(1) Background: The main characteristic of fibromyalgia (FM) is generalized musculoskeletal pain. This may be accompanied by muscle and joint stiffness, sleep and mood disorders, anxiety and depression, cognitive dysfunction, and chronic fatigue. It is endemic in developed countries, with a higher prevalence among women than men, and its etiology is still unknown. Diagnosis is made based on chronic generalized pain and through the presence of tender points. The objective of this study was to analyze the efficacy of diathermy on pain in patients with fibromyalgia. (2) Methods: A single, blind, randomized experimental study was developed with a sample of 31 participants. Measurements were taken and recorded at three different intervals using the following measurement tools: the pressure pain threshold (PPT) at the tender points (TP) of the right and left trochanteric prominence with an algometer, the pain measurement scale, the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, the sleep quality index (PSQI, Pittsburgh), the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-S), and the scale for anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Sociodemographic data were collected through Google Forms (age, height, weight, Body Mass Index). The intervention took place twice weekly across four weeks of sessions. (3) Results: Statistically significant results were obtained in the right and left trochanter PPT, as well as for anxiety and fatigue in the experimental group. The results obtained show that this treatment has managed to improve the quality of sleep, the impact of disease, chronic fatigue, and anxiety in patients with FM. (4) Conclusions: Diathermy is a tool that can help reduce pain. It can also improve the baseline levels of chronic fatigue, anxiety, the impact of the disease, and sleep quality in patients with fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND: Removing ventricular catheters, particularly those implanted for extended periods, poses significant challenges for neurosurgeons due to potential complications such as bleeding from adhesions to the ependyma or choroid plexus.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to review various techniques for safely removing ventricular catheters, emphasizing methods that minimize the risk of hemorrhagic complications.
METHODS: A comprehensive narrative review focused on techniques developed and documented in the literature for safely detaching ventricular catheters adhered to brain structures.
RESULTS: Various techniques have been identified that enhance the safety of catheter removal. Notably, the use of monopolar diathermy to coagulate and release adhesions has proven effective. Innovations such as insulated suction devices and the strategic use of flexible endoscopes have also contributed to safer removal procedures, minimizing the risk of damaging surrounding cerebral tissue and preventing catastrophic hemorrhage.
CONCLUSIONS: The removal of ventricular catheters, especially those with long-term implantation, requires precise and cautious techniques to avoid severe complications. The study underscores the importance of adopting advanced surgical techniques and the continuous evolution of safer practices in neurosurgery. These methods not only ensure patient safety but also facilitate the handling of potentially complex and life-threatening situations during catheter removal.

BACKGROUND: Transfer energy capacitive and resistive (TECAR) therapy (TT) is a newly developed deep heating therapy that can generate heat within tissues through high-frequency wave stimulation. Compared to conventional physiotherapy methods, the application of TT especially in sports rehabilitation is becoming more popular. This study aimed to investigate the comparative effect of TT and therapeutic ultrasound (US) on hamstring muscle shortness. Additionally, the effects of TT with static stretching (SS) were compared with US combined with SS.
METHODS: Totally, 39 male athletes with hamstring shortness were randomly assigned into three groups: A, B, and C. Group A received 15 minutes of TT plus SS, while Group B received 15 minutes of US with SS, and Group C only performed SS. Hamstring flexibility was measured by active knee extension (AKE), passive knee extension (PKE), and the sit and Reach (SR) tests before the intervention, and following the first, and third treatment sessions.
RESULTS: The range of motion of the AKE and PKE, and displacement range in the SR test improved significantly after the first and third sessions in all three groups (P0.0001). The improvement of the three flexibility indices in the TT group was greater than in the other two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that TT could increase the flexibility of hamstring muscles more than US therapy. However, TT in combination with SS had a similar effect to SS alone.

Monopolar capacitive diathermy is a physiotherapy technique that uses high-frequency currents to generate heat in deep tissues. This heat can have several therapeutic effects, especially in the treatment of chronic low back pain (CLBP), however, until now there is little evidence of this type of diathermy. The purpose was to evaluate the efficacy of a pulsed monopolar dielectric radiofrequency diathermy (PRF)-capacitive type versus simulated treatment on symptomatology of patients with CLBP. A single-blind randomised controlled trial was conducted. Sixty patients with CLBP were randomly assigned to a PRF-capacitive or a simulated treatment group. All participants received 3 sessions per week for 3 weeks. Disability, pain intensity, movement phobia, lumbar anteflexion, quality of life, and sleep quality were assessed at baseline, after treatment, and at two months. The application of 9 sessions of PRF-capacitive showed significant improvements compared to simulated therapy during the entire follow-up for disability (F = 26.99, p < 0.001), pain intensity (F = 0.550, p < 0.001), the quality of life components of physical function (F = 0.780, p < 0.001), social function (F = 0.780, p < 0.001) and mental health (F = 0.858, p = 0.003) and for sleep duration (F = 0.863, p = 0.004).

