Background: Individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) may demonstrate reduced ability to perform dynamic tasks due to fear of additional pain and injury in response to the movement. The Y-balance test (YBT) is a functional and inexpensive test used with various populations. However, the reliability and validity of the YBT used for assessing dynamic balance in young adults with CLBP have not yet been examined. Purpose: To determine the inter-rater reliability of the YBT and to compare dynamic balance between young adults with CLBP and an asymptomatic group. Study Design: Reliability and validity study. Methods: Fifteen individuals with CLBP (≥ 12 weeks) and 15 age- and gender-matched asymptomatic adults completed the study. Each group consisted of 6 males and 9 females who were 21-38 years of age (27.47 ± 5.0 years). The YBT was used to measure participant’s dynamic balance in the anterior (ANT), posteromedial (PM) and posterolateral (PL) reach directions. The scores for each participant were independently determined and recorded to the nearest centimeter by two raters. Both the YBT reach distances and composite scores were collected from the dominant leg of asymptomatic individuals and the involved side of participants with CLBP and were used for statistical analysis. Results: The YBT demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.99 to 1.0 for the YBT scores of both asymptomatic and CLBP groups. The CLBP group had lower scores than those of the asymptomatic group in the reach distances of the ANT (p = 0.023), PM (p < 0.001), and PL (p = 0.001) directions, and the composite scores (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability and validity of the YBT for assessing dynamic balance in the CLBP population. The YBT may be a useful tool for clinicians to assess dynamic balance deficits in patients with CLBP. Level of Evidence: 2b.

Neck pain is a widespread medical condition among office workers worldwide. This study aimed to compare physical exercises, including basic body awareness, neck-specific training exercises and ergonomic modifications, and ergonomic modifications alone in the management of chronic non-specific neck pain (NSNP) among office workers. Sixty participants were randomly allocated to an experimental group (physical exercises and ergonomic modifications) or a control group (ergonomic modifications) and received the intervention two times a week for eight weeks. The Numerical Pain Rating Scale, Neck Disability Index, Health and Safety Stress Tool, and Short Form Health Survey-36 were used to measure pain, disability, job stress, and quality of life at baseline, and at weeks 4 and 8 of the study period. A repeated measure ANOVA was used to determine the within-group significant differences and an independent t-test was utilized to compare group differences. The baseline data of the experimental and control groups showed no significant difference (p ≥ 0.05). The 2 × 3 mixed models ANOVA showed a significant difference in pain intensity (p = 0.001, ηp² = 0.042), functional disability (p = 0.001, ηp² = 0.052), work-related stress (p = 0.001, ηp² = 0.036), and QoL (p = 0.012, ηp² = 0.025). Four weeks post-intervention, the experimental group showed significant changes in primary (pain intensity and disability) (1.9; 95% confidence interval 1.65–2.14) and secondary (quality of life and work-related stress) outcomes (p < 0.001). The same gradual improvement in these variables was observed in the 8-week follow-up (p < 0.001). There was a significant improvement in clinical outcomes following the application of physical exercises with ergonomic modifications for chronic NSNP among office workers. This is significant for office workers because it suggests the importance of incorporating physical exercises into their daily routine and making ergonomic changes to their workspaces.

Craniovertebral angle (CVA) alteration is a causative factor for the neck, shoulder, and temporomandibular joints disorders. Therefore, as an outcome measure for therapeutic intervention, measuring the craniovertebral angle with the Surgimap smartphone app is a cost-effective, easily accessible, and reliable tool. This study's objective was to assess the clinimetric properties of the Surgimap smartphone application with Surgimap system software to measure the Craniovertebral Angle in different age groups and positions. Ninety subjects with neck pain were randomly allocated to aged between 18 and 30 years (Group A; n = 45) and 45–60 years (Group B; n = 45). Using the Surgimap smartphone application and Surgimap system software, the craniovertebral angle was measured objectively in the sagittal plane. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to determine validity and reliability. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the curves (AUC) were determined to distinguish participants with and without forward head posture. The result of this study shows that Smartphone Surgimap Application and Surgimap System Software correlate 0.95 and have p-values of 0.01 for diverse positions and ages. CVA measurement in the sitting position was significantly lower than in the standing position, regardless of methodology or age. Both positions demonstrated high intra-rater reliability, as evidenced by Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) between 0.972 and 0.991. The minimum detectable change (MDC) values ranged from 1.3 to 1.733, indicating high measurement accuracy. The smartphone application demonstrated outstanding diagnostic sensitivity (100.00% for Group A standing) and specificity (93.55% for Group B standing). The Surgimap smartphone application is a reliable and accurate method for craniovertebral angle measurement and is useful for measuring outcomes. Also standing posture was found to be better than sitting posture while measuring the CVA.

