Since 2005, there have been no systematic reviews on the effects of multiple manual therapies, including muscle energy technique (MET), on the hamstrings. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to provide clinical evidence for the effectiveness of the MET on hamstring flexibility. We queried 10 electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, KISS, NDSL, KMBASE, KISTI, RISS, Dbpia, and OASIS) up to the end of March 2022. This study only included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the use of MET for the hamstring. The literature was organized using Endnote. Literature screening and data extraction were conducted by two researchers independently. The methodological quality of the included RCTs was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 1.0, and the meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4. In total, 949 patients from 19 RCTs were selected according to the inclusion criteria. During active knee extension tests, the efficacy between MET and other manipulations did not significantly differ. For sit and reach tests, MET groups had higher flexibility compared to stretching (MD = 1.69, 95% CI: 0.66 to 2.73, p = 0.001) and no treatment (MD = 2.02, 95% CI: 0.70 to 3.33, p = 0.003) groups. No significant differences were observed in the occurrence of adverse reactions. Overall, we found that MET is more efficacious for improving hamstring flexibility compared to stretching and having no treatment during sit and reach tests because it combines isometric contraction with stretching. Owing to clinical heterogeneity, uncertain risk of bias, and the small number of included studies, further high-quality studies should assess the effectiveness of MET.

Background: This study aimed to summarize the current status of research on ultrasound-guided acupuncture and dry-needling treatment and the specific treatment methods applied to patients. Methods: A scoping review was conducted, surveying three English databases (PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library) for studies published up to May 2024. All studies related to ultrasound-guided acupuncture and dry-needling treatment were considered. Literature was selected using selection and exclusion criteria, and extracted and organized using EndNote. Results: A total of 107 eligible studies were included. Among the 107 studies, non-comparative studies accounted for the largest proportion (n = 47, 43.9%), followed by randomized controlled trials (RCTs; n = 41, 38.3%). Diseases of the musculoskeletal system or connective tissue (15 diseases of the musculoskeletal system or connective tissue) accounted for most (n = 48, 55.8%) of the 86 diseases studied, followed by symptoms, signs, or clinical conditions not otherwise classified (n = 17, 19.8%). Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided acupuncture and dry-needling have been actively studied and applied for the treatment of various diseases. However, higher-quality studies are needed for further applications in research and clinical practice.

Kyung-ok-ko (KOK), a traditional medicinal formula in East Asia, has been recently studied across various fields. However, comprehensive reviews of clinical applications of KOK targeting clinical and experimental studies are lacking. Therefore, the application of KOK is being limited to the range of tonic medicines. To overcome this limitation, we aim to investigate the effectiveness, mechanism, and safety of KOK to obtain evidence regarding its effects in clinical applications. We searched for clinical and experimental articles in 11 databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica dataBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Google Scholar, Research Information Sharing Service, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Koreanstudies Information Service System, Korean Medical Database, DBpia, and ScienceON). We selected 54 studies based on the inclusion criteria. Three clinical studies used KOK for a consumptive disease and health promotion. Fifty-one experimental studies reported the antioxidant activity, neuroprotective activity, anticancer effect, anti-inflammatory activity, immunological activity, growth promotion, impacts on cardiovascular system diseases, gastrointestinal system diseases, respiratory system diseases, and metabolic bone disease, hepatoprotective function, and antifatigue function of KOK, which were considered effective and safe in consumptive, chronic, metabolic, inflammatory, and immune diseases. We identified the effectiveness of KOK in the treatment of a wide range of diseases. However, further clinical studies are warranted in the future.

Background: Patients with chronic diseases require ongoing treatment, and caregivers face financial burdens as well as psychological and physical difficulties. However, the current healthcare system does not provide adequate systems or services to address the difficulties that patients and caregivers face. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct an observational case study in order to evaluate and improve the application of an integrative healthcare service model developed for distress management and improved quality of life in breast cancer (BC) patients and caregivers. Method: The integrative healthcare service model was intensively applied to a patient-caregiver pair in this observational study. This was followed by gathering feedback from participants and experts, as well as reflecting on the content of the feedback in order to improve the model further. Results: This study will then modify and improve the program with feedback and provide integrative medical services to a BC patient and caregiver. Conclusion: This study used the BC patients’ pain management and quality of life enhancement model, aiming to provide basic data for the establishment of a healthcare service system for patients suffering from chronic pain due to diseases such as BC by systematically integrating previously applied interventions into the current healthcare system and soliciting feedback from patients and caregivers.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to clinically investigate how variations in foot morphology influence spinal and lower limb alignment, based on the concept of an ascending kinetic chain. Methods: We analyzed the medical records of 100 patients who met the inclusion criteria. The X-ray image data used in the analysis included weight-bearing lateral views of both feet, whole-spine anteroposterior (AP) and lateral views, and full-length standing AP scanograms of the lower legs. In the obtained X-ray images, Calcaneal Inclination Angle (CIA), Tibiotalar Tilt Angle (TTA), Tibiotalar Angle (TA), Quadriceps Angle (Q-angle), Pelvic Incidence (PI), Pelvic Tilt (PT), Sacral Slope (SS), and L1–S1 Lordosis (LL) were measured. Participants were categorized into subgroups based on their CIA values: Pes Planus, Normal, and Pes Cavus. These subgroups were analyzed by foot orientation (right and left) using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation coefficient analysis. Results: The one-way ANOVA identified significant differences in mean right foot PT values among subgroups. Correlation analysis shows moderate associations between foot CIA and Q-angle of the knee, as well as pelvic parameters including PI, PT, SS, and LL. Conclusions: Analysis of the correlation between foot parameters and body alignment, in the context of diagnostic and evaluative aspects of Chuna manual medicine (CMM), revealed moderate correlations among the foot, ankle, knee, pelvis, and lumbosacral regions. These findings suggest that foot morphology may play a clinically relevant role in posture-related disorders and could contribute to preventive and corrective strategies for musculoskeletal alignment.