Antonello Cefalì

Mr. Antonello Cefalì

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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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22 January 2025 in Journal of Clinical Medicine
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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Antonello CefalìAntonello Cefalì
Antonello Cefalì
DSDavide Santini
Davide Santini
Giovanni LopezGiovanni Lopez
Giovanni Lopez
Filippo MaselliFilippo Maselli
Filippo Maselli
GRGiacomo Rossettini
Giacomo Rossettini
Firas MouradFiras Mourad
Firas Mourad
Background: Given the relationship between reduced pulmonary and respiratory muscle function in neck pain, incorporating breathing exercises into neck pain management may be beneficial. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of breathing exercises for treating neck pain. Methods: We searched PubMed (MEDLINE), PEDro, CINAHL, Scopus, and EMBASE databases, up to the 28 of February 2024. Randomized controlled trials evaluating the impact of breathing exercises on reducing pain and disability in both persistent and recent neck pain were selected. A meta-analysis was conducted for each outcome of interest; however, if quantitative methods were not possible, a qualitative synthesis approach was used. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2.0 Tool (version 22 August 2019). We used the GRADE approach to judge the certainty of the evidence. Results: Five studies were included. Meta-analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in pain (standardized mean difference (SMD), −10.16; 95% CI: −14.82, −5.50) and disability (SMD, −0.80; 95% CI: −1.49, −0.11), in favor of breathing exercises. Qualitative synthesis for pulmonary functional parameters resulted in a statistically significant improvement for FVC, MIP, MEP, and MVV, in favor of breathing exercises. Conclusions: Breathing exercises showed significant short-term effects in reducing pain and disability for persistent neck pain. They also provided benefits for functional respiratory parameters. However, the evidence certainty is low.