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Systemic arterial hypertension, a well-known cause of morbidity, is associated with dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Neuromuscular taping (also known as kinesio taping, medical taping and Vendje neuromuscular) allows movement and muscle activity to treat pain, muscle disorders and lymphoedema, in which its mode of action may involve muscular stimulation leading to increased local blood circulation or stimulating dermatological, muscular and fascial structures with a form of passive massage. We hypothesised that neuromuscular taping may reduce blood pressure in systemic arterial hypertension. This hypothesis was tested by carrying out the first pilot study of its kind to determine whether the non-invasive technique of neuromuscular taping can reduce blood pressure in patients suffering from systemic arterial hypertension. Neuromuscular taping was symmetrically applied to the back, between C1 and T2, of seven hypertensive patients for 5-7 days. Cardiovascular autonomic parameters were assessed at baseline and at the end of the study. Taping was associated with falls in mean arterial blood pressure (p = .001), mean systolic blood pressure (p < .01), mean diastolic pressure (p < .01) and cardiac vagal tone at rest (p = .063). The beneficial effects on blood pressure appeared to last for at least five days post-neuromuscular taping. There is an indication, given the reduction in cardiac vagal tone at rest, that the mechanism of action of this intervention involves modulation of the brainstem parasympathetic system during cardiovascular control. Further studies are indicated to replicate the present findings, further investigate the effects of taping on autonomic functioning, and establish the optimum time-period and taping positioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business and occupational travelers' health is at risk due to the specific itineraries and activities, prolonged stays, work-related stressors, short preparation time, more chances of disease importation, underutilization of vaccination, and chemoprophylaxis. The objective of the review is to assess the effectiveness of pre-travel health consultation and how it will help travelers prevent health risks. The question is to evaluate how can prolonged stays and underutilization of chemoprophylaxis and vaccination be better managed with pre-travel health consultation. The literature was searched on databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Semantic Scholar using Boolean operators with keywords and Medical Subheading (MeSH) terms such as "occupational travelers," "business travelers," "pre-travel health consultation," "effectiveness of consultation," "health risk assessment," "travel illness prevention," "risk management," and "risk assessment" to retrieve relevant published studies. The Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB) 2.0 tool and Newcastle Ottawa scale (NOS) were utilized to measure the risk of bias. The Grading, Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool was used to assign evidence strength. In total, a preliminary search yielded 334 articles. One high-quality study and seven studies of moderate quality were included. In conclusion, pre-travel health consultations are a vital tool to prevent travel-related health problems in business and occupational travelers. The current approach needs to be more specific and proactive to address health-specific risks experienced by travelers. However, early comprehensive consultations focusing on preventive measures, region-specific health risks, and timely immunizations are crucial to improving health outcomes. Moreover, enhanced guidance, awareness, and education of health professionals are also necessary to treat the complex medical needs of business and occupational travelers effectively., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Ijeh et al.)