Clinical Efficacy of Virtual Reality Cave Automatic Virtual Environments (CAVE) for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: To assess whether tai chi assisted by the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE), a novel virtual reality (VR) technology, was superior to tai chi alone in managing chronic pain in older adults. CAVE may offer a promising alternative to head-mounted displays in chronic pain treatment.

Design: The study was a 12-week, 2-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial implemented in VR and non-VR groups (N = 80, each arm = 40).

Examining the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy of an Immersive Virtual Reality-Assisted Lower Limb Strength Training for Knee Osteoarthritis: Mixed Methods Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis prevalently causes significant pain, activity limitations, psychological distress, and reduced quality of life. Despite lower limb strength training being a core treatment for knee osteoarthritis, adherence remains a challenge, prompting the exploration of virtual reality (VR) to improve exercise compliance. Recent research suggests the potential of VR in providing enhanced pain management and functional outcomes for knee osteoarthritis, necessitating further exploration of immersive VR technology.

Immersive and Nonimmersive Virtual Reality-Assisted Active Training in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Virtual reality (VR) in different immersive conditions has been increasingly used as a nonpharmacological method for managing chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Objective: We aimed to assess the effectiveness of VR-assisted active training versus conventional exercise or physiotherapy in chronic musculoskeletal pain and to analyze the effects of immersive versus nonimmersive VR on pain outcomes.

Methods: This systematic review of randomized control trials (RCTs) searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from inception to June 9, 2024.

Impact of 25 Years of Mobile Health Tools for Pain Management in Patients With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Systematic Review.

Background: Mobile technologies are increasingly being used in health care and public health practice for patient communication, monitoring, and education. Mobile health (mHealth) tools have also been used to facilitate adherence to chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) management, which is critical to achieving improved pain outcomes, quality of life, and cost-effective health care.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the 25-year trend of the literature on the adherence, usability, feasibility, and acceptability of mHealth interventions in CMP management among patients and health care providers.

Determinants of health-related quality of life in older people with chronic musculoskeletal pain: a cross-sectional study.

Background: This study aimed to identify the significant physical, psychological, and social determinants associated with EuroQuol-5D (EQ-5D) among Chinese older people with chronic musculoskeletal pain, and to evaluate how these determinants affected the five dimensions of EQ-5D.

Method: This is a cross-sectional study. Data were collected through a cohort involving 946 community-dwelling older people aged ≥ 60 with chronic musculoskeletal pain in Hong Kong.

Determinants of post-COVID-19 symptoms among adults aged 55 or above with chronic conditions in primary care: data from a prospective cohort in Hong Kong.

Background: Primary care patients, especially those with an older age, are one of the most vulnerable populations for post-COVID-19 symptoms. Identifying predictors of post-COVID symptoms can help identify high-risk individuals for preventive care.

Methods: Out of 977 primary care patients aged 55 years or above with comorbid physical and psychosocial conditions in a prospective cohort in Hong Kong, 207 patients infected in the previous 5-24 weeks were included.

A protocol for a randomized clinical trial assessing the efficacy of hypertonic dextrose injection (prolotherapy) in chronic ankle instability.

Background: Lateral ankle sprain (LAS) is a common injury. Conservative care is not uniformly effective. Chronic ankle instability (CAI) results in up to 70% of patients with LAS in the physically active population.

Patient preferences in the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review of discrete choice experiments.

Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is a preference-sensitive condition for which numerous treatment options are available, each with benefits and risks. Thus, patient preferences play a critical role in decision making. This study summarized evidence from discrete choice experiments (DCEs) to quantify patient preferences for CMP treatment and identified important treatment attributes.

Effects of Hypertonic Dextrose Injection (Prolotherapy) in Lateral Elbow Tendinosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: To systematically review the effectiveness of hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy (DPT) on pain intensity and physical functioning in patients with lateral elbow tendinosis (LET) compared with other active non-surgical treatments.

Data Sources: Systematic search of Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, Dimensions, Global Health, NHS Health Technology Assessment, Allied and Complementary Medicine, and OVID nursing database from inception to June 15, 2021, without language restrictions.

Study Selection: Two reviewers independently identified parallel or crossover randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effectiveness of DPT in LET.

Efficacy of hypertonic dextrose injection (prolotherapy) in temporomandibular joint dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy (DPT) has been reported to be effective for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) in clinical trials but its overall efficacy is uncertain. To conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of DPT for TMDs. Eleven electronic databases were searched from their inception to October, 2020.

Comparative Effectiveness of Interventions for Global Cognition in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

There is a lack of study comprehensively comparing the effects of all existing types of interventions on global cognition among patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). To conduct a network meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of interventions in improving global cognition among MCI patients. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of pharmacological or non-pharmacological interventions on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in MCI patients were included.

Neuromuscular exercise for chronic musculoskeletal pain in older people: a randomised controlled trial in primary care in Hong Kong.

Background: Exercise therapy is commonly prescribed by primary care physicians (PCPs) in the management of chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a supervised neuromuscular (NM) exercise programme in older people with chronic MSK pain.

