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Aims: To describe the one-week and 12-month prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in the upper and lower extremities and consequences in relation to care seeking, leisure time activity, and work life in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey including adults diagnosed with type 1 and 2 diabetes from two Danish secondary care databases. Questions covered pain prevalence (shoulder, elbow, hand, hip, knee, ankle) and its consequences based on the Standardised Nordic Questionnaire. Data was presented using proportions (95 % confidence intervals). Results: The analysis included 3767 patients. The one-week prevalence was 9.3–30.8 % and 12-month prevalence 13.9–41.8 %, highest for shoulder pain (30.8–41.8 %). The prevalence was similar between type 1 and 2 diabetes for the upper extremity, but higher in type 2 for the lower extremity. Women had a higher pain prevalence for any joint for both diabetes types, while estimates did not vary between age groups (

This study provides an overview of the relationships between exposure to work-related hand-arm vibration and the occurrence of pre-defined disorders of the hands. We searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, and PsycINFO for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on the association between work-related vibration exposure and the occurrence of hand-arm vibration syndrome (including vibration-induced white finger), Dupuytren’s contracture, or hypothenar hammer syndrome. We used a 16-item checklist for assessing the risk of bias. We present results narratively, and we conducted random effects meta-analyses if possible. We included 10 studies with more than 24,381 participants. Our results showed statistically significant associations between the exposure to hand-arm vibrations and the occurrence of the selected disorders, with pooled odds ratios ranging between 1.35 (95% CI: 1.28 to 2.80) and 3.43 (95% CI: 2.10 to 5.59). Considerable between-study heterogeneity was observed. Our analyses show that exposure to vibrating tools at work is associated with an increased risk for the occurrence of selected disorders of the hands. Due to the majority of studies being cross-sectional, no firm conclusion is possible regarding causal relationships between vibration exposure and disorder occurrence. Future research should specifically address whether reducing exposure to hand-held vibrating tools at work reduces the incidence of the disorders of the hands investigated in this systematic review.

Objective: To evaluate differences regarding the number of treatment sessions, costs, and outcomes (including relapses) between a regular payment-per-session system and the recently introduced product payment system in The Netherlands. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Dutch physical therapy practices in primary care over a 2-year period. Participants: 16,103 patients with low back pain (LBP). Intervention: The new product payment system is compared with the regular payment-per-session system. Main Outcome Measures: Pain, disability, recovery, number of physical therapy sessions, therapy duration, costs (per episode), and LBP relapse. Results: At baseline, we found greater pain and disability scores associated with an increased risk profile in both payment systems. With regard to the payment systems, we found greater costs (€283.8 vs €210.8) and a greater percentage of relapse (4.5% vs 2.8%) for the product payment system compared with the payment-per-session system. Comparing the 2 payment systems within each risk strata, we found no significant differences, except for a decrease in pain in the medium-risk stratum. Concerning the therapy characteristics, we found that in the payment-per-session group, the therapy took 6 days longer for low-risk patients (median 27 vs 21 days) and 7 days shorter for high-risk patients (median 42 vs 49 days) compared with the product payment group. Moreover, the mean number of sessions in the payment-per-session group was greater for low-risk patients (5.4 vs 4.8 sessions) and lower for high-risk patients (7.7 vs 8.1 sessions) compared with the payment-per-session group. Finally, the costs were significantly greater in all strata of the product payment group compared with the payment-per-session group. Conclusions: The 2 payment systems are largely comparable regarding patient outcomes, therapy duration, and treatment sessions. Both the average cost per patient per LBP episode and the number of relapses in the product payment system are statistically significantly greater than in the payment-per-session system.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide and has an excessive societal burden. Accumulating evidence has shown that some medical approaches such as imaging in absence of clear indications, medication and some invasive treatments may contribute to the problem rather than alleviating it. Objectives: To determine the extent of de-implementation of non-evidence-based hospital treatments for LBP care in the Netherlands in the last three decades. Methods: Using a register-based population-level observational study with Dutch hospital data, providing a nearly complete coverage of hospital admissions in the Netherlands in 1991–2018, we assessed five frequently applied non-evidence-based hospital treatments for LBP. Time trends in treatment use (absolute and per 100,000 inhabitants) were plotted and analysed using Poisson regression. Results: The use of bed rest for non-specific LBP and hernia nuclei pulposi, and discectomy for spinal stenosis decreased 91%, 81% and 86% since the availability of evidence/guidelines, respectively. De-implementation, beyond 84%, was reached after 18 and 17 years for bed rest for non-specific LBP and discectomy respectively, while it was not reached after 28 years for bed rest for hernia nuclei pulposi. For spinal fusion and invasive pain treatment, there was an initial increase followed by a reduction. Overall, these treatments reduced by 85% and 75%, respectively. Conclusions: In the Netherlands, de-implementation of five non-recommended hospital LBP treatments, if at all, took several decades. Although de-implementation was substantial, slow de-implementation has likely resulted in considerable waste of resources and avoidable harm to many patients in Dutch hospitals. Significance: Medically intensive approaches to low-back pain care contribute to the high societal burden of this disease. There have been calls to avoid such care. Using Dutch hospital data, we showed that de-implementation of five non-recommended hospital low-back pain treatments, if at all, took several decades (i.e. ≥17 years) after availability of evidence and guidelines. Slow de-implementation has likely resulted in considerable waste of resources and avoidable harm to hospital patients; better ways for de-implementation of non-evidence-based care are needed.

