Abdominal Massage in Functional Chronic Constipation: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of abdominal massage on the severity of constipation, bowel function, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with functional chronic constipation in a randomized placebo-controlled design. METHODS: Seventy-four patients diagnosed with functional constipation according to the Rome IV diagnostic criteria were included. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (abdominal massage plus lifestyle advice) or the control group (placebo therapeutic ultrasound plus lifestyle advice). Abdominal massage or placebo ultrasound was applied for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the Constipation Severity Instrument score. Bowel diary data and the Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life Questionnaire score were used as secondary outcome measures. Differences in outcome measures within and between groups were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: Although constipation severity, bowel function indicators (defecation frequency and duration and stool consistency), and QoL were found to improve significantly over time in both groups, improvements in both primary and secondary outcomes were much more significant in the abdominal massage group. In addition, group × time interaction effects were found to be significant for constipation severity, bowel function findings, and QoL. There were approximately 70% and 28% reductions in constipation severity, 56% and 38% improvement rates in QoL, and 70% and 43% increases in defecation frequency in the intervention and placebo groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Abdominal massage should be one of the first-line conservative approaches in the management of functional chronic constipation. Further randomized placebo-controlled studies with long-term follow-up are needed. IMPACT: For functional constipation, which is a common gastrointestinal problem, abdominal massage should be considered as an option in first-line therapy because of its effect beyond the placebo effect. LAY SUMMARY: If you have functional constipation, your physical therapist may be able to provide abdominal massage to help reduce your symptoms.

Turkish day-to-day impact of vaginal aging questionnaire: reliability, validity and relationship with pelvic floor distress.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to translate the Day-to-Day Impact of Vaginal Aging (DIVA) Questionnaire into Turkish, adapt it culturally, and investigate its reliability and validity. Another aim of the study was to examine the relationship between the impacts of vaginal symptoms and pelvic floor symptoms on quality of life (QoL). We hypothesized primarily that the the Turkish DIVA had good internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct and criterion validity. Our secondary hypothesis was that the effects of vaginal symptoms and pelvic floor symptoms on QoL would be positively related. METHODS: A total of 218 postmenopausal women were included. In the reliability analyses, Cronbach α coefficients, item-total correlation coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used. Construct validity was investigated with explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses. Criterion validity and the relationship between the effects of vaginal symptoms and pelvic floor symptoms were examined by Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS: While the Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged between 0.87 and 0.96, the item-total score correlation coefficients were 0.60-0.91. ICCs ranged from 0.90 to 0.99. It was found with confirmatory factor analysis that the model fit the data. Moderate-strong correlations (r = 0.47-0.73) were observed between DIVA scores and the scores of other scales (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Turkish DIVA is a reliable and valid tool that comprehensively evaluates the impact of vaginal symptoms on women's QoL. The positive relationship between the impacts of vaginal and pelvic floor symptoms on functionality and well-being of women suggests a holistic view in pelvic health care.

Complex Decongestive Therapy in the Physical Therapist Management of Rosacea-Related Edema (Morbus Morbihan Syndrome): A Case Report With a New Approach.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this case report was to describe the use of complete decongestive therapy (CDT) with a new approach in the management of a male with facial edema related to Morbus Morbihan Syndrome (MMS). METHODS: An 18-year-old male with MMS after acne treatment was the subject of this case report. Volume assessment was performed with distance measurements of the facial area using standard reference points, the overflow method, and the measurement of the percentage of subdermal fluid. Participant-reported symptoms of lymphedema (feeling of swelling and tightness) and body image perception were evaluated with the visual analogue scale, and the severity of anxiety was evaluated with the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory. In addition, the participant's perception of improvement was determined using a Likert-type scale. Evaluations were performed at baseline, week 4 (during the treatment), and week 8 (immediately after treatment). CDT was applied to the participant in a total of 24 sessions, 3 d/wk for 8 weeks. RESULTS: Compared with the baseline measurement, the facial distances (tragus-mental cavity, tragus-mouth corner, mandibula-nasal canal, mandibula-internal orbita, mandibula-external orbita, mental cavity-internal orbita, mental cavity-mandibula, right-left tragus, and hairline in the forehead-mental cavity), the volume, and the percentage of subdermal fluid of facial area were decreased at the week 4 and 8 measurements. The anxiety score, participant reports of feelings of swelling and tightness, and body image perception improved after the 8 weeks of treatment compared with baseline. CONCLUSION: This case report described the use of CDT in treating edema and participant symptoms in an individual with facial lymphedema related to MMS. Body image and level of anxiety improved.

Comparison of Connective Tissue Manipulation and Abdominal Massage Combined With Usual Care vs Usual Care Alone for Chronic Constipation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine and compare the effects of connective tissue manipulation (CTM) and abdominal massage when combined with usual care on the symptoms of constipation and quality of life (QoL) immediately following a 4-week treatment in patients suffering from chronic constipation. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with chronic constipation were randomly assigned to CTM, abdominal massage, or control groups. Connective tissue manipulation and abdominal massage were conducted at 5 sessions a week for 4 weeks. Each session was approximately 15 to 20 minutes. The severity of constipation by the Constipation Severity Instrument, symptoms of constipation by a bowel diary and Bristol Stool Scale, and QoL by patient assessment of QoL questionnaire were evaluated at baseline and at the end of 4 weeks. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the changes in constipation severity (P < .001), symptoms of constipation (P ≤ .001), and QoL (P < .001) among the 3 groups. However, based on pair-wise analysis, there were no significant differences in the changes of the severity and symptoms of constipation and QoL between the CTM and abdominal massage groups (P > .05). CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study revealed that compared to usual care alone, the combination of usual care and CTM or abdominal massage may be more beneficial for chronic constipation. However, the superiority of CTM or abdominal massage was not observed. Further high-quality studies with long-term follow-up are needed to investigate the optimal massage therapy program in patients with chronic constipation.

Short-term effects of connective tissue manipulation in women with primary dysmenorrhea: A randomized controlled trial.

AIM: To evaluate the short-term effectiveness of connective tissue manipulation (CTM) for relieving menstrual pain and symptoms in primary dysmenorrhea (PD). METHODS: Forty-four women with PD were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 21) or control group (n = 23). While the control group was given only advising, the treatment group additionally received CTM. The primary outcome was the menstrual pain intensity by Visual Analogue Scale. Secondary outcomes included the number of pain medications, menstrual pain catastrophizing by Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), menstrual symptoms by Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ) and menstrual attitude by Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ). RESULTS: Compared with the control group, CTM group showed statistically significant improvement in pain, medication use, PCS, MSQ (p = 0.001) and in the perception of menstruation as a natural event (p = 0.029). However, no significant differences were detected between groups for some aspects of MAQ (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CTM seems to be an effective approach in the short-term in PD.