Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Is Pilates An Effective Treatment For Improving Functional Disability And Pain In Patients With Nonspecific Low Back Pain?, Koren V. Fleming

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Is Pilates an effective treatment for improving functional disability and pain in patients with nonspecific low back pain?”

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary studies, two of which were published in 2006 and the other in 2009.

DATA SOURCES: Three single-blind randomized control trials comparing the Pilates method of treatment to a control group that did not receive Pilates intervention were found using PubMed and EBSCOhost databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Each of the studies had patients participate in Pilates sessions for six to seven weeks. …

Is Acupuncture Effective In Reducing Itch Intensity And Wheal Size In Patients With Dermatologic Conditions?, Melanie Schwer

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether acupuncture is effective in reducing itch intensity and wheal size in patients with dermatologic conditions.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of all English language primary randomized controlled trials published after 1984

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials were found using Pubmed database.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The three trials measured various outcomes: Visual Analog Scale (VAS); Eppendorf Itch Questionnaire; Cumulative Itch Index; Perimeter of wheal and flare size before, during, & after acupuncture; Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)

RESULTS: Belgrade et al. found statistically significant improvement in itch intensity and flare …

Is Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy An Effective Treatment For Chronic Plantar Fasciitis In Adults?, Lauren H. Rucker

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is an effective treatment in adults with chronic plantar fasciitis.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary studies published between 2008 and 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized control trials and one cohort study analyzing the effects of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy on chronic plantar fasciitis were found using the OVID, Medline and Cochrane Databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Each of the three studies measured improvement in pain from baseline after patients were treated with ESWT. Pain levels were quantified using …

Is Weight Lifting Effective In Reducing Lymphedema In Breast Cancer Survivors?, Diana Petrucello

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not weight lifting is effective in reducing lymphedema in breast cancer survivors.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of three English language primary studies published in 2009 and 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Three single blind, randomized controlled trials comparing progressive weight lifting and other treatments in breast cancer survivors were found using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Incidence of breast cancer-related lymphedema onset measured by blinded certified lymphedema therapists using a standardized clinical evaluation derived from the Common Toxicity Criteria version 3.0, comprising of interlimb …

Does Reiki Therapy Decrease Pain During Chemotherapy And Radiation Treatment In Patients With Gynecological And Breast Cancer?, Samantha L. Ciaccia

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Reiki therapy decreases pain during chemotherapy and radiation treatment in patients with gynecological and breast cancer.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of two randomized control trials and one randomized prospective cross-over study published in 2003, 2004, and 2011.

DATA SOURCES: One double blind randomized control trial, one 2-arm single blind randomized control trial and one randomized, prospective, 2-period crossover intervention study comparing Reiki therapy to placebo. Articles were found using PubMed and Medline.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Pain by BPI (brief pain inventory linear analog scale), SF-36 questionnaire, …