Study Design. The 16th meeting of the International Forum for Back and Neck Pain Research in Primary Care was held in Québec City in July 2019 under the theme of innovation. This paper addresses the state of research in the field. Objective. To ascertain the evolution of knowledge and clinical application in back and neck pain and identify shifting research priorities. Materials and Methods. After a brief presentation of the Forum and its history, the current state of the field was depicted from the scientific program and the recordings of the plenary and parallel oral and poster communications of Forum XVI. Research agendas established in 1995 and 1997 were updated from a survey of a multidisciplinary group of experts in the field. A discussion of the progress made and challenges ahead follows. Results. While much progress has been made at improving knowledge at managing back pain in the past 25 years, most research priorities from earlier decades are still pertinent. The need for integration of physical and psychological interventions represents a key challenge, as is the need to better understand the biological mechanisms underlying back and neck pain to develop more effective interventions. Stemming the tide of back and neck pain in low and middle-income countries and avoiding the adoption of low-value interventions appear particularly important. The Lancet Low Back Pain Series initiative, arising from the previous fora, and thoughts on implementing best practices were extensively discussed, recognizing the challenges to evidence-based knowledge and practice given competing interests and incentives. Conclusion. With the quantity and quality of research on back and neck pain increasing over the years, an update of research priorities helped to identify key issues in primary care.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness and safety of surgery compared with non-surgical treatment for sciatica.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesMedline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the World Health Organisation International Clinical Trials Registry Platform from database inception to June 2022.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesRandomised controlled trials comparing any surgical treatment with non-surgical treatment, epidural steroid injections, or placebo or sham surgery, in people with sciatica of any duration due to lumbar disc herniation (diagnosed by radiological imaging).Data extraction and synthesisTwo independent reviewers extracted data. Leg pain and disability were the primary outcomes. Adverse events, back pain, quality of life, and satisfaction with treatment were the secondary outcomes. Pain and disability scores were converted to a scale of 0 (no pain or disability) to 100 (worst pain or disability). Data were pooled using a random effects model. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool and certainty of evidence with the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) framework. Follow-up times were into immediate term (≤six weeks), short term (>six weeks and ≤three months), medium term (>three and Results24 trials were included, half of these investigated the effectiveness of discectomy compared with non-surgical treatment or epidural steroid injections (1711 participants). Very low to low certainty evidence showed that discectomy, compared with non-surgical treatment, reduced leg pain: the effect size was moderate at immediate term (mean difference −12.1 (95% confidence interval −23.6 to −0.5)) and short term (−11.7 (−18.6 to −4.7)), and small at medium term (−6.5 (−11.0 to −2.1)). Negligible effects were noted at long term (−2.3 (−4.5 to −0.2)). For disability, small, negligible, or no effects were found. A similar effect on leg pain was found when comparing discectomy with epidural steroid injections. For disability, a moderate effect was found at short term, but no effect was observed at medium and long term. The risk of any adverse events was similar between discectomy and non-surgical treatment (risk ratio 1.34 (95% confidence interval 0.91 to 1.98)).ConclusionVery low to low certainty evidence suggests that discectomy was superior to non-surgical treatment or epidural steroid injections in reducing leg pain and disability in people with sciatica with a surgical indication, but the benefits declined over time. Discectomy might be an option for people with sciatica who feel that the rapid relief offered by discectomy outweighs the risks and costs associated with surgery.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42021269997.

