Cochrane

Caregiver-mediated exercises may be a promising form of therapy to add to usual care. Stroke is a major cause of acquired adult disability. Research has shown that more time spent on exercise therapy in the first weeks to months after stroke leads to bett ...

About the review question We looked at the evidence on the effects of programmes in schools that aimed to prevent accidental injuries in children and young people. Preventing injuries in children is important because injuries are common in this age group and the effects on the child and the family can be severe and long-lasting. Schools are potentially ...

Bottom line There is no good evidence to support or refute the suggestion that paracetamol alone, or in combination with codeine or dihydrocodeine, works in any neuropathic pain condition. Background Neuropathic pain is pain coming from damaged nerves. It is different from pain messages that are carried along healthy nerves from damaged tissue (e.g. ...

Review question Are adult stem/progenitor cells derived from bone marrow safe and effective as a treatment for chronic ischaemic heart disease and heart failure? Background The current treatment for people suffering from heart disease and heart failure is drugs and, when possible, restoration of the blood supply in the heart (revascularisation) ...

Review question Orthodontic treatment (teeth braces) can be painful, particularly following initial brace placement and later adjustments, for a week or more. We examined the merits of methods to reduce pain during orthodontic treatment without the need for painkillers. Background Pain is usual during orthodontic treatment and may make some people ...

Review question This review compared the effectiveness of the two main treatment options for peritonsillar abscess: needle aspiration and incision and drainage. Background Peritonsillar abscesses are infections at the back of the throat in which a collection of pus (abscess) has formed next to the tonsil. The condition is characterised by a severe ...

What is the issue? Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder of haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. In this condition, an abnormal haemoglobin S from one parent is combined with another abnormal haemoglobin from the other parent. Haemoglobin S inherited from both parents (genotype HbSS), described as sickle cell anaemia ...

Protocol: To assess the effectiveness of psychological therapies on post-surgical outcomes following knee or hip joint replacement surgery in people with osteoarthritis. Secondary questions are whether some psychological therapies confer more benefits than others, and whether effectiveness differs with type of arthritis and site of surgery.

Protocol: To assess the effects of mechanical insufflator/exsufflator (MI-E) and the breath-stacking technique for reducing morbidity and mortality and enhancing quality of life in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/motor neuron disease (MND).

Review question To find out whether using the hormone progesterone to treat people who have had an injury to the head that caused brain damage (traumatic brain injury (TBI)) is helpful and safe, if given within 24 hours of the injury. Background TBI is one of the main causes of death and disability in people with injuries. Damage to the brain can ...