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of adjunct treatments combined with exercise to exercise alone in people with patellofemoral pain (PFP) and explore the quality of intervention descriptions in randomised controlled trials (RCTs).
METHODS: Systematic review.
METHODS: Seven databases were searched in November 2023.
UNASSIGNED: RCTs that evaluated the effectiveness of any adjunct treatment combined with exercise to exercise alone on self-reported pain and function in people with PFP.
RESULTS: We included 45 RCTs (2023 participants), with 25 RCTs (1050 participants) contributing to meta-analyses. Pooled analysis indicated very low-certainty evidence that neuromuscular electrical stimulation or monopolar dielectric diathermy combined with exercise leads to small and large improvements in self-reported pain when compared with exercise alone (standardised mean difference (95% CI)=-0.27 (-0.53 to -0.02) and -2.58 (-4.59 to -0.57), respectively) in the short-term. For self-reported pain and function, very low-certainty evidence indicates that knee taping, whole-body vibration, electromyographic biofeedback and knee brace combined with exercise do not differ from exercise alone. Interventions are poorly described in most RCTs, adjunct treatments scored on average 14/24 and exercise therapy 12/24 in the Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist.
CONCLUSIONS: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation and monopolar dielectric diathermy combined with exercise seem to improve self-reported pain in people with PFP compared with exercise alone. Knee taping, whole-body vibration, electromyographic biofeedback and knee brace do not offer additional benefits to exercise alone. Most interventions are poorly described, which is detrimental to translating research knowledge into clinical practice.
UNASSIGNED: CRD42020197081.

BACKGROUND: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a clinical syndrome characterized by pulmonary inflammation. Ultrashort wave diathermy (USWD) has been shown to be effective at in inhibiting ALI inflammation, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Previous studies have demonstrated that USWD generates a therapeutic thermal environment that aligns with the temperature required for heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), an endogenous protective substance. In this study, we examined the correlation between HSP70 and USWD in alleviating lung inflammation in ALI.
METHODS: Forty-eight male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control, model, USWD intervention (LU) 1, 2, and 3, and USWD preintervention (UL) 1, 2, and 3 groups (n = 6 in each group). The mice were pretreated with LPS to induce ALI. The UL1, 2, and 3 groups received USWD treatment before LPS infusion, while the LU1, 2, and 3 groups received USWD treatment after LPS infusion. Lung function and structure, inflammatory factor levels and HSP70 protein expression levels were detected.
RESULTS: USWD effectively improved lung structure and function, and significantly reduced IL-1β, IL-10, TGF-β1, and TNF-α levels in both the USWD preintervention and intervention groups. However, HSP70 expression did not significantly differ across the experimental groups although the expression of TLR4 was significantly decreased, suggesting that USWD may have anti-inflammatory effects through multiple signaling pathways or that the experimental conditions should be restricted.
CONCLUSIONS: Both USWD intervention and preintervention effectively reduced the inflammatory response, alleviated lung injury symptoms, and played a protective role in LPS-pretreated ALI mice. HSP70 was potentially regulated by USWD in this process, but further studies are urgently needed to elucidate the correlation and mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Myofascial pain syndrome is a painful musculoskeletal condition with muscle spasm, referred pain, stiffness, restricted range of motion. Capacitive-resistive diathermy heats deep tissues by transferring energy through radiofrequency waves. Although this modality is used to treat various musculoskeletal disorders, there is no specific data on myofascial trigger points. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of capacitive-resistive diathermy on the myofascial trigger points.
METHODS: Thirty-six volunteers with active myofascial trigger points were included. Patients were randomly and equally allocated into two groups. Group-1 is the capacitive-resistive diathermy treatment group; Group-2 is the placebo capacitive-resistive diathermy (PG). Visual analog scale (VAS), pain pressure threshold (PPT), neck disability index (NDI), neck range of motion (nROM), Short form-36 (SF-36) were used as outcomes before and after the intervention.
RESULTS: In both groups, VAS, PPT, NDI score significantly improved within the groups (p < 0.05). The CRG showed a statistically significant improvement in nROM for flexion, extension, and rotation (p < 0.05). However, ROM increase in CRG is not superior to PG (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference between the two groups. We thought positive results in the PG might attributed to doing exercise. As a result, capacitive-resistive diathermy is not superior to exercise, but can be used as an adjuvant modality in myofascial trigger points treatment.

Diathermy is a therapeutic technique utilizing electromagnetic waves that is widely used in the medical field, especially for orthopedic injuries such as musculoskeletal disorders. Shortwave diathermy (SWD), microwave diathermy (MWD), sonic therapy or ultrasound (US), and long-wave diathermy are the various types, out of which shortwave diathermy is most commonly used in medical fields. However, diathermy has not been explored much in dentistry. This literature review aims to discuss the various applications of diathermy and its potential use in dentistry with the existing scarce literature and further emphasize its role as a recommendation in the management of orofacial pain in dental practice.