BackgroundLong-term opioid treatment in patients with chronic pain is often ineffective and possibly harmful. These patients are often managed by GPs who are calling for a clear overview of effective opioid reduction strategies for primary care.AimTo evaluate effectiveness of opioid reduction strategies applicable in primary care for patients with chronic pain on long-term opioid treatment.Design and settingSystematic review of controlled trials and cohort studies performed in primary care from inception date to 15 January 2021.MethodLiterature search conducted in EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO. Studies evaluating opioid reduction interventions applicable in primary care among adults on long-term opioid treatment for chronic non-cancer pain were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (version 2) (RoB 2) or the Risk of bias in non-randomized studies — of interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Narrative synthesis was performed because of clinical heterogeneity in study designs and types of interventions.ResultsIn total, five randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and five cohort studies were included (N = 1717, range n = 35 to n = 985) exploring various opioid reduction strategies. Of these, six studies had high/critical RoB, three moderate RoB, and one low RoB. Three cohort studies: investigating a GP-supervised opioid taper (critical ROBINS-I), an integrative pain treatment (moderate ROBINS-I), and group medical visits (critical ROBINS-I) demonstrated significant between-group opioid reduction.ConclusionResults carefully point in the direction of a GP supervised tapering and multidisciplinary group therapeutic sessions to reduce long-term opioid treatment. However, because of high risk of bias and small sample sizes, no firm conclusions can be made demonstrating the need for more high-quality research.

Background Low back and neck pain are a leading cause of disease burden globally. Opioids are recommended in guidelines for acute low back and neck pain; however, there is a lack of compelling efficacy data to support this. Methods The OPAL trial is a prospectively registered, triple-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Patients with acute (≤12 weeks duration) back and/or neck pain receive guideline care plus either an opioid (oxycodone + naloxone, up to 20 mg per day) or a placebo for up to 6 weeks or earlier, if pain is resolved. The primary outcome is pain measured using the Pain Severity Score of the Brief Pain Inventory with the primary time point being 6 weeks. Secondary outcomes include physical function, time to recovery, quality of life, adverse events and risk of opioid misuse. Outcomes are collected at weeks 2, 4, 6, 12, 26 and 52. Analysis will be done on an intention-to-treat principle. p values of Discussion The OPAL trial will provide important evidence about whether a short course of opioids is effective in the treatment of acute non-specific low back and/or neck pain. This pre-specified statistical analysis plan details the methodology for the analysis of the OPAL trial results. Trial registration ACTRN12615000775516. The trial has completed recruitment. Follow-up on the last patient will be completed in March 2022.

Objectives: To identify the prevalence, frequency, adverse effects, and reasons for analgesic use in youth athletes. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Systematic searches in Embase, Medline, and SPORT-Discus from inception to September 2021, screening of reference lists, and citation tracking were performed to identify observational studies including athletes aged 15–24 years and reporting data on prevalence and/or frequency of analgesic use. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effect proportion meta-analyses, stratified by type of analgesic medication and prevalence measure, estimated the prevalence of analgesic use. Data on usage frequency, adverse events, and reasons for analgesic use was synthesized narratively. Results: Forty-nine studies were included (44,381 athletes), of which 19 were good/high quality. Seven categories of analgesics were identified across 10 prevalence time-points. Meta-analyses suggested common use of NSAIDs (point prevalence 48 % [95 % CI 23 % to 73 %], in-season prevalence 92 % [95 % CI 88 % to 95 %]). The lowest prevalence was found for use of local anesthetic injections within the previous 12 months (2 % [95 % CI 1 % to 3 %]). Seven to 50 % of athletes reported weekly analgesics use. The proportion of adverse events ranged from 3.3 % to 19.2 %. Reasons for using analgesics included treatment of sports-related pain or injury, to treat illness, and to enhance performance. Conclusions: Analgesics are commonly used in youth athletes, but estimates vary depending on type of analgesic and prevalence measure. As the majority of studies were of poor methodological quality, future high-quality research should include prospective data collection of analgesic use to understand consumption trajectories.

