Daniel Oluwafemi Odebiyi

Insoles for prevention and treatment of back pain: a systematic review within the framework of the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group.

Study Design. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Objective. To determine the effectiveness of shoe insoles in the prevention and treatment of nonspecific back pain compared with placebo, no intervention, or other interventions. Summary of Background Data. There is lack of theoretical and clinical knowledge of the use of insoles for prevention or treatment of back pain. Methods. We searched electronic databases from inception to October 2008. We reviewed reference lists in review articles, guidelines, and in the included trials; conducted citation tracking; and contacted individuals with expertise in this domain. One review author conducted the searches and blinded the retrieved references for authors, institution, and journal. Two review authors independently selected the relevant articles. Two different review authors independently assessed the methodological quality and clinical relevance and extracted the data from each trial using the criteria recommended by the Cochrane Back Review Group. Results. Six randomized controlled trials met inclusion criteria: 3 examined prevention of back pain (2061 participants) and 3 examined mixed populations (256 participants) without being clear whether they were aimed at primary or secondary prevention or treatment. No treatment trials were found. There is strong evidence that the use of insoles does not prevent back pain. There is limited evidence that insoles alleviate back pain or adversely shift the pain to the lower extremities. Conclusion. There is strong evidence that insoles are not effective for the prevention of back pain. The currentevidence on insoles as treatment for low back pain does not allow any conclusions.

Effects of exercise and oedema massage on fatigue level and quality of life of female breast cancer patients

Abstract Aim: To investigate the effect of exercise and oedema massage on the quality of life (QoL) and level of fatigue (LOF) of female patients with stage II and III breast cancer. Method: Twenty-seven female patients with stage II and III breast cancer whose ages ranged from 33 to 80 years participated in this study. Participants were randomized into two groups A and B. Participants in groups A received therapeutic exercises and massage, while those in group B received only therapeutic exercises. QoL and LOF were assessed before and 6 weeks after intervention, using a European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Energy/Fatigue Scale, respectively. Result: There was a significant improvement (p < 0.05) between the pre- and post-intervention QoL scores of participants in study group A, and between the post-intervention QoL scores of participants in study group A and control group B (p < 0.05). There was also a significant improvement (p < 0.05) in the LOF between the pre- and post-intervention scores for participants in groups A and B, respectively, and between the post-intervention scores of the participants in the groups A and B (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Combined exercise and massage improved the QoL and LOF of female patients with stage II and III breast cancer compared with exercise alone.