• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2018

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of Tai-chi in treatinglow back pain. Methods: We searched 9 electronic databases(Pubmed, CAJ, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, KISS, KISTI, NDSL, and RISS) till April 2018 and included randomized controlled trials(RCTs) that used Tai-chi for lower back pain treatment. The methodological quality of each RCT was assessed usingthe Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results: As per the inclusion criteria, 5 RCTswere found to be eligible for our review. These studies were divided into 4 groups and meta-analysis was performed. The meta-analysis of 1 study showed favorable results regardingthe use of Tai-chi. Twostudies showed favorable results regardingthe use of Tai-chi with Tuina rather than Tuina alone. All studies were observed to have a high risk of bias. Conclusions: There is limited evidence available to support the effectiveness of Tai-chi in relieving low back pain;hence, additionalwell-designed RCTs should be encouraged for better evidence.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.55-65
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• 2020

Objective: The most important goal of hippotherapy is to improve function, gait, and balance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of hippotherapy on function, gait, and balance of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We've searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library CENTRAL databases for English experimental studies published up until September 2018. To analyze the effects of hippotherapy on the function, gait, and balance of children with cerebral palsy, the systematic review and meta-analysis were performed on Patient/Participants/Population Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome with Timing, Setting Study Design. Papers retrieved from the database were removed from the literature management database. Methodological quality evaluation was evaluated using Cochrane's risk of bias. Data was analyzed using the Revman 5.3 program of the Cochrane library. Results: In this study, we found that the effect size of hippotherapy, denoted as d, was -3.82, and that hippotherapy had the most effect on gait, but no statistical significant difference was observed. We also found no significant difference in function and balance after hippotherapy. It was found from the funnel plot that there was no publication bias as the plot was symmetrically distributed around the dotted line. Conclusions: There are many unclear studies and a lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in this research area. More RCTs on the effects of hippotherapy on children with CP should be conducted in the future.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.90-100
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• 2019

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and efficacy of low level laser. Methods : We searched 11 electronic databases(Pubmed, CAJ, EMBASE, Medline, Cochrane Library, KMBASE, KISS, KISTI, NDSL, RISS, Oasis) up to March 2019. We included randomized controlled trials(RCTs) using low level laser for alopecia. The methodological quality of each RCT was assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results : 8 RCT studies were eligible in our review. The meta-analysis of 2 studies showed favorable results for the use of low level laser with minoxidil 5% than minoxidil 5% and 6 studies showed favorable results for the use of low level laser than placebo light. The results of meta-analysis showed that low-level laser has an efficacy on alopecia. There were no serious side effects or adverse effects. High risk of bias were observed in all studies. Conclusion : Now limited evidence is available to support low level laser for alopecia and further well-designed RCTs should be encouraged.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.397-411
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• 2021

This systematic review aimed to assess the effect of premedication on postoperative pain after root canal treatment in vital teeth. Five electronic databases were searched for randomized clinical trials, and two independent reviewers selected eligible studies, extracted data, and assessed the quality of studies using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Meta-analysis was conducted using the random-effects model, and the pooled effect estimate of the standardized mean difference (SMD) between premedication and placebo was calculated. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on the class and route of the drug. Studies with a high risk of bias were excluded from the sensitivity analysis. Ten trials satisfied the inclusion criteria, of which eight were included in the meta-analysis. Premedication was more effective in reducing postoperative pain than placebo at 6 hours (SMD = -1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.33 to -0.66), 12 hours (SMD = -0.80; 95% CI = -1.05 to -0.56), and 24 hours (SMD = -0.72; 95% CI = -1.02 to -0.43). The results of the sensitivity analysis confirmed the findings of the primary analysis. Based on these results, it can be concluded that premedication is effective in reducing postoperative pain in teeth with irreversible pulpitis. However, additional quality studies are required for further validation.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2021

Purpose: This was integrative literature review for analyzing interventions of musculoskeletal symptom and pain on nurses. Methods: Data were searched by using databases, namely SAGE journals, EBSCOhost, PubMed, RISS, NDSL and KCI Search terminology included nurse and musculoskeletal and the language was Korean or Engli.sh. Data analysis was classified by risk of bias, inconsistency, indirectness and imprecision. Total six studies, one Korean and five English articles analyzed. Results: Risk of bias was serious in three of six studies. Regarding inconsistency, one study was moderate effect size and two studies were small effect size. There was no serious indirectness except one study. Regarding imprecision, three studies were not serious. Conclusion: Evidence from six studies was insufficient to support intervention's effect in means of no repeated studies and no high effect size of intervention. Evidence-based interventions must be applied on nurses for reducing musculoskeletal symptoms.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.57-76
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• 2022