Highlights•Non-serious adverse events do not influence recovery in patients with neck pain.•Duration of neck pain does influence recovery in patients with neck pain.•The role of non-serious adverse events should be re-evaluated in a larger sample.

Objectives: To compare prevalence rates of serious and non-serious adverse events after manipulation and mobilization and to identify risk factors of serious and non-serious adverse events following 4 types of manual therapy treatment in patients with neck pain. Design: A prospective cohort study in primary care manual therapy practice. Participants: Patients with neck pain (N=686) provided data on adverse events after 1014 manipulation treatments, 829 mobilization treatments, 437 combined manipulation and mobilization treatments, and 891 treatments consisting of “other treatment modality”. Interventions: Usual care manual therapy. Main Outcome Measures: A chi-square test was performed to explore differences in prevalence rates. Logistic regression analysis was performed within the 4 treatment groups. A priori we defined associations between patient-characteristics and adverse events of odds ratio (OR)>2 or OR

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and exercise therapy for knee osteoarthritis pain.DESIGN: Systematic review with network meta-analysis.LITERATURE SEARCH: We searched the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to April 15, 2021. Web of Science was used for citation tracking.STUDY SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials comparing exercise therapy, NSAIDs, and opioids in any combination for knee osteoarthritis pain.DATA SYNTHESIS: Network meta-analysis comparing exercise therapy, NSAIDs, opioids, and placebo/control for knee osteoarthritis pain. Additional trials from previous reviews were included to create the external placebo/control anchor.RESULTS: We included 13 trials (1398 patients) with direct comparisons, supplemented with data from 101 additional trials. The treatment effect of NSAIDs for knee osteoarthritis pain was similar to that of opioids (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.14 to 0.18; Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations [GRADE]: low certainty). Exercise therapy had a larger effect than NSAIDs (SMD, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.89; GRADE: very low certainty). No estimate could be made for exercise vs opioids due to the lack of studies. Exercise therapy ranked as the "best" intervention in the network meta-analysis, followed by NSAIDs, opioids, and placebo/control intervention (GRADE: low certainty).CONCLUSION: Exercise therapy ranked as the best treatment for knee osteoarthritis pain, followed by NSAIDs and opioids. The difference between treatments was small and likely not clinically relevant, and the overall confidence in the ranking was low. The results highlight the limited evidence for comparative effectiveness between exercise therapy, NSAIDs, and opioids for knee osteoarthritis pain. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2022;52(4):207-216. doi:10.2519/jospt.2022.10490.

Background The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in objectively measured physical activity and in self-reported physical activity between overweight and normal-weight children. Methods Data from a prospective cohort study including children, presenting at the participating general practices in the south-west of the Netherlands, were used. Children (aged 4-15 years) were categorized as normal-weight or overweight using age- and sex specific cut-off points. They wore an ActiGraph accelerometer for one week to register physical activity, and filled out a diary for one week about physical activity. Results A total of 57 children were included in this study. Overweight children spent significantly less percentage time per day in sedentary behavior (β -1.68 (95%CI -3.129, -0.07)). There were no significant differences in percentage time per day spent in light to moderate physical activity (β 1.52 (-0.01, 3.04)), and in moderate to vigorous physical activity (β 0.33 (-0.11, 0.78)). No significant differences were found between children of normal-weight and overweight in self-reported measures of physical activity. Conclusions Overweight children are not less physically active than normal-weight children, which may be associated with the risen awareness towards overweight/obesity and with implemented interventions for children with overweight/obesity.

