting Bone Mineral Density.

CONTEXT: Bone mineral density (BMD) decreases rapidly during menopause transition (MT), and continues to decline in postmenopause. OBJECTIVE: This work aims to examine whether faster BMD loss during the combined MT and early postmenopause is associated with incident fracture, independent of starting BMD, before the MT. METHODS: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, a longitudinal cohort study, included 451 women, initially premenopausal or early perimenopausal, and those transitioned to postmenopause. Main outcome measures included time to first fracture after early postmenopause. RESULTS: In Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusted for age, body mass index, race/ethnicity, study site, use of vitamin D and calcium supplements, and use of bone-detrimental or -beneficial medications, each SD decrement in lumbar spine (LS) BMD before MT was associated with a 78% increment in fracture hazard (P = .007). Each 1% per year faster decline in LS BMD was related to a 56% greater fracture hazard (P = .04). Rate of LS BMD decline predicted future fracture, independent of starting BMD. Women with a starting LS BMD below the sample median, and an LS BMD decline rate faster than the sample median had a 2.7-fold greater fracture hazard (P = .03). At the femoral neck, neither starting BMD nor rate of BMD decline was associated with fracture. CONCLUSION: At the LS, starting BMD before the MT and rate of decline during the combined MT and early postmenopause are independent risk factors for fracture. Women with a below-median starting LS BMD and a faster-than-median LS BMD decline have the greatest fracture risk.

Therapeutic efficacy of traditional Chinese exercises and massage treatment on lumbar instability: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of traditional Chinese exercises combined with traditional Chinese massage on lumbar instability. METHODS: Seventy patients with lumbar instability were randomly divided into experimental group and control group. The experimental group was treated with traditional Chinese exercises combined with traditional Chinese massage, while the control group was only treated with traditional Chinese exercises. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and dynamic imaging indexes were used to assess treatment outcomes. RESULTS: After 8 weeks of treatment, the JOA scores of both groups were significantly higher than those before treatment (P < 0.05), while ODI was significantly lower (P < 0.05). In addition, compared with the control group, the JOA score of the experimental group was significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the ODI was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Besides, the dynamic imaging indexes of patients with lumbar instability significantly changed after treatment. The lumbar vertebral laxity was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) than those before treatment. CONCLUSION: The traditional Chinese exercises and massage may improve the symptoms of lumbar instability, and traditional Chinese exercises combined with massage treatment may be better than exercises alone.

Biomechanical Comparison of Lumbar Fixed-Point Oblique Pulling Manipulation and Traditional Oblique Pulling Manipulation in Treating Lumbar Intervertebral Disk Protrusion.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the biomechanical effect of lumbar fixed-point oblique pulling manipulation and traditional oblique pulling manipulation in the treatment of protrusion of lumbar intervertebral disk, and investigate the influence of disk degeneration on the 2 manipulations. METHODS: Three finite element models including 1 normal model, 1 mild degeneration, and 1 moderate degeneration model of L3-S1 were developed to simulate 2 oblique pulling manipulations. The disk protrusion was assumed to be in the left central and subarticular zone of the L4-L5 disk, and manipulations were carried out on the right. A 15-Nm right axial rotation moment and 150-N compressive loading were imposed on the upper endplate of L3 to simulate a traditional oblique pulling manipulation. To simulate lumbar fixed-point oblique pulling manipulation, in addition to a 15-Nm moment and 150-N compressive loading imposed on the L3 upper endplate, a 50-N force was imposed on the right lateral area of the L4 spinous process in a left front direction. The displacement and stress in the left central and subarticular zone of the L4-L5 disk were calculated and compared in the 3 models. RESULTS: The average displacement and stress in the left central and subarticular zone of L4-L5 disk were higher in fixed-point oblique pulling manipulation than those in traditional oblique pulling manipulation (P < .05). In addition, the values of average stress and displacement decreased significantly with the increase of lumbar disk degeneration (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Lumbar fixed-point oblique pulling manipulation showed a better biomechanical effect than traditional oblique pulling manipulation, and lumbar disk degeneration affected the 2 manipulations adversely in the virtual treatment of protrusion of the lumbar intervertebral disk using finite element models.

A Screening Tool for Patients With Lumbar Instability: A Content Validity and Rater Reliability of Thai Version.

