An Overview on Exploring Physiotherapy as an Adjunctive Treatment (Non-Pharmacological) for Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are defined by preoccupations with food, weight, and body shape, along with behaviours such as repeated episodes of excessive eating, unhealthy methods of weight control, and restricted eating. Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, both clinical eating disorders, ranked as the 10^th  most prevalent causes of impairment among young people, with anorexia nervosa having the greatest fatality rate, and are recognized as potentially fatal conditions. The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize current understanding of efficacy, obstacles and outlining the specific goals of physiotherapy interventions for adolescents, in their physical and mental recovery process. Methodology: PRISMA guidelines were followed for this review. PubMed, PeDro, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were databases used for review. The search method was initiated in January 2013 and was last modified in December 2023 Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) phrases were utilized with free terms.  The present review began by identifying 54 records from 4 databases: 8 from Google Scholar, 37 from PubMed, and 5 from the Cochrane Library. After removing 12 duplicate records, 45 records were screened. 30 records were excluded, based on the mental health-based evaluation and management criteria.15 reports were sought for retrieval, out of which 5 were not retrieved. The remaining 10 reports were assessed for eligibility, excluding 5 due to reasons such as being older than 10 years or lacking full text availability. Finally, 5 studies were included in the review, ensuring a thorough and unbiased selection process through the identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and final inclusion stages. Conclusion: It has been concluded that physiotherapy such as Aerobic exercises, Resistance training, Strength training, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Relaxation therapy plays a crucial role in improving eating disorders and physical therapy, if given along with psychological sessions provides a better outcome for patients eating disorders.