Low back pain affects individuals of all ages and is a leading contributor to disease burden worldwide. Despite advancements in assessment and treatment methods, the management of low back pain remains a challenge for researchers and clinicians alike. One reason for the limited success in identifying effective treatments is the large variation in the manifestations, possible causes, precipitating and maintaining factors, course, prognosis and consequences in terms of activity interference and quality of life. However, despite these challenges, steady progress has been achieved in the understanding of back pain, and important steps in the understanding of the psychological and social risk factors, genetics and brain mechanisms of low back pain have been made. These new findings have given impetus to the development of new diagnostic procedures, evidence-based screening methods and more targeted interventions, which underscore the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the management of low back pain that integrates biological, psychological and social aspects.

OBJECTIVES: Impediments due to complaints of non-traumatic arm, neck and/or shoulder (CANS) during work often leads to consultation in primary care. This study examines the occurrence of sick leave among workers with new CANS, and evaluates sick leave trajectories and their characteristics. METHODS: This prospective 2-year cohort study included workers with a new CANS presenting in general practice. Participants filled out postal questionnaires on sick leave at 6-monthly intervals. Latent class growth mixture modelling was used to identify distinct trajectories of sick leave. Multinomial regression analyses identified characteristics of the subgroups. RESULTS: During follow-up, of the 533 participants 190 reported at least one episode of sick leave due to CANS. Three sick leave trajectories were distinguished: (a) 'low risk' trajectory (n = 366), with a constant low probability over time; (b) 'intermediate risk' trajectory, with a high probability at first consultation followed by a steep decrease in probability of sick leave (n = 122); (c) 'high risk' trajectory (n = 45), with a constant high probability of sick leave. Compared to the 'low-risk' trajectory, the other trajectories were characterised by more functional limitations, less specific diagnoses, more work-related symptoms and low coworker support. Specific for the 'high-risk' subgroup were more recurrent symptoms, more musculoskeletal comorbidity, high score on somatisation and low score on job demands. CONCLUSIONS: Three trajectories of sick leave were distinguished, graded from favourable to unfavourable. Several complaint-related and work-related factors and somatisation contributed modestly to identify an unfavourable trajectory of sick leave when presenting in primary care with CANS.

Elshout G, Kool M, Van der Wouden JC, Moll HA, Koes BW, Berger MY. Antibiotica bij kinderen met koorts. Huisarts Wet 2013;56(2):58-61. Huisartsen schrijven vaak antibiotica voor aan kinderen met koorts. Patientkenmerken en symptomen die gerelateerd zijn aan antibioticavoorschriften geven zicht op de overwegingen van de huisarts. Wij onderzochten de hoeveelheid antibioticavoorschriften bij kinderen die de huisartsenpost bezochten met koorts en bekeken welke patientkenmerken en symptomen hieraan gerelateerd zijn. Kinderen (3 maanden tot 6 jaar) kwamen in aanmerking voor inclusie wanneer de ouders contact opnamen met de huisartsenpost met koorts als belangrijkste reden. Symptomen en antibioticavoorschriften werden op gestandaardiseerde wijze genoteerd. Van de 443 geincludeerde kinderen kregen er 121 telefonisch advies en 322 een consult op de huisartsenpost. Bij deze laatste groep schreef de huisarts 117 kinderen (36,3%) antibiotica voor; dit was 26,5% (117/443) van de totale onderzoekspopulatie. In de multivariate analyse waren de volgende kenmerken en symptomen positief gerelateerd aan een antibioticavoorschrift: ongeruste ouders (OR 2,02; 95%-BI 1,06-3,58), zieke indruk (OR 3,26; 95%-BI 1,30-8,20), oorpijn resulterend in veranderd gedrag of slaappatroon (OR 2,59; 95%-BI 1,06-6,30), tekenen van een keelontsteking (OR 2,37; 95%-BI 1,35-4,15) en verminderde urineproductie (OR 2,00; 95%-BI 1,17-3,41). Voor de leeftijd van 3 tot 6 maanden en de hoogte van de rectale temperatuur vonden we een negatieve associatie (respectievelijk OR 0,17; 95%-BI 0,03-0,74 en OR 0,52; 95%-BI 0,37-0,71). Een op de vier kinderen met koorts kreeg op de huisartsenpost antibiotica voorgeschreven. De patientkenmerken en symptomen geassocieerd met een antibioticavoorschrift verklaren slechts voor een klein deel de afwegingen van de huisarts.