Background: Dynamic balance is a vital aspect of everyday life. It is important to incorporate an exercise program that is useful for maintaining and improving balance in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, there is a lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of spinal stabilization exercises (SSEs) on improving dynamic balance. Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of SSEs on dynamic balance in adults with CLBP. Study Design: A double-blind randomized clinical trial. Methods: Forty participants with CLBP were assigned randomly into either an SSE group or a general exercise (GE) group, which consisted of flexibility and range-of-motion exercises. Participants attended a total of four to eight supervised physical therapy (PT) sessions and performed their assigned exercises at home in the first four weeks of the eight-week intervention. In the last four weeks, the participants performed their exercises at home with no supervised PT sessions. Participants’ dynamic balance was measured using the Y-Balance Test (YBT) and the normalized composite scores, Numeric Pain Rating Scale and Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire scores were collected at baseline, two weeks, four weeks, and eight weeks. Results: A significant difference between groups from two weeks to four weeks (p = 0.002) was found, with the SSE group demonstrating higher YBT composite scores than the GE group. However, there were no significant between-group differences from baseline to two weeks (p =0.098), and from four weeks to eight weeks (p = 0.413). Conclusions: Supervised SSEs were superior to GEs in improving dynamic balance for the first four weeks after initiating intervention in adults with CLBP. However, GEs appeared to have an effect equivalent to that of SSEs after 8-week intervention. Levels of Evidence: 1b.

A simple, valid, and reliable self-assessment fall-risk questionnaire in Arabic is needed to significantly promote awareness and develop fall-prevention programs. This study translated and adapted the Fall Risk Questionnaire (FRQ) into Arabic and determined its validity and reliability among Saudi Arabian older adults in two phases: (1) cross-culturally adapting the FRQ into Arabic and (2) assessing the adapted questionnaire’s psychometric properties in two sessions with 110 Arabic-speaking participants aged ≥65 years. Pearson’s r showed that the Arabic FRQ had a significant moderate negative relationship with the Berg Balance Scale and fair-to-moderate positive correlations with Five Time Sit to Stand and Time Up and Go. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated a significant area under the curve = 0.81. The cut-off score was 7.5 and associated with 73.7% sensitivity and 73.6% specificity. Internal consistency was estimated as good, with Cronbach’s α = 0.77. Deletion of item 1 slightly increased Cronbach’s α to 0.78. The Arabic FRQ demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability, with an intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.95 (95% CI: 0.92–0.97). It is highly valid and reliable in providing valuable data for evaluating fall risk in adults aged ≥65 years and for consulting a specialist for further investigation if necessary.

Background: The prevalence of falls among mothers (18–49 years old) in Saudi Arabia has been overlooked and understudied. Therefore, the study aimed to identify the 1-year prevalence, rate of falls, and consequent injuries among mothers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a self-administered online questionnaire, including sociodemographic data and questions related to the history of falls and consequent injuries during the past 12 months, was disseminated through social media in Saudi Arabia. Results: A convenience sample of 986 mothers were voluntarily recruited for this study with a median age of 33 years and an interquartile range of 10 years. The 1-year prevalence of falls among mothers was 14.1 % (n = 139), and 52.5 % (n = 73/139) of the fallers experienced more than one fall. Among mothers who had experienced a fall, 25.4 % (n = 33/139) experienced a fall incident during pregnancy. The reported consequences of falls were pain in 37.4 % (n = 52/139), muscle and ligament injuries in 7.2 % (n = 10/139), and fractures in 2.2 % (n = 3/139) of participants. The study’s findings indicate that asthma and high cholesterol level predicts the risk of falls in mothers. Conclusions: According to our convenience sampling, 14.1% of mothers had experienced one or more falls in the past 12 months. The increased prevalence of falls among this age group of women supports the idea that falls are not only an issue for the older adult population, but fall prevention strategies for this age range are also needed.