(1) Background: Patient education (PE), exercise therapy, and weight management are recommended as first-line interventions for hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA). Evidence supporting the effectiveness of exercise therapy and weight management in people with lower-limb OA has been synthesized in recent studies. However, according to the Osteoarthritis Research Society International, PE is often considered a standard of care and the inclusion of this as a first-line intervention for people with knee OA in clinical practice guidelines is often supported by limited evidence. The aim of this review is to evaluate the effects of PE on pain and function and how it impacts on conservative treatment. (2) Methods: This is a literature review of studies investigating the effect of patient education on pain and function and its impact on conservative treatment in elderly patients with pain related to hip and knee OA. PRISMA guidelines were followed during the design, search, and reporting stages of this review. The search was carried out in the PubMed database. (3) Results: A total of 1732 studies were detected and analyzed by performing the proposed searches in the detailed database. After removing duplicates and analyzing the titles and abstracts of the remaining articles, 20 studies were ultimately selected for this review. Nineteen of these twenty articles showed positive results in pain or function in patients with pain related to hip and knee OA. (4) Conclusions: PE seems to be effective in reducing pain and improving function in patients with pain related to hip and knee OA. Furthermore patient education seems to positively impact the conservative treatment with which it can be associated.

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis examines how pulmonary rehabilitation impacts in patients suffering from subacute and long COVID-19 infections, gauging enhancements in of dyspnea, physical function, quality of life, psychological state (anxiety and depression), and fatigue. Methods: Three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library) were systematically searched for full-text articles published from inception to January 2023. Randomized, quasi-experimental, and observational studies were included, with adults diagnosed with subacute or long COVID-19 who received pulmonary rehabilitation as intervention. Outcomes related to dyspnea, physical function, quality of life, fatigue, and psychological status were included. Risk of bias was assessed with Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Controlled Trials and Risk of bias in non-randomized studies of intervention. The review was registered before starting in PROSPERO (CRD: 42022373075). Results: Thirty-four studies were included, involving 1970 patients with subacute and long COVID-19. The meta-analysis demonstrated moderate to large effects on dyspnea, physical function, quality of life, and depressive symptoms compared to usual care intervention. No significant differences were found in fatigue compared to usual care, nor in anxiety levels after pulmonary rehabilitation intervention. Conclusions: Pulmonary rehabilitation has the potential to improve health outcomes in patients with subacute and long COVID-19. However, due to the high risk of bias of included studies, conclusions should be taken with caution.

Objective: The aim of this umbrella review with meta-meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of orthopedic manual therapy in isolation on pain sensitization in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Design: A systematic search was performed in different databases including systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis. The outcome measures included were pressure pain threshold, temporal summation, and conditioned pain modulation. The results of the different reviews were statistically synthesized through a random-effect meta-analysis, of all standardized mean differences and the corresponding 95% confidence interval reported by each study. Results: For mechanical hyperalgesia, the meta-meta-analysis of three meta-analyses revealed a statistically significant small-moderate effect of orthopedic manual therapy, with no evidence of heterogeneity and moderate-quality evidence. In terms of temporal summation, one meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant small effect of orthopedic manual therapy intervention, with moderate heterogeneity and low quality of evidence. Finally, one review without meta-analysis found that orthopedic manual therapy improved endogenous analgesia with low-quality evidence. Conclusion: Orthopedic manual therapy in isolation improved mechanical hyperalgesia with moderate-quality evidence, as well as temporal summation and conditioned pain modulation with low-quality evidence. However, its effects are limited only to immediate and short-term.

Objectives: This systematic review and meta‐analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in improving dyspnea, fatigue, physical activity, quality of life, anxiety and depression in patients with Long COVID‐19 (LC). The impact of PR on LC and a comparison of face‐to‐face and telerehabilitation approaches was explored.Methods: This systematic review and meta‐analysis followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO. A literature search included PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library until January 2023. No language filters were applied. Randomized controlled trials, non‐randomized controlled trials, and observational studies were included. The risk of bias was assessed using appropriate tools. Descriptive analysis and meta‐analysis were performed. Forest plots presented results. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Metafor Package in R v.3.4.2.Results/Findings: This systematic review and meta‐analysis included 16 studies on PR in LC patients. A total of 1027 adults were included. The studies varied in design, with seven observational studies, three quasi‐experimental studies, and six randomized controlled trials. Dyspnea, physical function, quality of life, psychological state, and fatigue were assessed as outcomes. The review found that pulmonary rehabilitation had a significant positive effect on dyspnea, physical function, quality of life (both global and physical domain), anxiety, and depression. However, the effect on fatigue was not significant. Heterogeneity was observed in some analyses, and publication bias was found in certain outcomes. Age and study design were identified as potential moderators. Both face‐to‐face and telerehabilitation interventions improved the studied outcomes, with only differences in the physical domain of quality of life favoring the face‐to‐face group.Implications on Physiotherapy Practice: PR improved dyspnea, physical function, quality of life, and psychological state in LC patients, but not fatigue. Face‐to‐face and telerehabilitation have similar effects, except for physical quality of life.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability, the most common form of chronic disease in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and the most severe disease type of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The etiology of TMD is multifactorial, considering parafunctional habits, sleep bruxism, or sleep disturbance as common factors. Insomnia and apnea are the two most frequent forms of sleep disorders in TMD patients. Due to this, the objective of this systematic review was to highlight whether there is currently scientific evidence in the literature describing that patients with temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) are associated with increased sleep disorders or impaired sleep quality. Methods: This systematic review was completed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement and was registered with PROSPERO prior to completion of the main search. Original observational studies that analyze the association of sleep disorders and sleep quality in patients with TMJ-OA were included in the present review. Results: 770 studies were screened by abstract and title according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and finally, 7 articles were included in the qualitative synthesis and a total of 772 patients diagnosed with TMJ-OA. Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence to indicate that patients with TMJ OA are associated with increased sleep disorders or poorer sleep quality.

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of arthritis and affects over 528 million people worldwide. Degenerative joint disease involves cartilage degradation, subchondral bone remodeling, and synovial inflammation, leading to chronic pain, stiffness, and impaired joint function. Initially regarded as a “wear and tear” condition associated with aging and mechanical stress, OA is now recognized as a multifaceted disease influenced by systemic factors such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, and chronic low-grade inflammation. Recent studies have focused on the gut-joint axis to investigate how the gut microbiome modulates inflammation and pain in OA. Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024556265). This review included studies involving adults with symptomatic OA and analyzed the relationship between the gut microbiome and OA-related pain. Randomized and non-randomized clinical trials, case reports, editorials, and pilot studies were excluded. Searches were performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science without publication date restrictions, and filtered for “observational studies”. The study selection and data extraction were performed by two independent researchers, and the risk of bias was assessed using appropriate tools. Results: Five observational studies were included in the systematic review, and three were included in the meta-analysis. Two studies reported an association between different tryptophan metabolites and pain levels in patients with OA. Two other studies demonstrated a correlation between lipopolysaccharide levels and pain in OA. A fifth study confirmed the relationship between Streptococcus relative abundance of Streptococcus spp. and knee pain. These results were not supported by a meta-analysis, which found no significant association between the presence of pain in OA and the presence of bacilli of the genus Streptococcus or plasma markers of the tryptophan pathway. Conclusions: Current evidence indicates a potential link between gut microbiome dysbiosis and OA-related pain. However, methodological limitations preclude definitive conclusions. Further research using advanced techniques and larger cohorts is needed to validate and extend these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Targeted manipulation of the gut microbiome may be a valuable strategy for pain management in OA patients.