Sciatica is a symptom rather than a specific diagnosis. Available evidence from basic science and clinical research indicates that both inflammation and compression are important in order for the nerve root to be symptomatic. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a key mediator in animal models, but its exact contribution in human radiculopathy is still a matter of debate. Sciatica is mainly diagnosed by history taking and physical examination. In general, the clinical course of acute sciatica is considered to be favourable. In the first 6-8 weeks, there is consensus that treatment of sciatica should be conservative. We review and comment on the levels of evidence of the efficacy of patient information, advice to stay active, physical therapy analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), epidural corticosteroid injections and transforaminal peri-radicular injections of corticosteroid. There is good evidence that discectomy is effective in the short term, but, in the long term, it is not more effective than prolonged conservative care. Shared decision making with regard to surgery is necessary in the absence of severe progressive neurological symptoms. Although the term sciatica is simple and easy to use, it is, in fact, an archaic and confusing terns [1]. For most researchers and clinicians, it refers to a radiculopathy, involving one of the lower extremities, and related to disc herniation (DH). As such, the term 'sciatica' is too restrictive as nerve roots from L1 to L4 may also be involved in the same process. However, even more confusing is the fact that patients, and many clinicians alike, use sciatica to describe any pain arising from the lower back and radiating down to the leg. The majority of the time, this painful sensation is referred pain from the lower back and is neither related to DH nor does it result from nerve-root compression. Although differentiating the radicular pain from the referred pain may be challenging for the clinician, it is of primary importance. This is because the epidemiology, clinical course and, most importantly, therapeutic interventions are different for these two conditions. It should, however, be emphasised that the quality of the available evidence is rather limited due to a considerable heterogeneity in the study populations included in the trials. This makes generalisation of findings across studies, and to routine clinical practice, a challenge [2]. Prevalence estimates of radicular pain related to DH also vary considerably between studies, which is, in part, due to differences in the definitions used [3]. A recent review showed that the prevalence of sciatic symptoms is rather variable, with values ranging from 1.6% to 43%[3]. If stricter definitions of sciatica were used, for example, in terms of pain distribution and/or pain duration, lower prevalence rates were reported. Studies in working populations with physically demanding jobs consistently report higher rates of sciatica compared with studies in the general population. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Verhagen AP, Damen L, Bruijn JKJ, Berger MY, Passchier J, Koes BW. Effectiveness of interventions in children with migraine. Huisarts Wet 2006;49(3):123-9. Objective To assess the effectiveness and tolerance of treatment methods for episodes of migraine in children. Methods We performed a systematic review. Databases were searched from inception to June 2004, and references were checked. We selected randomised and controlled trials reporting the effects of symptomatic and prophylactic treatment methods in children with migraine, using headache features as outcome measure. Two independent reviewers assessed trial quality and extracted data. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out according to type of intervention. Results A total of 49 trials (total 3296 patients) were included in this review, of which 16 studies (32.7%) were considered to be of high quality. Ten studies evaluated the effectiveness of acute medication. Compared to placebo, headache improved significantly for acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and nasal sumatriptan. No significant differences were found between acetaminophen and ibuprofen or nimesulide, and between oral sumatriptan, rizatriptan and dihydroergotamine compared to placebo. All medications were well tolerated, but significantly more adverse events were reported for nasal sumatriptan. Nineteen studies evaluated the effectiveness of non-pharmacological prophylactic treatments. When compared to waiting list control, headache improved significantly for relaxation, relaxation plus biofeedback, and relaxation plus biofeedback plus cognitive behavioural treatment. There is conflicting evidence regarding the use of oligoantigenic diets. Lastly, 20 studies evaluated the effectiveness of pharmacological prophylactic treatments. Compared to placebo, headache improved significantly for flunarizine medication. There is conflicting evidence for the use of propranolol. Nimodipine, clonidine, L-5HTP, trazodone and papaverine showed no efficacy when compared to placebo. Conclusions Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are effective symptomatic pharmacological treatments of episodes of migraine in children. Nasal spray sumatriptan is also effective, but more side effects are reported. A few treatments, such as relaxation and flunarizine, may be effective as prophylactic treatment for migraine in children.

