RECENT RESEARCH
recruitment to be straightforward , but some found the diary too complex .
Conclusions : It was feasible and acceptable to recruit patients from UK primary care to a double-blind placebocontrolled trial of herbal medicine ( Kaloba ®) for the treatment of acute bronchitis , with good retention and low data attrition .
Homeopathy
Mittring-Junghans N , Holmberg C , Witt CM . et al .
Thoughts , beliefs and concepts concerning infectious childhood diseases of physicians practicing homeopathic , anthroposophic and conventional medicine – a qualitative study . BMC Complement Med Ther . 2021 , 21 , Article no . 46 . https :// doi . org / 10.1186 / s12906-021-03216-2
Background : Physicians who include complementary medicine in their practice are thought to have an understanding of health and disease different from that of colleagues practicing conventional medicine . The aim of this study was to identify and compare the thoughts and concepts concerning infectious childhood diseases ( measles , mumps , rubella , chickenpox , pertussis and scarlet fever ) of physicians practicing homeopathic , anthroposophic and conventional medicine .
Methods This qualitative study used semistructured interviews . Participating physicians were either general practitioners or pediatricians . Data collection and analysis were guided by a grounded theory approach .
Results : Eighteen physicians were interviewed ( 6 homeopathic , 6 anthroposophic and 6 conventional ). All physicians agreed that while many classic infectious childhood diseases such as measles , mumps and rubella are rarely observed today , other diseases , such as chickenpox and scarlet fever , are still commonly diagnosed . All interviewed physicians vaccinated against childhood diseases . A core concern for physicians practicing conventional medicine was the risk of complications of the diseases . Therefore , it was considered essential for them to advise their patients to strictly follow the vaccination schedule . Homeopathicoriented physicians viewed acute disease as a biological process necessary to strengthen health , fortify the immune system and increase resistance to chronic disease . They tended to treat infectious childhood diseases with homeopathic remedies and administered available vaccines as part of individual decision-making approaches with parents . For anthroposophic-oriented physicians , infectious childhood diseases were considered a crucial factor in the psychosocial growth of children . They tended to treat these diseases with anthroposophic medicine and underlined the importance of the family ’ s resources . Informing parents about the potential benefits and risks of vaccination was considered important .
All physicians agreed that parentdelivered loving care of a sick child could benefit the parent-child relationship . Additionally , all recognized that existing working conditions hindered parents from providing such care for longer durations of time .
Conclusions : The interviewed physicians agreed that vaccines are an important aspect of modern pediatrics . They differed in their approach regarding when and what to vaccinate against . The different conceptual understandings of infectious childhood diseases influenced this decision-making . A survey with a larger sample would be needed to verify these observations .
Massage , myotherapy and other bodywork , kinesiology
Johnston V , Chen X , Welch A . et al .
A cluster-randomized trial of workplace ergonomics and neck-specific exercise versus ergonomics and health promotion for office workers to manage neck pain – a secondary outcome analysis . BMC Musculoskelet Disord . 2021 , 22 , Article no . 68 . https :// doi . org / 10.1186 / s12891-021-03945-y
Background : Neck pain is prevalent among office workers . This study evaluated the impact of an ergonomic and exercise training ( EET ) intervention and an ergonomic and health promotion ( EHP ) intervention on neck pain intensity among the All Workers and a subgroup of Neck Pain cases at baseline .
Methods : A 12-month clusterrandomized trial was conducted in 14 public and private organisations . Office workers aged ≥18 years working ≥30 h per week ( n = 740 ) received an individualised workstation ergonomic intervention , followed by 1:1 allocation to the EET group ( neck-specific exercise training ), or the EHP group ( health promotion ) for 12 weeks . Neck pain intensity ( scale : 0 – 9 ) was recorded at baseline , 12 weeks , and 12 months . Participants with data at these three time points were included for analysis ( n = 367 ). Intervention group differences were analysed using generalized estimating equation models on an intention-to-treat basis and adjusted for potential confounders . Subgroup analysis was performed on neck cases reporting pain ≥3 at baseline ( n = 96 ).
Results : The EET group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in neck pain intensity at 12 weeks compared to the EHP group for All Workers ( EET : β = − 0.53 points 95 % CI : − 0.84 – − 0.22 [ 36 %] and EHP : β = − 0.17 points 95 % CI : − 0.47 – 0.13 [ 10.5 %], p-value = 0.02 ) and the Neck Cases ( EET : β = − 2.32 points 95 % CI : − 3.09 – − 1.56 [ 53 %] and EHP : β = − 1.75 points 95 % CI : − 2.35 – − 1.16 [ 36 %], p = 0.04 ). Reductions in pain intensity were not maintained at 12 months with no between-group differences observed in All Workers ( EET : β = − 0.18 , 95 % CI : − 0.53 – 0.16 and EHP : β = − 0.14 points 95 % CI : − 0.49 – 0.21 , p = 0.53 ) or Neck Cases , although in both groups an overall reduction was found ( EET : β = − 1.61 points 95 % CI : − 2.36 – − 0.89 and EHP : β = − 1.9 points 95 % CI : − 2.59 – − 1.20 , p = 0.26 ).
Conclusion : EET was more effective than EHP in reducing neck pain intensity in All Workers and Neck Cases immediately following the intervention
44 | vol27 | no1 | JATMS