A randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of Zingiber officinale ointment versus Placebo ointment among patients with acute musculoskeletal complaints

Background@#Complementary and alternative medicine is becoming popular among Filipino patients. Ginger is one promising herbal plant in the management of musculoskeletal complaints. Studies showed significant reduction of the pain after oral intake of either ginger extract or tablet with reported occurrence of mild gastrointestinal side effects. Hence this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of using 10% ginger ointment as a treatment for acute musculoskeletal pain.@*Objective@#This study determined the effectiveness and safety profile of topical application of ginger ointment as compared to a placebo ointment in the reduction of pain severity in patients with musculoskeletal complaints.@*Subjects and Setting@#The study participants consisted of adults aged 19-59 years old who have acute musculoskeletal pain. The study was done in Canossa Health and Social Center in Tondo, Manila.@*Design@#Ginger ointment was compared to a placebo ointment in 60 patients with acute musculoskeletal complaints in a single blinded randomized controlled trial. Study participants were randomized into two groups of thirty (N=30), the experimental group (ginger) and the placebo group.@*Data Collection@#The clinical assessment included a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain at baseline, 30 minutes and 60 minutes after intervention. Paracetamol and diclofenac tablets were prescribed as rescue medication. Reduction of pain was computed using mean, standard deviation and groups were compared using students’ t-test. The frequency of the adverse reaction to the ointment was summarized using cross tabulations.@*Results@#There was decrease in the severity of the pain reported by study participants for both ginger and placebo ointment. At 60 minutes post-intervention, a greater decrease on pain scores among participants receiving the ginger ointment (X=1.37; SD+1.22) was noted compared to the participants receiving placebo ointment (X=2.07; SD+1.90). However, the differences between intervention groups were not statistically significant, p>0.05. There were no reported adverse reactions for both intervention groups.@*Conclusion@#Ginger ointment 10% was not effective in decreasing pain scores when compared to placebo ointment. No adverse event was reported within 60 mins of intervention among adult patients with musculoskeletal complaints.

Relationship between Comorbid Health Problems and Musculoskeletal Disorders Resulting in Musculoskeletal Complaints and Musculoskeletal Sickness Absence among Employees in Korea

BACKGROUND: To investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and comorbid health problems, including depression/anxiety disorder, insomnia/sleep disorder, fatigue, and injury by accident, and to determine whether certain physical and psychological factors reduce comorbid health problems. METHODS: In total, 29,711 employees were selected from respondents of the Third Korean Working Conditions Survey and categorized into two groups: Musculoskeletal Complaints or Musculoskeletal Sickness Absence. Four self-reported health indicators (overall fatigue, depression/anxiety, insomnia/sleep disorder, and injury by accident) were selected as outcomes, based on their high prevalence in Korea. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to determine the relationship between comorbid health problems, musculoskeletal complaints, and sickness absence. RESULTS: The prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints and musculoskeletal sickness absence due to muscular pain was 32.26% and 0.59%, respectively. Compared to the reference group, depression/anxiety disorder and overall fatigue were 5.2-6.1 times more prevalent in the Musculoskeletal Complaints Group and insomnia/sleep disorder and injury by accident were 7.6-11.0 times more prevalent in the Sickness Absence Group. When adjusted for individual and work-related physical factors, prevalence of all four comorbid health problems were slightly decreased in both groups. CONCLUSION: Increases in overall fatigue and depression/anxiety disorder were observed in the Musculoskeletal Complaints Group, while increases in insomnia/sleep disorder and injury by accident were observed in the Sickness Absence Group. For management of musculoskeletal complaints and sickness absence in the workplace, differences in health problems between employees with musculoskeletal complaints and those with sickness absence as well as the physical and psychological risk factors should be considered.

Manifestaciones reumatológicas de enfermedades oncológicas: visión pediátrica / Rheumatic manifestations of oncologic diseases: pediatric vision

The musculoskeletal and / or joint complaints in childhood are a frequent medical problem involving several etiologies varying from a reaction to intercurrent infection to the presence of diseases with significant alterations of the musculoskeletal system, malignancies or skeletal dysplasia. The diagnosis requires a very good history including family history, a systematic physical evaluation and complementary laboratory study to help establish the diagnosis. This article shows some retrospectively experiences of oncology or rheumatology national and international centers who evaluated describing those characteristics that allowed them to detect a definitive diagnosis. Some clues are necessary to systematize the differential diagnoses among rheumatism and malignancies diseases in childhood because the earlier diagnosis may be reached. Malignancies conditions can development rheumatologic manifestations that can be distracting delaying diagnosis and their patient outcomes...

Las manifestaciones músculo esqueléticas y/o articulares en el niño/a constituyen un frecuente motivo de consulta, además de conformar un complejo sindromático que involucra diversas etiologías, que van desde una expresión reactiva a una infección intercurrente transitoria hasta patologías con alteraciones significativas del sistema músculoesquelético, como neoplasias o displasias óseas. El rol del médico en este motivo de consulta será establecer el diagnóstico a través de una exhaustiva historia que incluya antecedentes familiares, un examen físico completo y estudio de laboratorio complementario que contribuya a establecer el diagnóstico. En este artículo se presentan algunas experiencias de centros de referencia oncológicos y/o reumatológicos nacionales e internacionales que evaluaron retrospectivamente a sus pacientes, describiendo aquellas características que les permitieron establecer el diagnóstico definitivo. Se presentan, además, algunas claves para sistematizar algunos diagnósticos diferenciales entre reumatismos infantiles y enfermedades neoplásicas, ya que en estas últimas pueden presentarse manifestaciones reumatológicas que pueden ser distractores que retardan el diagnóstico y pueden modificar su pronóstico...

Cervicobrachial Disorders of Female International Telephone Operators I. Subjective Symptoms / 대한산업의학회지

A questionnaire study was carried out on 290 international telephone operators to find Out their characteristics of musculoskeletal symptoms in relation to work conditions (work posture, work load etc.) and work duration. Results were as follows: 1. The C7-earhole angle, the elbow angle, the left arm abduction angle and the right arm abduction angle all did not meet the recommended criteria and, therefore, seemed to have increased the static load of muscles of the neck, the shoulder and the arms. 2. The prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints was higher in the shoulder and the arms which followed by the neck, the lower hack, the hands and fingers, the hack and the lower limbs. 3. The prevalences of musculoskeletal complaints in the hack and the lower hack increased significantly, as the work duration extended over 5 years. 4. In general, the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints tended to be lower among habitual exercise group than others. 5. In view of the high prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints even among those with short work experience, it seemed necessary to introduce an adequate control program of cervicobrachial disorders from an early stage of employment.

Cervicobrachial Disorders of Female International Telephone Operaiors II. Muscle Tenderness and Neurological Tests / 대한산업의학회지

Physical examinations including muscle tenderness and neurological tests, were performed on two hundred ninety international telephone operators and their relations with work conditions and subjective symptoms were analyzed. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The prevalence of muscle tenderness was significantly higher in the shoulder and the arms than in other parts of body. 2. No difference of prevalence of muscle tenderness was noted according to the age of workers. 3. The prevalence of muscle tenderness on the shoulder and the arms significantly increased after the work duration of 5 years. 4. Muscle tenderness on the arm, the neck and the shoulder were dominant in the right side. 5. The prevalences of paraesthesia on right shoulder and right arm were higher than those on other parts of body. 6. A significant linear association was noted between the number of tender areas and positive response to questions. 7. The prevalences of positive Spurling test and Morley test were higher in the work duration group of 15 years and more. 8. It seemed that muscle tenderness examination and Morley test were more useful for the diagnosis of cervicobrachial disorders.