Objectives:The aim of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness of conservative treatments for patients with cervical radiculopathy, a term used to describe neck pain associated with pain radiating into the arm. Little is known about the effectiveness of conservative treatment for patients with cervical radiculopathy.Methods:We electronically searched the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL for randomized clinical trials. Conservative therapies consisted of physiotherapy, collar, traction etc. Two authors independently assessed the risk of bias using the criteria recommended by the Cochrane Back Review Group and extracted the data. If studies were clinically homogenous, a meta-analysis was performed. The overall quality of the body of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE method.Results:Fifteen articles were included that corresponded to 11 studies. Two studies scored low risk of bias. There is low-level evidence that a collar is no more effective than physiotherapy at short-term follow-up and very low-level evidence that a collar is no more effective than traction. There is low-level evidence that traction is no more effective than placebo traction and very low level-evidence that intermittent traction is no more effective than continuous traction.Discussion:On the basis of low-level to very low-level evidence, no 1 intervention seems to be superior or consistently more effective than other interventions. Regardless of the intervention assignment, patients seem to improve over time, indicating a favorable natural course. Use of a collar and physiotherapy show promising results at short-term follow-up.

Background. Back pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint seen in older people. It is important to get an insight in the course of back complaints and to identify factors associated with a chronic course. Aim. To describe the course of acute and subacute back complaints in older people (>= 45 years) and to identify prognostic factors for developing chronic back complaints. Design. Systematic review of the literature. Methods. A database search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library, CINAHL, PsycINFO and PEDro. Cohort studies or randomized controlled trials reporting on the course of acute or subacute back complaints in older people were included. The percentage of patients that developed chronic back complaints was calculated, if possible. Results. The search yielded 9293 potentially relevant articles. Of these, 5 studies met all inclusion criteria. At 3 months follow-up 37-40% of the patients still had back complaints. At 12 months follow-up, the percentage ranged from 26-45%. Older age was frequently reported as a prognostic factor for developing chronic back complaints of the whole study population. No prognostic factors could be retrieved for patients aged 45 years and older. Conclusions. At 3 and 12 month follow-up, about 40% of the older people still reported back complaints. However, the heterogeneity of the studies made comparisons difficult. In order to get a dear insight in the course of back complaints in the older adult patients and to indentify prognostic factors for developing chronic back complaints in older people, high quality prospective cohort studies are needed. Clinical rehabilitation impact. More than one-third of the older patients with back pain still experience complaints after 3 and 12 months

Question: What are prognostic factors for incomplete recovery, instability, re-sprains and pain intensity 12 months after patients consult primary care practitioners for acute ankle sprains? Design: Observational study. Participants: One hundred and two patients who consulted their general practitioner or an emergency department for an acute ankle sprain were included in the study. Outcome measures: Possible prognostic factors were assessed at baseline and at 3 months follow-up. Outcome measures assessed at 12 months follow-up were self-reported recovery, instability, re-sprains and pain intensity. Results: At 3 months follow-up, 65% of the participants reported instability and 24% reported one or more re-sprains. At 12 months follow-up, 55% still reported instability and more than 50% regarded themselves not completely recovered. None of the factors measured at baseline could predict the outcome at 12 months follow-up. Additionally, prognostic factors from the physical examination of the non-recovered participants at 3 months could not be identified. However, among the non-recovered participants at 3 months follow-up, re-sprains and self-reported pain at rest at 3 months were related to incomplete recovery at 12 months. Conclusion: A physical examination at 3 months follow-up for the non-recovered ankle sprain patient seems to have no additional value for predicting outcome at 12 months. However, for the non-recovered patients at 3 months follow-up, self-reported pain at rest and re-sprains during the first 3 months of follow-up seem to have a prognostic value for recovery at 12 months. [van Middelkoop M, van Rijn RM, Verhaar JAN, Koes BW, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA (2012) Re-sprains during the first 3 months after initial ankle sprain are related to incomplete recovery: an observational study. Journal of Physiotherapy 58:181-188]