Objectives: This review is aimed to figure out the effectiveness of herbal medicine for treating threatened abortion by analyzing randomized controlled trials. Methods: We searched relevant studies using seven databases including 4 domestic databases and 3 foreign databases. Data retrieval was conducted on May 18, 2022. and the papers published from January 1, 2018 to May 18, 2022 were included. The risk of bias was assessed by using Cochrane's risk of bias tool. Results: 182 studies were searched in domestic and foreign databases, and 9 studies were finally selected. Among 9 studies, the treatment group was treated with only oral herbal medicine in 4 studies and with combined treatment of herbal medicine and western medicine in 5 studies. On the other hand, the control group was treated with only western medicine. In all 9 studies, evaluation indexes in the treatment group showed more effectiveness than those of the control group, evaluation indexes were different for each study though. Conclusions: Herbal medicine was more effective for treating threatened abortion whether using it alone or combining with western medicine compared to using western medicine alone. Additional studies which include large number are needed to confirm long-term effectiveness and safety of herbal medicine treatment.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.125-138
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• 2020

The aim of this study was to review previous literature to determine the effects of nature-based program for workers. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency's guidance for undertaking systematic reviews for intervention. Literature search was performed using National Assembly Digital Library, Korean Studies Information Service System, and Korea Education & Research Information Service for literature published until March 2019. The participants were full-time workers, and intervention of nature-based programs was conducted in the outdoor, indoor, and indirect nature contact exposures, with comparators in the control group who did not receive the treatment. The results showed that the programs were effective in physical, psychological, and social health. The methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCT) was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias(RoB) tool, while non-randomized controlled trials (N-RCT) were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of bias assessment tool for non-randomized studuies (RoBANS). A total of 16 studies were selected for assessment: two RCTs, 10 N-RCTs, and four one-group pretest-posttest designs. Most interventions were provided at the workplace and in the community. There were many kinds of nature-based interventions, and forest therapy and horticultural therapy programs were most common. Various interventions for workers effectively improved job stress, depression, serum cortisol and stress-response. However, the included studies lacked methodological rigor. Future research is needed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of nature-based programs for workers using rigorous research designs.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2022

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is an essential component of the cerebral cortex and is associated with cognitive function. In this systematic review, the effects of PS on cognitive function in the elderly population are examined. The literature search included PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases. Subsequently, nine studies, including five randomized controlled trials and four pre-post studies, were selected. There were 961 participants in the selected studies; PS dosage varied from 100 to 300 mg/d, and the experimental period ranged from 6 weeks to 6 months. Five out of the nine selected studies were assessed to have a 'low' risk of bias, whereas the other four studies were assessed to have 'some concerns' regarding the risk of bias. The results of the meta-analysis concluded that PS had a positive effect on the memory of older adults with cognitive decline. Thus, PS appears to improve age-associated cognitive decline, especially memory, with no adverse effects.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2023

Objective: Manual therapy is a commonly utilized approach in managing chronic pain, but its specific impact on pain catastrophizing remains uncertain. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the effects of manual therapy on pain catastrophizing in individuals with chronic pain. Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in electronic databases to identify relevant studies published from 2014 onwards. Studies that evaluated the impact of manual therapy on pain catastrophizing in individuals with chronic pain were incorporated. The risk of bias in the selected studies was evaluated using the Cochrane tool for risk of bias in qualitative analysis. For the quantitative analysis, RevMan 5.4 software was utilized, employing a random-effects model as the analysis model. The effect measure used in the analysis was the standardized mean difference (SMD). Results: In total, 26 studies were collected, and following the screening process, three of them were incorporated into the final analysis. The included studies involved a total of 153 patients with chronic pain. The interventions comprised various manual therapy techniques targeting different areas of the body. Pain catastrophizing and pain intensity were the primary outcomes of interest. The meta-analysis revealed a significant reduction in pain catastrophizing scores following manual therapy intervention compared to control conditions (SMD = -0.91, 95% CI: -1.25 to -0.58). However, heterogeneity between the studies was observed. Conclusions: Despite the limited quantity and heterogeneity of studies, it has been demonstrated that manual therapy intervention is effective in reducing pain catastrophizing in individuals with chronic pain.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.36-47
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• 2019

[Purpose] We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of Taekwondo training on the physical fitness factors in Korean elementary students comprehensively and quantitatively. [Methods] We classified research studies published until November 2018 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and selected a total of 17 research items; a meta-analysis of these items was then conducted. We used the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0 and Review Manager 5.3 to analyze the mean effect size, study quality, and publication bias. [Results] Taekwondo training improved the cardiopulmonary endurance, muscle endurance, and power of the elementary students, but was not practical or less useful on other physical fitness factors. The meta-regression analysis of the cardiopulmonary endurance and power items showed that the effect size was large when the sample size was small. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the sample size in interpreting the effect size for these two items. Further, during correction of the publication bias for the power items, the improvement effect by Taekwondo training was eliminated. [Conclusion] Taekwondo training is helpful for improving the cardiopulmonary endurance and muscle endurance of Korean elementary students but is not useful for other physical fitness factors.