Complementary therapies in clinical practice
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · Aug 2011
Clinical TrialEffects of thermal therapy combining sauna therapy and underwater exercise in patients with fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic disorder that is characterized by widespread pain with localized tenderness. We aimed to investigate whether thermal therapy combining sauna therapy and underwater exercise improved pain, symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) in FMS patients. Forty-four female FMS patients who fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria received 12-week thermal therapy program comprising sauna therapy once daily for 3 days/week and underwater exercise once daily for 2 days/week. ⋯ All of the patients reported significant reductions in pain and symptoms of 31-77% after the 12-week thermal therapy program, which remained relatively stable (28-68%) during the 6-month follow-up period (that is, the thermal therapy program improved both the short-term and the long-term VAS and FIQ scores). Improvements were also observed in the SF-36 score. Thermal therapy combining sauna therapy and underwater exercise improved the QOL as well as the pain and symptoms of FMS patients.
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Complement Ther Clin Pract · Aug 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialMassage therapy in post-operative rehabilitation of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy - a pilot study.
The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the use of massage therapy in children with cerebral palsy undergoing post-operative rehabilitation. ⋯ The lack of decrease in heart rate in the study group of massage therapy may imply an increased sensitivity to touch in the post-operative setting. Further research with larger study populations are needed to evaluate how and when massage therapy is useful for children with cerebral palsy.