The evidence-based treatment of patellofemoral pain (PFP) suggests that therapeutic exercise (TE) focused on improving muscle strength and motor control be the main conservative treatment. Recent research determined that the success of the TE approach gets improved in the short term by the addition of neuromodulation via radiofrequency diathermy (RFD). As there is no follow up data, the objective of this research is to assess the long-term effects of adding RFD to TE for the pain, function and quality of life of PFP patients. To this aim, a single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted on 86 participants diagnosed of PFP. Participants who met the selection criteria were randomized and allocated into either a TE group or an RFD + TE group. TE consisted of a 20 min daily supervised exercise protocol for knee and hip muscle strengthening, while RFD consisted of the application of neuromodulation using a radiofrequency on the knee across 10 sessions. Sociodemographic data, knee pain and lower limb function outcomes were collected. The RFD + TE group obtained greater improvements in knee pain (p < 0.001) than the TE group. Knee function showed statistically significant improvements in Kujala (p < 0.05) and LEFS (p < 0.001) in the RFD + TE group in the short and long term. In conclusion, the addition of RFD to TE increases the beneficial effects of TE alone on PFP, effects that remain six months after treatment.

The use of devices for tissue dissection and hemostasis during surgery is almost unavoidable. Electrically powered devices such as electrocautery, ultrasonic and laser units produce surgical smoke containing more than a thousand different products of combustion. These include large amounts of carcinogenic, mutagenic and potentially teratogenic noxae. The smoke contains particles that range widely in size, even as small as 0.007 µm. Most of the particles (90%) in electrocautery smoke are ≤6.27 µm in size, but surgical masks cannot filter particles smaller than 5 µm. In this situation, 95% of the smoke particles which pass through the mask reach deep into the respiratory tract and frequently cause various symptoms, such as headache, dizziness, nausea, eye and respiratory tract irritation, weakness, and abdominal pain in the acute period. The smoke can transport bacteria and viruses that are mostly between 0.02 µm and 3 µm in size and there is a risk of contamination. Among these viruses, SARS-CoV-2, influenza virus, HIV, HPV, HBV must be considered. The smoke may also carry malignant cells. The long-term effects of the surgical smoke are always ignored, because causality can hardly be clarified in individual cases. The quantity of the smoke changes with the technique of the surgeon, the room ventilation system, the characteristics of the power device used, the energy level at which it is set, and the characteristics of the tissue processed. The surgical team is highly exposed to the smoke, with the surgeon experiencing the highest exposure. However, the severity of exposure differs according to certain factors, e.g., ventilation by laminar or turbulent mixed airflow or smoke evacuation system. In any case, the surgical smoke must be removed from the operation area. The most effective method is to collect the smoke from the source through an aspiration system and to evacuate it outside. Awareness and legal regulations in terms of hygiene, toxicology, as well as occupational health and safety should increase.
Der Einsatz von Devices zur Gewebedissektion und Blutstillung während des Eingriffs ist im Allgemeinen unumgänglich. Elektrisch betriebene Devices wie Elektrokauter, Ultraschall- und Lasergeräte erzeugen chirurgischen Rauch, der mehr als tausend verschiedene Verbrennungsprodukte enthält. Darunter befinden sich große Mengen an krebserregenden, mutagenen und potentiell teratogene Noxen. Der Rauch enthält Partikel in einem weiten Größenspektrum, das bis zu 0,007 µm betragen kann. Die meisten Partikel (90%) im Elektrokauterisationsrauch sind ≤6,27 µm groß. Chirurgische Masken können Partikel <5 µm nicht filtern. Daher gelangen 95% der durch die Maske gelangenden der Rauchpartikel tief in die Atemwege und verursachen in der akuten Phase häufig Symptome wie Kopfschmerz, Schwindel, Übelkeit, Reizungen der Augen und Atemwege, Schwäche und Bauchschmerzen. Der Rauch kann Bakterien und Viren transportieren, die meist zwischen 0,02 µm und 3 µm groß sind, so dass ein Kontaminationsrisiko besteht. Unter diesen Viren sind SARS-CoV-2, Influenzaviren, HIV, HPV und HBV zu nennen. Der Rauch kann auch Krebszellen enthalten. Langfristige Auswirkungen des OP-Rauchs werden stets ignoriert, da die Kausalität im Einzelfall kaum geklärt werden kann.Die Menge des Rauchs hängt von der Technik des Chirurgen, dem Belüftungssystem des Operationsraums, den Eigenschaften des verwendeten Devices, der eingestellten Energiestufe und den Eigenschaften des verarbeiteten Gewebes ab. Das Operationsteam ist in hohem Maße dem Rauch ausgesetzt, am stärksten jedoch der Chirurg. Das Ausmaß der Exposition hängt jedoch von verschiedenen Faktoren ab, insbesondere von der Art der Belüftung (laminare Luftströmung oder turbulente Mischströmung) und dem Rauchabzugssystem. In jedem Fall muss der chirurgische Rauch aus dem Operationsbereich entfernt werden. Die wirksamste Methode besteht darin, den Rauch durch ein Absaugsystem an der Quelle zu erfassen und ins Freie abzuführen. Abschließend ist festzustellen, dass das Bewusstsein und die gesetzlichen Vorschriften in Bezug auf Hygiene, Toxikologie, Arbeitsschutz und Sicherheit verbessert werden sollten.