Low back pain (LBP) is a health problem that affects 70–80% of the population in Western countries. Because of the biomechanical relationship between the lumbar region and the hip, it is thought that strengthening the muscles of this joint could improve the symptoms of people with LBP. The objective of this study is to evaluate the current evidence on the efficacy of hip strengthening exercises to reduce pain and disability in people with LBP. Clinical trials were collected from the PubMed, PEDro, and Scopus databases published up to September 2022. Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and using CASP and PEDro tools for methodological quality assessment, we selected studies that included hip strengthening exercises as part of LBP treatment and measured pain and/or disability parameters. Among the 966 records identified in the search, a total of 7 studies met the established selection criteria. Overall, participants who performed hip strengthening exercises had significantly improved in pain and disability. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed as “good”. In conclusion, the addition of hip muscle strengthening exercises iterating interacted with LBP, effectively improving pain and disability.

Lower back pain (LBP) describes pain of indeterminate duration between the lower edge of the ribs and the buttocks. LBP hinders movement, quality of life, and mental well-being, and limits work activities and engagement with family and friends. LBP represents a public health problem, and most workers are expected to experience LBP symptoms throughout their working lives. The study’s main objective was to characterize LBP in the hospitality population of the province of León, Spain, determining the risk factors. A pilot study with a cross-sectional observational design was developed following the guidelines of Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) for 150 Spanish hotel workers. Sociodemographic and lifestyle, occupational, and clinical data related to LBP were obtained through surveys. The annual prevalence of LBP in this study was 87.1% which was higher in women. A significant relationship (p < 0.05) was obtained between sex, income, smoking, sleep quality, and all labor variables with LBP. In addition, the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) results revealed that 49% of the participants had a score > 14. Also, 83.3% of patients with >6 annual LBP crises suffered from sciatica. Once the results were known, preventive intervention would be needed to reduce these main risk factors for LBP for hospitality workers.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable B-cell cancer characterized by periods of relapse and treatment-related toxicity, which often deteriorates patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQL). Exercise, as a non-pharmacological adjuvant therapy, may help mitigate these effects. This systematic review aimed to offer updated, evidence-based guidance on the effect of exercise in people with MM. Controlled trials or pre-post intervention studies published up to 30 May 2025 were identified through SciELO, Cochrane and PubMed. The review, registered in PRSPERO (CRD42023458213), followed PRISMA guidelines. Of 137 articles screened, eight met inclusion criteria. Overall, the studies reported beneficial effects of exercise on physical and mental health, HRQL, sleep disorders, and anthropometric measurements, though trends tended not to reach statistical significance. No severe adverse effects were reported. Exercise appears feasible and safe for people with MM, offering potential improvements in fatigue, HOQL, and mental well-being, likely linked to enhanced physical capacity. Despite promising findings, further research is needed to confirm the role of exercise in MM management. The implementation of therapeutic exercise programs, combining aerobic and strength training, may improve the maintenance of physical capacity and subsequent health outcomes MM’s people.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is characterized by an excessive proliferation of bacteria within the small intestine, resulting in chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, impaired quality of life, and frequent recurrence. Although rifaximin remains the cornerstone of treatment, increasing interest has focused on microbiota-directed therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring intestinal homeostasis and addressing mechanisms beyond bacterial eradication. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy, safety, and clinical relevance of microbiota-directed interventions compared with conventional antibiotic therapy, placebo, or no intervention in adults with breath test-confirmed SIBO. A systematic search identified nine eligible studies involving 782 participants. Methodological quality was assessed using the CASP and PEDro tools, while risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool and ROBINS-I. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed whenever clinically comparable studies reporting extractable dichotomous data were available. The primary meta-analysis demonstrated that adjunctive microbiota-directed therapies combined with antibiotics significantly improved breath test-confirmed SIBO eradication compared with antibiotic monotherapy (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.13–1.65; I² = 0%). An exploratory meta-analysis including all eligible interventions yielded consistent findings (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.14–1.57; I² = 1.1%). The qualitative synthesis identified symptomatic improvements in some individual studies; however, these findings were heterogeneous across symptom domains, assessment methods, and underlying clinical populations. Evidence regarding health-related quality of life and selected microbiota-related and inflammatory biomarkers was also limited, whereas adverse events were generally mild and infrequent. Overall, the available evidence suggests that microbiota-directed therapies, particularly when used as adjuncts to antibiotic treatment, may represent a promising complementary approach for improving SIBO eradication without compromising safety. However, the certainty of the available evidence remains limited by the small number of studies, heterogeneous interventions, and variability in outcome reporting. Larger, well-designed randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm these findings and define the optimal microbiota-directed therapeutic strategy.