The effects of conservative treatments on burn scars: A systematic review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to summarize the available literature on the effects of conservative treatments, including massage therapy, on burn scars in adults.
Results Summary
Massage therapy showed potential positive effects on scar pliability, pain, and pruritus, but the supporting evidence was less robust compared to other treatments like pressure and silicone therapy.
Population
Adults with burn scars
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pressure therapy | decrease | scar thickness, redness and pliability | adults with burn scars | clinically relevant improvement | producing clinically relevant improvement | #1 |
Silicone therapy | decrease | scar thickness, redness and pliability | adults with burn scars | clinically relevant improvement | producing clinically relevant improvement | #2 |
Massage therapy | increase | scar pliability, pain and pruritus | adults with burn scars | - | could have a positive result | #3 |
moisturizers and lotions | decrease | itching | adults with burn scars | - | could have an effect | #4 |
A variety of conservative treatments for burn scars are available, but there is no clear consensus on the evidence. The purpose of this study was to summarize the available literature on the effects of conservative treatments of burn scars in adults. RCTs and CCTs were sought in three databases, reference lists of retrieved articles and relevant reviews. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network scoring system was used to assess the quality of the selected studies. Information on the study characteristics, results and interventions was extracted. Twenty-two articles were included into the review and categorized in six topics: 5 on massage therapy, 4 on pressure therapy, 6 on silicone gel application, 3 on combined therapy of pressure and silicone, 3 on hydration and 1 on ultrasound. Pressure and silicone therapy are evidence-based conservative treatments of hypertrophic scar formation after a burn producing clinically relevant improvement of scar thickness, redness and pliability. Massage therapy could have a positive result on scar pliability, pain and pruritus, but with less supporting evidence. The use of moisturizers and lotions could have an effect on itching, but the findings are contradictory. Of all other non-invasive treatments such as splinting, casting, physical activity, exercise and mobilizations no RCTs or CCTs were found.