OBJECTIVE: Lumbar instability is a condition that has been extensively reported in its prevalence and its effect on patients. To date, however, a clinical screening tool for this condition has not been developed for use in Thailand. The objectives of this study were to translate and test the content validity and rater reliability of a screening tool for evaluating Thai patients with lumbar instability. METHODS: The investigators selected the lumbar instability questionnaire from an original English version. Elements of the tool comprised the dominant subjective findings reported by this clinical population. The screening tool was translated into the Thai language following a process of cross-cultural adaptation. The index of item-objective congruence (IOC) was checked for content validity by 5 independent experts. Seventy-five Thai patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain were asked to report their symptoms. The interview procedure using the tool was conducted by expert and novice physical therapists, which informed the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for inter- and intrarater reliability. RESULTS: The IOC was 0.95. The interrater ICC between expert and novice physical therapists was 0.92 (95% CI = 0.88-0.95). The intrarater ICC of novice physical therapist was 0.91 (95% CI = 0.86-0.94). CONCLUSION: The Thai version of the screening tool for patients with lumbar instability achieved excellent content validity and interrater and intrarater reliability. This screening tool is recommended for use with Thai patients with low back pain to identify the subpopulation with lumbar instability.

Bioassay-guided isolation and evaluation of anti-osteoporotic polysaccharides from Morinda officinalis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Morinda officinalis is a well-known Chinese tonic herb that has shown clinical efficacy in the treatment of bone disease. However, its anti-osteoporotic potential and the M. officinalis polysaccharides (MOPs) responsible for activity require further investigation. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate the anti-osteoporotic effects of different MOP fractions in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, and to identify the osteoprotective components by bioassay-guided isolation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MOPs were prepared by hot water and alkali extraction, separated into three fractions (MO50, MO70, and MOB) and evaluated in the classic OVX rat model and in MC3T3-E1 cells for anti-osteoporotic activity. RESULTS: Administration of MOPs (400 mg/kg/day) provided significant protection against ovariectomy-induced bone loss and biomechanical dysfunction in rats. Treated animals exhibited reduced deterioration of trabecular microarchitecture and lower levels of bone turnover markers. Bioactivity-guided fractionation led to the isolation of two inulin-type fructans from MO50, MOW50-1 and MOP50-2, with potential anti-osteoporotic activities. These consisted of (2 → 1)-linked ß-D-fructosyl residues with degrees of polymerization (DP) of 7 and 13, respectively. Furthermore, MOW50-1 promoted osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells by increasing alkaline phosphatase activity. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest very strongly that MOPs, especially MO50 and MOW50-1, may play important roles in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

Judokas with low back pain have lower flexibility of the hip-spine complex: A case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Study whether male adult judokas with and without low back pain (LBP) have different hip-spine flexibility. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Judo training centres. PARTICIPANTS: Judokas with (n = 29) and without (n = 33) LBP. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Range of motion (ROM) (passive and active rotations) of hips, lumbar spine (flexion-extension) and fingertip-to-floor distance (FTFD). RESULTS: The non-dominant hips of judokas with LBP had 6.8 ± 1.2° (ES:1.45, p < 0.001) lower passive and 8.0 ± 1.3° (ES:1.55, p < 0.001) lower active internal rotation. Dominant hips of judokas with LBP had 5.1 ± 1.6° (ES: 0.81, p = 0.002) lower active internal rotation and 8.8 ± 2.9° (ES:0.79, p = 0.003) lower active total rotation. The LBP group showed 8.0 ± 2.8° (ES: 0.73, p = 0.006) lower flexion and 6.0 ± 2.2° (ES: 0.69, p = 0.009) lower extension of the lumbar spine. The FTFD in the LBP group was 7.3 ± 2.6 cm (ES: 0.72, p = 0.007) lower. The multi-level regression analyses showed passive (OR 1.54, 95%CI 1.18-2.00, p = 0.001) and active (OR 1.47, 95%CI 1.16-1.87, p = 0.001) hip internal rotation of the non-dominant leg and lumbar spinal flexion (OR 1.11, 95%CI 1.03-1.20, p = 0.006) and extension (OR 1.16, 95%CI 1.01-1.33, p = 0.035) were related to LBP. CONCLUSION: Lower hip internal rotation of the non-dominant leg (passive and active) and lower lumbar flexibility are significantly related to LBP in male adult judokas.