Objective Our aim was to provide a quantitative assessment of the exposure response relationships between work-related physical and psychosocial factors and the occurrence of specific shoulder disorders in occupational populations. Methods A systematic review of the literature was conducted on the associations between type of work, physical load factors, and psychosocial aspects at work, on the one hand, and the occurrence of tendinitis of the biceps tendon, rotator cuff tears, subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS), and suprascapular nerve compression, on the other hand. Associations between work factors and shoulder disorders were expressed in quantitative measures as odds ratio (OR) or relative risk (RR). Results The occurrence of SIS was associated with force requirements >10% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), lifting >20 kg >10 times/day, and high-level of hand force >1 hour/day (OR 2.8-4.2). Repetitive movements of the shoulder, repetitive motion of the hand/wrist >2 hours/day, hand arm vibration, and working with hand above shoulder level showed an association with SIS (OR 1.04-4.7) as did upper-arm flexion >= 45 degrees >= 15% of time (OR 2.43) and duty cycle of forceful exertions >= 9% time or duty cycle of forceful pinch >0% of time (OR 2.66). High psychosocial job demand was also associated with SIS (OR 1.5-3.19). Jobs in the fish processing industry had the highest risk for both tendinitis of the biceps tendon as well as SIS (OR 2.28 and 3.38, respectively). Work in a slaughterhouse and as a betel pepper leaf culler were associated with the occurrence of SlS only (OR 5.27 and 4.68, respectively). None of the included articles described the association between job title/risk factors and the occurrence of rotator cuff tears or suprascapular nerve compression. Conclusions Highly repetitive work, forceful exertion in work, awkward postures, and high psychosocial job demand are associated with the occurrence of SIS.

Questions: Do patients with a severe ankle injury (baseline ankle function score 40)? Does physiotherapy intervention have more effect on patients with a severe injury compared with a mild injury in the short- or long-term? Is self-reported recovery related to ankle function score over time? Design: Subgroup analysis of a randomised trial. Participants: 102 adults with an acute lateral ankle sprain. Intervention: The experimental group received physiotherapist-supervised exercises in addition to conventional intervention. Outcome measures: Outcomes were self-reported recovery, pain, and instability all measured on a 10-point visual analogue scale, and incidence of re-sprain. Measurements were collected at baseline, 4 and 8 weeks, 3 and 12 months. Results: Participants with a severe injury did worse in 3 out of 7 outcomes than those with a mild injury at 4 weeks but not at 8 weeks. There was no difference in effect of physiotherapy intervention in those with a severe injury compared with a mild injury, at 8 weeks or 12 months. However, there was an effect of physiotherapy intervention in those with a severe injury in 3 out of 7 outcomes at 8 weeks. Self-reported recovery was related to ankle function score at all points in time (r = 0.48 to 0.79). Conclusion: The results of this study only partially support the recommendations regarding the use of the ankle function score in the 'Acute Ankle Injury' guideline of the Royal Dutch Society of Physiotherapists. [van Rijn RM, van Heest JA, van der Wees P, Koes BW, Bierma-Zeinstra SM (2009) Some benefit from physiotherapy intervention in the subgroup of patients with severe ankle sprain as determined by the ankle function score: a randomised trial. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 55: 107-113]

Objectives The aim of this study was to make a quantitative assessment of the exposure-response relationships between work-related physical and psychosocial factors and the occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in occupational populations. Methods A systematic review of the literature was conducted on the associations of type of work, physical load factors, and psychosocial aspects at work to the occurrence of CTS. The associations between work factors and CTS were expressed in quantitative measures, namely, odds ratios (OR) or relative risks. Results Jobs with the highest risk of CTS included work in the meat- and fish-processing industry, forestry work with chain saws, and electronic assembly work (OR 76.5, 21.3, and 11.4, respectively). The occurrence of CTS was associated with high levels of hand-arm vibration, prolonged work with a flexed or extended wrist, high requirements for hand force, high repetitiveness, and their combination. No association was found between any psychosocial risk factor and CTS. Contradictory findings were reported for associations between computer work and CTS. Conclusions This review provides consistent indications that CTS is associated with an average hand force requirement of >4 kg, repetitiveness at work (cycle time 50% of cycle time performing the same movements), and a daily 8-hour energy-equivalent frequency-weighted acceleration of 3.9 m/s(2).