RECENT RESEARCH
Conclusion : Massage therapy may lead to some improvement in pain , stiffness , and functionality scores in the short term but not in long term . Aromatherapy massage was not found to be any better than standard massage therapy . Current evidence is limited by methodological heterogeneity amongst trials and small sample size of the studies .
Nutrition
Salari A , Ghodrat S , Gheflati A , Jarahi L , Hashemi M , Afshari A .
Effect of kefir beverage consumption on glycemic control : A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials . Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice , 2021 ; 44 .
Kefir is a fermented beverage obtained as a result of lactic-alcoholic fermentation of milk by using kefir grains or a starter culture . Kefir beverage has numerous health benefits owing to its antimicrobial , anti-inflammatory and anti‐diabetic properties , while it could also regulate the gut microbiota . This beverage is recommended as a nutritional approach to glycemic control . This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials ( RCTs ) aimed to evaluate the effects of kefir beverage on the glycemic control . For this purpose , a literature search was conducted via databases such as PubMed , Scopus , ISI Web of Science , and Google Scholar for the articles published until July 2020 with no limitation . The indicators of glycemic control were fasting blood sugar ( FBS ), hemoglobin A1c ( HbA1c ), and insulin . In total , six RCTs on a total sample size of 323 subjects were selected for the meta-analysis . Inverse-variance weighted mean difference ( WMD ) with a 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) was calculated for the mean changes in HbA1c , FBG and insulin compared to baseline . Considering the clinical heterogeneity caused by the varied duration and dosage of kefir beverage treatment , a random effects model was used to estimate the pooled WMD . Findings indicated a more significant reduction in the FBS ( WMD = −10.28 ; 95 % CI : −16.53 – 4.02 ;
P = 0.001 ) and insulin ( WMD = −2.87 ; 95 % CI : −3.96 – 1.78 ; P < 0.00001 ) in the kefir treatment group . Furthermore , kefir consumption could reduce HbA1c ( HbA1c = −0.64 -1.36 , 0.08 ), while this effect was not considered significant ( −0.64 ; 95 % CI : −1.36-0.08 ; P = 0.08 ). The results of our meta-analysis indicated that kefir beverage could reduce the FBS and insulin levels without a significant effect on HbA1c . In general , our findings showed that kefir beverages may have beneficial effects on glycemic control . However , more clinical data and research into the mechanism of probiotics are required to clarify the beneficial effects of probiotics on glycemic markers .
Yoga therapy
Kwok JYY , Lee JJ , Choi EPH . et al .
Stay mindfully active during the coronavirus pandemic : a feasibility study of mHealthdelivered mindfulness yoga program for people with Parkinson ’ s disease . BMC Complement Med Ther , 2022 ; 22 , 37 . https :// doi . org / 10.1186 / s12906-022-03519-y
Importance : Patients with longterm neurological conditions , such as Parkinson ’ s disease ( PD ), are particularly vulnerable to the public health measures taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic . The inaccessibility of center-based rehabilitation further aggravated their motor dysfunctions as well as mental distress , leading to exacerbation of motor and non-motor symptoms , high healthcare utilization and worsened health-related quality of life ( HRQOL ).
Objective : This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility , safety , and preliminary effects of the mHealth-delivered homebased mindfulness yoga program on functional balance , motor symptoms , mental health and HRQOL in patients with PD .
Design , setting and participants : This prospective , single-arm , nonrandomized feasibility study adopted a sequential explanatory mixed-method design . Adults ( aged ≥ 18 ) with a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson ’ s disease ( Hoehn and Yahr stage I to III ) who were able to stand unaided and walk with or without an assistive device were enrolled via convenience sampling .
Intervention : Home-based mindfulness yoga training were delivered via videoconferencing software ( Zoom ) in eight bi-weekly 90-min sessions .
Main outcomes and measures : This current study measured functional balance , motor symptoms , perceived balance confidence , perceived freezing of gait symptoms , anxiety and depression , mindfulness and HRQOL using a teleassessment approach at baseline and 1-week post-intervention . All participants were invited to attend qualitative individual interviews to explore their experience of using online mindfulness yoga program as a lifestyle intervention for PD rehabilitation .
Results : Among the ten patients , 80 % completed the program with an adherence rate of 98.4 %. All participants were able to learn and practice mindfulness yoga following the eight biweekly online mindfulness yoga training sessions , without any significant adverse events . Tele-assessment of outcomes were feasible and uneventful . Qualitative feedback revealed participants had a high preference of using the tele-rehabilitation approach to stay mindful and being active , both physically and socially , while confronting the changes brought by COVID-19 pandemic .
Conclusions and relevance : The mHealth-delivered home-based mindfulness yoga intervention was feasible , safe , and well-accepted among people with PD to relieve the burden brought by COVID-19 pandemic . Future studies should adopt a design with enhanced rigor , a comparison group , and enlarged sample size to evaluate the efficacy of the program in patients with long-term neurological conditions and / or physical impairments . We recommend a longer intervention duration of at least 8 weeks to enhance the psychophysiological effects .
JATMS | Autumn 2022 | 47