This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was designed to investigate the short-term efficacy of ultrasound therapy in 90 patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Patients were randomly assigned to three groups: group 1 received continuous ultrasound, group 2 received pulsed ultrasound, and group 3 received a 'sham' (placebo) ultrasound for 5 min each session. All treatments were applied once a day for 5 days a week for 2 weeks, i.e. a total treatment duration of 10 days. Compared with baseline, significant improvements were observed in the visual analogue scale pain scores and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) scores in all three groups. The reductions in pain and WOMAC scores were significantly higher in patients treated with pulsed ultrasound than in the placebo group. In conclusion, pulsed ultrasound therapy is a safe and effective treatment modality in patients with knee OA. Further research is required to investigate the long-term efficacy of pulsed ultrasound therapy in knee OA.

Our study demonstrates the potential benefits of EMG biofeedback in conjunction with neurophysiologic rehabilitation technique to maximize the hand function in hemiplegic patients.

Objective: The aim of this randomized controlled study was to evaluate the efficacy of oral native type II collagen treatment on the symptoms and biological markers of cartilage degradation, when given concomitantly with acetaminophen in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Materials and Methods:Thirty-nine patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis were included and randomly distributed into two groups: one treated with 1500 mg/day of acetaminophen (group AC; n=19) and the other treated with 1500 mg/day of acetaminophen plus 10 mg/day of native type II collagen (group AC+CII; n=20) for 3 months. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at rest and during walking, Western Ontario McMaster (WOMAC) pain, WOMAC function, and Short Form-36 (SF-36) scores, were recorded. Coll2-1, Coll2-1NO2 and Fibulin-3 levels were quantified in urine as biomarkers of disease progression. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02237989.Results: After 3 months of treatment, significant improvements compared to baseline were reported in joint pain (VAS walking), function (WOMAC) and quality of life (SF-36) in the AC+CII group, while only improvements in some subscales of the SF-36 survey and VAS walking were detected in the AC group. Comparisons between the groups revealed a significant difference in VAS walking score in favour of the AC+CII group as compared to AC group. Biochemical markers of cartilage degradation in urine did not significantly improve in any of the groups. Conclusion:All in all, these results suggest that native type II collagen treatment combined with acetaminophen is superior to only acetaminophen for symptomatic treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of low level laser therapy (LLLT) in fibromyalgia patients. Materials and Methods: Thirty-four fibromyalgia patients were randomly assigned to LLLT (n = 16) and placebo laser groups (n = 16). Outcome measures included number of tender points (NTP), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), morning stiffness, global improvement as reported on a verbal scale (VSGI), and total myalgia score. Clinical evaluations were performed before, immediately after, and six months after the treatment. Results: In the LLLT group, significant improvement was observed in clinical parameters at the end of the treatment (p < 0.01). On the other hand, significant improvements were observed only in the number of tender points and morning stiffness in the placebo group (p < 0.05). In comparing the groups, significant improvements were detected in scores of FIQ, VSGI, and total myalgia in the active laser group (p < 0.05). The clinical evaluations performed after six months demonstrated improvements in the clinical parameters only in the LLLT group (p < 0.05). When the groups were compared with each other, significant improvements were found in the LLLT group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that LLLT has both short-and long-term effectiveness in the treatment of fibromyalgia.

The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Sixty patients with CTS were included in this placebo-controlled and double-blind study and randomly assigned to three treatment groups: active laser with a dosage of 1.2 J/per painful point, active laser with a dosage of 0.6 J/per painful point, and placebo groups. A total of 5 points across the median nerve trace were irradiated with Gal-Al-As diode laser. All groups were treated 5 times per week for 3 weeks. Clinical assessments included pain intensity, grip strength, symptom severity score (SSS), functional status score (FSS), nerve conduction studies, and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve as measured by ultrasonography. Compared to baseline, post-treatment VAS scores (group 1, P < 0.001; group 2, P < 0.001; group 3, P < 0.01), grip strength (P < 0.05), SSS scores (group 1, P < 0.001; group 2, P < 0.001; group 3, P < 0.01), and FSS scores (P < 0.05) improved significantly in all groups. Only sensorial nerve velocity measurements on the palmar region showed a significant improvement in both active laser groups (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in any of the outcome measures among the groups. With the chosen laser type and dose regimen, the results suggested that LLLT was no more effective than placebo in CTS.