Design And Setting: This was a 12-week, two-arm, randomised controlled trial comparing 6 weeks of supervised NM exercise versus waiting list controls.

Chronic musculoskeletal pain prospectively predicts insomnia in older people, not moderated by age, gender or co-morbid illnesses.

The study evaluated if chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain predicts the severity of insomnia, and whether the effect is moderated by age, gender, and number of comorbid diseases in older people. An 18-month prospective study was performed within the framework of a community health program in Hong Kong. A total of 498 older people aged ≥ 60 with multimorbidity were recruited.

Impact of COVID-19 on loneliness, mental health, and health service utilisation: a prospective cohort study of older adults with multimorbidity in primary care.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the psychological health and health service utilisation of older adults with multimorbidity, who are particularly vulnerable.

Aim: To describe changes in loneliness, mental health problems, and attendance to scheduled medical care before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design And Setting: Telephone survey on a pre-existing cohort of older adults with multimorbidity in primary care.

Efficacy of Intra-Articular Hypertonic Dextrose (Prolotherapy) for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: To test the efficacy of intra-articular hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy (DPT) vs normal saline (NS) injection for knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

Methods: A single-center, parallel-group, blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted at a university primary care clinic in Hong Kong. Patients with KOA (n = 76) were randomly allocated (1:1) to DPT or NS groups for injections at weeks 0, 4, 8, and 16.

Cohort profile: The prospective study on Chinese elderly with multimorbidity in primary care in Hong Kong.

Purpose: This is an ongoing prospective cohort aiming to examine the biopsychosocial health profiles and predictors of health outcomes of older patients with multimorbidity in primary care in Hong Kong.

Participants: From April 2016 to October 2017, 1077 patients aged 60+ years with at least two chronic diseases were recruited in four public primary care clinics in the New Territories East Region of Hong Kong.

Findings To Date: After weighting, the patients had 4.

Intra-articular and extra-articular platelet-rich plasma injections for knee osteoarthritis: A 26-week, single-arm, pilot feasibility study.

Aim: Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is an emerging therapy for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Studies have evaluated the effectiveness of intra-articular PRP, which ignores extra-articular tissue dysfunction and may provide incomplete treatment of KOA. The study aimed to pilot test a leukocyte-rich (mononuclear cells) PRP injection protocol for primary KOA, which consisted of single intra-articular injection and extra-articular injections on the medial coronary and medial collateral ligaments.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the traditional Chinese intermittent and constant osteoarthritis pain (ICOAP) questionnaire for knee osteoarthritis.

Objectives: To translate and culturally adapt the Intermittent and Constant Osteoarthritis and Pain (ICOAP) measure to a traditional Chinese version, and to study its psychometric properties in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

Method: The ICOAP was translated and cross-culturally adapted into traditional Chinese according to the recommended international guidelines. A total of 110 participants with KOA in Hong Kong were invited to complete the traditional Chinese ICOAP (tChICOAP), the Chinese Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale and the Chinese Short form of Health Survey (SF-12v2).

Clinic-Based Patellar Mobilization Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Purpose: We performed a phase 2 randomized clinical trial to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of a clinic-based patellar mobilization therapy (PMT) in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: We recruited 208 patients with knee osteoarthritis at primary care clinics in Hong Kong. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to the intervention group or the control group.

Nurse-led hypertension management was well accepted and non-inferior to physician consultation in a Chinese population: a randomized controlled trial.

The objective of this study is to evaluate if nurse-led repeated prescription (NRP) could ensure non-inferior disease control and would be accepted in Chinese patients with controlled hypertension (HT) in primary care clinics. A 12-month follow-up non-inferiority randomized trial was conducted. The non-inferior margins for systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 6.

Efficacy of intra-articular hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy versus normal saline for knee osteoarthritis: a protocol for a triple-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Background: Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) is a very common condition with prevalence rising with age. It is a major contributor to global disability and has a large socioeconomic burden worldwide. Conservative therapies have marginal effectiveness, and surgery is reserved for severe symptomatic KOA.

Meaning and its association with happiness, health and healthcare utilization: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Meaning in life is not only a significant component of psychological well-being, but also a neglected issue with clinical importance that needs to be studied further, especially its association with health and healthcare utilization.

Objective: To study the level of meaning and its association with happiness, health and healthcare utilization among the elderly in Hong Kong.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey via telephone was conducted among 1000 elderly aged 60 years or above in Hong Kong.

Healing of Complete Tear of the Anterior Talofibular Ligament and Early Ankle Stabilization after Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma: a Case Report and Literature Review.

Lateral Ankle sprain (LAS) is a common sports injury associated with recurrent ankle sprain, chronic ankle instability (CAI) and post-traumatic ankle osteoarthritis (PTOA). Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) has been increasingly used for herapeutic applications in sports-related injuries, and is thought to stimulate tissue healing. We reported a case of LAS with complete tear of anterior talofibular ligament, which showed complete healing of ligament and early ankle stabilization after PRP.