Context: Core control and strength are important for reducing the risk of lower-extremity injury. Current evidence on the effect of core training in male adolescent athletes is limited, and other investigations into the effects of core training often emphasized core strength only. Objective: To examine whether core training emphasizing both control and strength of the trunk and hip would improve joint kinematics during landing, sports performance, and lower-extremity muscle strength in adolescent male volleyball athletes. Design: Single group pretest and posttest design. Setting: University laboratory. Participants: Sixteen male participants (age: 13.4 [1] y, height: 167.8 [8.6] cm, mass: 58.6 [13.9] kg, and volleyball experience: 3.8 [1.5] y) from a Division I volleyball team at a junior high school. Main Outcome Measurements: Kinematics of the trunk and lower-extremity during box landing and spike jump landing tasks, volleyball-related sports performance, and isokinetic strength of hip and knee muscles were assessed before and after a 6-week core training program. Results: After training, the participants demonstrated decreased trunk flexion angle (P = .01, Cohen’s d = 0.78) during the box landing task and reduced the maximum knee internal rotation angle (P = .04, Cohen’s d = 0.56) during the spike jump landing task. The average isokinetic strength of hip flexors and external rotators, and knee flexors and extensors also significantly increased (P = .001, Cohen’s d = 0.98; P = .04, Cohen’s d = 0.57; P = .02, Cohen’s d = 0.66; P = .003, Cohen’s d = 0.87, respectively); however, sports performance did not show significant changes. Conclusions: A more erect landing posture following training suggests that the core training program may be beneficial for improving core stability. The long-term effect of core training for knee injury prevention needs further investigation.

Prolonged sitting combined with an awkward posture might contribute to the increased risks of developing spinal pain. Maintaining an upright sitting posture is thus often suggested, especially nowadays when people spend longer periods in the sitting posture for occupational or leisure activities. Many types of assistive devices are commercially available to help computer users maintain an upright sitting posture. As the technology advances, wearable sensors that use microelectromechanical technology are designed to provide real-time biofeedback and promote adjusting posture actively. However, whether such wearable biofeedback sensors could assist adjusting sitting posture in computer users during prolonged typing remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a wearable biofeedback sensor on maintaining an upright sitting posture. Twenty-one healthy young adults were recruited and performed a 1-h computer typing task twice, with and without using the active biofeedback device. The sagittal spinal posture during computer typing was measured using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. Using the wearable biofeedback sensor significantly decreased the neck flexion (p < 0.001), thoracic kyphotic (p = 0.033), and pelvic plane (p = 0.021) angles compared with not using the sensor. Computer users and sedentary workers may benefit from using wearable biofeedback sensors to actively maintain an upright sitting posture during prolonged deskwork.

Cervical stabilization exercises are frequently used to reduce pain, maximize function, and improve physical impairments for people with nonspecific neck pain. We conducted a single arm study to evaluate the effects of a home-based cervical stabilization exercise program for university violin players with nonspecific neck pain who frequently assume an asymmetrical neck posture and activate their superficial cervical flexors to stabilize the violin. Twenty violin players with nonspecific neck pain from university symphony orchestras participated in this study. All participants received assessments twice before the intervention and once immediately after a 6-week cervical stabilization exercise program. No significant differences were found between the two pretests before the intervention. After the intervention, the Numeric Rating Scale, the Neck Disability Index, the craniocervical flexion test, muscle endurance tests, cervical range of motion (all directions except flexion) tests, and cervicocephalic relocation tests (flexion and left rotation) showed improvements. The forward head posture indicated by the craniovertebral angle also slightly improved. The results of this single arm study suggest that cervical stabilization exercise is feasible and has the potential to improve physical health for collegiate violin players with nonspecific neck pain.

The purpose of this review was to evaluate the effects of sling exercise on pain intensity, disability, and health-related quality of life in adults with neck pain. We searched The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), and 6 other databases from inception to July 2020. We also screened the reference lists of relevant articles to identify additional trials. Randomized controlled trials were included if they investigated the effects of sling suspension therapy in patients with neck pain including mechanical neck disorders, cervicogenic headache, and neck disorders with radicular findings. Studies were required to be published in English or Chinese. The methodological quality and levels of evidence of studies were assessed using the PEDro scale and the GRADE approach, respectively. The random-effects model was used to perform meta-analyses. Eleven randomized controlled trials were included (n = 595). The mean total PEDro score was 4.64 (SD = 1.21) of 10, which indicated a fair methodological quality. The intervention groups showed significant improvements in pain intensity (SMD = −1.23; 95% CI = −1.88 to −0.58) immediately postintervention compared to the control groups. No significant effects were found for disability, cervical range of motion, and health-related quality of life. However, sensitivity analyses revealed significant short-term improvements in pain intensity, disability, and cervical range of motion, and sustained effects on disability at intermediate-term follow-up. Sling exercise appears to be beneficial for improvements in pain intensity (moderate- to low-level evidence) among patients with neck pain. However, no definitive conclusion could be made regarding the effect of sling exercise for neck pain due to methodological limitations and high heterogeneity in the included studies. This review provides overall moderate- to very low-level evidence for health care professionals who may consider including sling exercise in the intervention program for patients with neck pain.

Background: The modified Fresno test was developed to assess knowledge and skills related to evidence-based practice among physical therapists and students, however no Chinese version is available. Therefore, the aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt the English version of the modified Fresno test into Chinese and to evaluate its validity and reliability. Methods: This was a cross-sectional validation study. During Phase 1 cross-cultural adaptation, forward translation, synthesis, back-translation, expert review, and prefinal test were carried out. Content validity was analyzed. During Phase 2 validation, two groups representing different levels of evidence-based practice competence completed the tests twice, two weeks apart. Known-group validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were analyzed. Results: Phase 1: According to the expert review, the Chinese version of the modified Fresno test demonstrated good content validity (item-level content validity index = 0.93 to 1.0; scale-level content validity index = 0.99). Phase 2: The expert group scored (115.3 ± 36.2) significantly higher than the novice group did (79.7 ± 25.8) for the entire test (p = 0.01), suggesting good known-group validity. However, the superior performance of the expert group over the novice group was not consistently found across all the questions on the test. In addition, the internal consistency was good (Cronbach’s α = 0.96) and the test-retest reliability (ICC_2,1 = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.81 to 0.94) was good to excellent. Conclusions: The Chinese version of the modified Fresno test is a valid and reliable tool for objectively assessing evidence-based practice knowledge and skills in Chinese-speaking physical therapists and students.

Nordic walking is an increasingly popular form of exercise among the elderly. Using poles is thought to facilitate a more upright posture; however, previous studies primarily investigated the effects of Nordic walking on respiratory function and physical fitness. The aims of this study were to investigate the influence of Nordic walking on spinal posture, physical functions, and back pain in community-dwelling older adults. Thirty-one community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 60 years participated in a twice weekly Nordic walking training program for 12 weeks. The outcome measures, including spinal posture, physical functions, back pain, and the strength and endurance of back extensor muscles were assessed before and after a 12-week program. After training, spinal posture, back pain, and the strength and endurance of back extensor muscles did not show any statistically significant changes. Among the seven clinical tests of physical function, only the 30 s arm curl test, the 30 s chair stand test, and the single leg stance test showed significant improvements. Nordic walking has limited influence on age-related hyperkyphosis and back pain, but may be effective for physical function. The results of this study can provide useful information for people involved in the prevention and treatment of physical dysfunction in community-dwelling older adults.