Acupotomy for third lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome: A protocol for systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Acupotomy has been widely used clinically to relieve low back pain. However, the efficacy of acupotomy for the third lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome is still uncertain. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness and safety of acupotomy therapy for the third lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome. METHODS: Relevant randomized controlled trials will be searched from the databases of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database from their inception to May 2020. Two reviewers will independently select studies, collect data, and assess the methodology quality by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The RevMan V.5.3 will be used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: This study will provide an assessment of the current state of acupotomy for the third lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome, aiming to show the efficacy and safety of acupotomy treatment. CONCLUSION: This study will provide evidence to judge whether acupotomy is an effective intervention for the third lumbar vertebrae transverse process syndrome. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019134945.

Nutritional and immune impairments and their effects on outcomes in early pancreatic cancer patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Nutritional impairments are highly frequent in pancreatic cancer even in the early stages and have a significant impact on outcomes. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate immune and nutritional impairments, their interrelations and impacts on outcomes in an unselected cohort of patients scheduled for pancreatoduodenectomy due to suspicion of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: All consecutive patients scheduled for pancreatoduodenectomy at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos between January 2016 and November 2018 were recruited into the study according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Patients were randomly allocated into the groups of nutritional intervention with immunonutrition vs. control and stratified into the groups of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) vs. other pancreatic tumors. Nutritional evaluation included screening (NRS 2002), anthropometric measurements, bioelectrical impedance analysis and lumbar skeletal muscle index (LSMI). Inflammatory indicators were measured before and after surgery. Surgical outcomes were assessed 30 days postoperatively using Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI). RESULTS: Although increased nutritional risk was identified in 22.4% of patients, 41.4% were finally diagnosed with cachexia. While cachexia was predominantly diagnosed in underweight patients, sarcopenia was detected across all BMI categories and 11.7% of obese patients had sarcopenia. Decreased LSMI was identified in 52.5% of patients as compared to decreased phase angle in 39% of patients and decreased fat free mass index in only 3.4% of patients. Regression model indicate a large effect of nutritional indicators on CCI (R2 coefficient 71.1%). In comparison to patients with other pancreatic tumors, patients with PDAC had a characteristic pattern of increased systemic inflammation prior to surgery and decreased inflammation postoperatively (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: A high rate of nutritional impairments was identified in our cohort of patients with early pancreatic cancer, including abnormal body composition phenotypes. They produced negative effects on postoperative outcomes. The highest diagnostic rates were obtained with LSMI measurement, while the highest value for prognostication was attained with the inclusion of multiple objective nutritional state indicators.

Association between grip strength and bone mineral density in general US population of NHANES 2013-2014.

Association between strength of nonadjacent muscles and bone mineral density is unclear. We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to convince the effect of grip strength on femoral neck and lumbar spine mineral density in the general US population. This research can broaden the area of muscle-bone interaction. INTRODUCTION: Grip test measures the maximum isotonic strength of hand and forearm and is often used as an indicator of general muscle strength. Muscle has been shown to exert positive effects on bone health, and studies are needed to test whether grip strength can be associated with bone mineral density of nonadjacent bones. The aim of this study is to assess whether grip strength is an independent predictor for bone mineral density (BMD) of femoral neck and total lumbar spine in the general US population. METHODS: We used the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014, and 1850 participants aged from 40 to 80 years old were included in the analysis. Grip strength was recorded as the largest reading of three efforts of one's dominant hand using a handgrip dynamometer. Femoral neck and lumbar spine BMDs were measured through Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were done to examine the association between grip strength and BMDs. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), use of female hormones, smoking habit, drinking habit, family history of osteoporosis, use of calcium and vitamin D supplements, physical activity, serum calcium, and phosphorus levels, grip strength is associated with increased femoral neck and total lumbar spine BMDs in men (P < 0.001, P = 0.005), premenopausal women (P = 0.040, P = 0.014), and postmenopausal women (P = 0.016, P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that (1) grip strength can be associated with BMD of nonadjacent bones, and (2) grip strength of dominant hand can be an indicator of BMD in the general US population across genders and menopausal status.

