EFFECTS OF BOWEN THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH TENSION-TYPE HEADACHE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Background and Aim: Bowen therapy is a non-pharmacological method for treating a variety of pain conditions, but its effectiveness in treating tension-type headaches is unknown. We compared the effectiveness of Bowen therapy to a sham treatment. Methodology: In a multi-center randomized controlled trial, the young adults with a tension-type headache were selected from the Neurology Department of DHQ hospital Sargodha and Niazi Medical Complex, Sargodha, with convenient sampling. A priori sample size calculation determined that 44 participants were needed. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Bowen Therapy (n=22) and Sham Treatment (n=22) groups were enrolled. The Bowen therapy was devised for two weeks. The measurement was taken at baseline and after two weeks. SPSS 22 was used for data analysis. Results: At baseline, there was no difference found in the Bowen therapy and Sham treatment groups. We have noticed a significant decrease in the severity of pain and improvement in pain pressure threshold assessed by the visual analogue scale (VAS) and algometer in the Bowen therapy group after two weeks (<0.05). However, no changes in pain intensity were found in the sham therapy group. Furthermore, the headache frequency was also reduced in Bowen therapy compared to the sham therapy group (<0.05) after the study period. Conclusion: The findings suggest that Bowen Therapy might be a beneficial and effective treatment for a tension-type headache. Further studies are needed using older adult’s participants.

Controlling Pectobacterium Based Infections Through Quorum Quenching

Blackleg, a bacterial disease caused by a group of pathogens belonging to Pectobacterium species inflicts incredible losses to potato (Solanum tuberosum) in major potato growing areas of Punjab. Re-classification of blackleg causing bacteria Pectobacterium and occurrence of newly emerging blackleg pathogens such as Dickeya species have adversely affected the impact of potato trade world-wide. To determine the impact and extent of these pathogens, samples exhibiting blackleg disease were collected from 80 farmers‘ fields in five potato production regions of Punjab, Pakistan during the years 2014-2017. Bacteria isolated from diseased samples were gram negative, pectinolytic and were molecularly identified using gapA primers followed by genome sequencing of the representative isolates. Genomic and phenotypic analyses confirmed the diversity of blackleg pathogens in Pakistan. From a total of 36 representative isolates from all five potato production regions, approximately 58% were P. atrosepticum, 8% P. carotovorum, 5% P. polaris, 8% P. parmentieri, 11% D. dianthicola and 8% newly identified P. punjabense sp. nov. Thus, P. atrosepticum was shown to be the most important causal agent of blackleg of potato and poses a threat to potato production in Pakistan. Moreover, in these type of pectinolytic bacteria pathogenicity and virulence is regulated through quorum sensing (QS) in a density dependent manner utilizing N-acyl homoserine lactones (NAHLs) as QS signaling molecules. Interference with QS through Quorum quenching (QQ) is a demonstrated bio-control tool. Degradation of the QS signals (NAHLs) by bacteria present in the rhizosphere soil is a useful approach for protecting potato plants against the blackleg pathogen P. atrosepticum. Therefore, NAHLs produced by P. atrosepticum were extracted and then evaluated through biosensor based plate assays using Chromobacterium violaceum (CV026) and Agrobacterium tumefaciens (NTLR4) biosensors. Furthermore, several NAHL degrading bacteria were sorted out from rhizosphere of potato plants and their ability to degrade NAHLs was evaluated by a series of NAHL degradation assays followed by QQ tuber assay. Out of 24 NAHL degrading bacterial isolates, 16 actual QQ isolates were identified that effectively reduced Pectobacterium based infections in potatoes.