Publications by authors named "E Helmert"

Article Synopsis
  • A pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of topical rosemary essential oil for improving skin temperature and warmth perception in patients with systemic sclerosis and Raynaud's phenomenon.
  • Twelve patients participated, receiving both olive oil and rosemary oil applications, with skin temperature measured and self-reported warmth perception assessed.
  • The results showed that while rosemary oil enhanced warmth perception, it did not significantly increase skin temperature compared to olive oil, and no side effects were reported.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study explored how warm footbaths with mustard (MU) and ginger (GI) influence warmth perception in healthy adults, comparing their immediate and long-term effects to warm water alone (WA).
  • Results showed that at the 10-minute mark, MU and GI significantly increased warmth perception compared to WA, with MU providing quicker results and GI being slower but still effective for longer.
  • There were no notable differences in general well-being or sleep quality after using MU or GI, suggesting their primary impact lies in enhancing warmth perception rather than overall health improvements.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study assessed the impact of warm footbaths with ginger and mustard on vitality and heart rate variability in 17 healthy young adults.
  • Results showed that self-reported vitality was significantly higher after ginger footbaths compared to warm water alone, with mustard also showing positive effects.
  • All footbath conditions led to a tendency for improved heart rate variability, suggesting a shift towards relaxation.
  • Future research is recommended with larger and more diverse groups to explore these findings further.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Buteyko breathing technique (BBT) in managing asthma in children, as previous evidence mainly focused on adults.
  • Thirty-two children aged 6-15 with partly controlled asthma were divided into two groups: one receiving usual treatment and the other receiving usual treatment plus BBT training.
  • While no significant difference was noted in medication reduction, children in the BBT group showed improved lung function (FEV1) and better emotional well-being after three months compared to those in the usual treatment group.
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Psychophysiological disorders due to work-related stress continue to be highly costly for health systems and approaches for cost-effective and easily accessible interventions are much needed. Both heart rate variability-biofeedback (HRV-Bfb) and mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have been empirically shown to reduce stress. This study compares these two interventions in the work context to a wait-list-control-group (WLC).

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