Degraded microarchitecture by low trabecular bone score is associated with prevalent vertebral fractures in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PURPOSE: Recently, trabecular bone score (TBS) has emerged as an important supplementary assessment tool in osteoporosis diagnosis and management. The high incidence of fragility fracture within the non-osteoporotic range of bone mineral density (BMD), among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, highlights the crucial role of bone microarchitecture in osteoporosis. This study aimed to evaluate whether TBS identified existing vertebral fractures (VF) more accurately than BMD in SLE patients. METHODS: This study enrolled 147 SLE patients from the Asia Pacific Lupus Collaboration (APLC) cohort, who had BMD and TBS assessed from January 2018 until December 2018. Twenty-eight patients sustaining VF and risk factors associated with increased fracture occurrence were evaluated. Independent risk factors and diagnostic accuracy of VF were analyzed by logistic regression and ROC curve, respectively. RESULT: The prevalence of vertebral fracture among SLE patients was 19%. BMD, T-score, TBS, and TBS T-score were significantly lower in the vertebral fracture group. TBS exhibited higher positive predictive value and negative predictive value than L spine and left femur BMD for vertebral fractures. Moreover, TBS had a higher diagnostic accuracy than densitometric measurements (area under curve, 0.811 vs. 0.737 and 0.605). CONCLUSION: Degraded microarchitecture by TBS was associated with prevalent vertebral fractures in SLE patients. Our result suggests that TBS can be a complementary tool for assessing vertebral fracture prevalence in this population.

Massage manipulation vs. low back muscle exercise for lumbar intervertebral instability: A preliminary randomized clinical trial.

This is a preliminary randomized clinical trial on patients conducted at Wuxi Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from September 2015 to December 2016. The patients with intervertebral instability were randomized 1:1 for massage (20 min/day for 6 days) or exercise (3 sessions/day for 15 days). Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Oswestry disability score, and quantitative fluoroscopy (QF) were performed before and after the treatment and at 1 and 3 months thereafter. Improvement rates were noted to be 86.7% and 40.0% in the massage and exercise groups, respectively. Massage group showed significant changes in the JOA and Oswestry disability scores (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002), while the exercise group did not show any significant change (p > 0.05). Changes in the JOA and Oswestry disability scores were more important in the massage group (p < 0.05). All dynamic imaging parameters were improved in the massage group (all p < 0.05) but not in the exercise group (all p>0.05). These results suggest that the massage manipulation could be an appropriate way to treat intervertebral instability.

Management of chronic testicular pain due to thoracolumbar junction syndrome: A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Thoracolumbar dysfunction (TLD) had been evoked as a possible etiology of chronic testicular pain. Our study investigated the efficacy of osteopathic diagnosis and treatment of TLD in men with chronic testicular pain. METHODS: Patients suffering from testicular pain were examined for thoracolumbar dysfunction and enrolled in a prospective trial if they have both conditions. Following standardized examination, all patients were prescribed 1 to 3 osteopathic treatment sessions, usually at weekly interval. Treatment success was evaluated using the Visual Analog scale and durability was assessed by regular follow-up. Patient satisfaction was also assessed. Comparison of pain improvement was done using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test. Logistic regression was used to assess for risk factors of success. A P<0.001 was used for significance. RESULT: Out of 62 patients enrolled, 41 patients (median age 32 years, IQR 24-37) were suffering from chronic testicular pain and TLD. 37 of the 41 participants completed the treatment and follow-up according to the plan. Patients underwent a median of 2 osteopathic treatment sessions (range 1-3). Overall, pain disappeared completely in 25 patients (67.5%) and improvement was noted in 7 patients (18.9%). After initial improvement, two patients experienced relapse at their last visit (5.4%). Five patients (13.5%) had no improvement of their symptoms after osteopathic treatment. Statistically, improvement was significant with a P<0.001 and on logistic regression, site of pain and duration of pain were the sole predictors of failure. CONCLUSION: TLD is a pathology that should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with chronic testicular pain and osteopathic manipulation of the spine appears to be an effective treatment option.

Prevalence and sensitivity of trigger points in lumbo-pelvic-hip muscles in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Changes in the activity of the lumbo-pelvic-hip muscles have been established as a major cause of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), a common orthopedic problem. The present study aimed to compare the prevalence and sensitivity of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in lumbo-pelvic-hip muscles in persons with and without PFPS. METHODS: Thirty women with PFPS and 30 healthy women 18-40 years old were recruited for this study. The prevalence of MTrPs was assessed by palpation, and pressure algometry was used to measure the pressure pain threshold. This study evaluated the areas where MTrPs are most commonly found in the lumbar muscles (internal oblique, erector spinae and quadratus lumborum), pelvic muscles (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and piriformis), and hip muscles (hip adductor, quadriceps, hamstring, tensor fascia lata and sartorius). Independent t-tests were used to compare mean pressure pain thresholds between the two groups. Chi-squared tests were used to compare the prevalence of MTrPs. RESULTS: The prevalence of MTrPs was significantly higher in most of the lumbo-pelvic-hip muscles in patients with PFPS compared to healthy persons. However, there were no significant differences between groups in the prevalence of MTrPs in the gluteus minimus or adductor muscles. The pressure pain threshold in lumbo-pelvic-hip muscles was lower in patients with PFPS compared to healthy participants. CONCLUSION: In patients with PFPS the prevalence of MTrPs in the lumbo-pelvic-hip region was higher, and the pressure pain threshold was lower, than in healthy people. Thus therapy to treat PFPS should target the lumbo-pelvic-hip muscles.

Vojta Therapy versus transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for lumbosciatica syndrome: A quasi-experimental pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Lumbosciatica is a common condition that affects patients' quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of Vojta Therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in the treatment of lumbosciatica. METHODS: A "pre-post" quasi-experimental pilot study was carried out on 12 patients between 31 and 74 years of age who had been diagnosed with lumbosciatica and referred to the Physiotherapy Unit of the Quintanar de la Orden Health Center. Subjects were prescribed either TENS or Vojta, assigned alternately (6:6). All patients received one session of 30 min per day for 15 days. Tests to evaluate pain, disability, functionality, and radiculopathy were performed. RESULTS: The differences between pre-post measures and improvement after both treatments were analyzed with nonparametric tests. Significant improvements were noted after both treatments in indices for pain, disability, and flexibility, with the exception of disability after TENS, according to the Roland-Morris test (p = 0.066). Improvements in radiculopathy (Làsegue sign) were only observed with Vojta (p = 0.031). An overall decrease in scores obtained after Vojta was observed with respect to those obtained after TENS (difference V-T): pain according to the Visual Analog Scale (V-T = 2.84; p = 0.033) or Oswestry back pain (V-T = 2.67; p = 0.030) and leg pain tests (V-T = 3.25; p = 0.063); disability according to Oswestry (V-T = 28.33; p = 0.005) and Roland-Morris (V-T = 5.67; p = 0.044); flexibility according to Schöber (average gain V-T = 0.43; p = 0.292) and the fingertips to floor distance test (V-T = 7.5; p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Vojta Therapy led to significantly greater improvements in pain, disability, flexibility, and radiculopathy than TENS. Future studies will require larger samples to confirm these findings.

Bone Mineral Density Response With Denosumab in Combination With Standard or High-Dose Teriparatide: The DATA-HD RCT.

CONTEXT: In the Denosumab and High-Dose Teriparatide Administration (DATA-HD) study, we reported that 15 months of combined high-dose (HD) teriparatide and denosumab increased mean areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at the hip and spine more than combined denosumab and standard-dose (SD) teriparatide. OBJECTIVE: In the current analysis, we compare the individual rates of aBMD response between the treatment groups. DESIGN: Single-site, open-label, randomized controlled trial in which postmenopausal women received either teriparatide 20-µg daily (SD) or 40-µg daily (HD) given months 0 through 9, overlapped with denosumab 60 mg, given months 3 through 15 (15 months' total duration). The proportion of participants in the SD and HD groups experiencing total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine aBMD gains of >3%, >6%, and >9% were compared. PARTICIPANTS: Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis completing all study visits (n = 60). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): aBMD (dual x-ray absorptiometry). RESULTS: At the end of the 15-month treatment period, a higher proportion of women in the HD group had aBMD increases >3% (83% vs. 58%, P = .037) and >6% (45% vs. 19%, P = .034) at the total hip, and >3% at the femoral neck (86% vs. 63%, P = .044). At the lumbar spine, >3% response rates were similar, whereas the >6% and >9% response rates were greater in the HD group (100% vs. 79%, P = .012 and 93% vs. 59%, P = .003, respectively). CONCLUSION: Compared with the SD regimen, more women treated with the HD regimen achieved clinically meaningful and rapid gains in hip and spine aBMD. These results suggest that this approach may provide unique benefits in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.