Art therapy is employed in numerous ways in rehabilitation. This study focuses on an art and movement therapy project carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Acting and dancing methods were adapted to produce a short musical film series for ten children from disadvantaged social backgrounds displaying nonorganic behavioural disorders. The aim was to acquire novel ways of expression on the part of the participants to release painful emotions in a safe setting using the method of catharsis through acting and dancing, triggering relaxation as a physiological response and improving their attitude. This study retrospectively analyses the changes in the children’s behaviour and their active participation in the project through quantitative and qualitative research. The children improved their attention and self-esteem, their behaviour became less aggressive and impulsive, and half showed increased empathy. The active participation rate during the project was 82%.

Background: Radial shock wave therapy (RSWT) has increasingly been integrated into treatment protocols for adhesive capsulitis. While associations with diabetes and other systemic disorders are well documented, the role of obesity remains underexplored, particularly in relation to RSWT outcomes. Methods: Forty patients with adhesive capsulitis completed a 10-day treatment protocol combining RSWT with conventional physiotherapy. Pain (VAS), disability (SPADI), and range of motion (ROM) were assessed at baseline and immediately after treatment. At one-month follow-up, VAS and SPADI were reassessed alongside the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC). Correlations between body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes were analyzed, and potential confounding effects of comorbidities and affected-side dominance were examined. Clinical relevance was assessed using minimal clinically important differences (MCID) and effect sizes (Cohen’s d). Results: All clinical outcomes improved significantly post-treatment and at follow-up, with most changes exceeding MCID thresholds and showing large effect sizes. Higher BMI was significantly correlated with greater improvements in SPADI, VAS, shoulder extension, and internal rotation. Most comorbidities were negatively associated with outcomes, except neurologic conditions, which supported mobility improvement. Conclusions: RSWT appears effective in alleviating symptoms of adhesive capsulitis. The observed association between higher BMI and greater mobility improvement suggests potential benefits in overweight and obese patients. These findings warrant further investigation.

Background: Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) for post-stroke drop foot is commonly applied in acute and subacute stroke rehabilitation or as part of long-term home-based programs in chronic patients. Evidence supporting short facility-based rehabilitation programs incorporating FES in chronic populations remains limited. The aim of this study was to explore functional outcomes associated with such a program in a chronic population. Materials and methods: A 10-day facility-based rehabilitation program incorporating FES therapy followed by 3-month follow-up was delivered to 14 chronic post-stroke patients with foot drop (8 women; aged 62.6 ± 12.2 years). FES was applied during walking with stimulation synchronized to the swing phase of gait (35 Hz, 300 μs, 15 min per session). Activities of daily living and mobility were assessed using clinical outcome measures. Statistical significance (p < 0.05), effect sizes, and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) responder rates were evaluated. Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed across all outcome measures post-treatment and at follow-up, with MCID responder rates exceeding 50%. Conclusions: A short facility-based multimodal rehabilitation program incorporating FES was associated with functional improvements in chronic post-stroke patients. Given the multimodal design, these findings cannot be attributed to FES alone and should be interpreted as exploratory.

Background: Sarcopenia is characterized by progressive muscle weakness, impaired physical function, and reduced quality of life. Multimodal strategies combining rehabilitation and nutritional support that influence gut microbiota may help improve functional outcomes in adults at risk of sarcopenia. Objective: To evaluate whether a polyphenol-rich dietary recommendation associated with a nutritional supplement containing leucine, vitamin D3, and magnesium (SarcoDYN^®), in the context of a standardized rehabilitation program, provides superior improvements in functional and patient-reported outcomes compared with rehabilitation alone. Methods: This quasi-experimental, non-randomized retrospective study included 28 adults at risk of sarcopenia, divided into a study group (rehabilitation + polyphenol-rich diet + SarcoDYN^®) and a control group (rehabilitation only). Assessments were performed at baseline and after 3 months. Outcomes included SARC-F score, handgrip strength (dominant and non-dominant), sit-to-stand performance, perceived mobility, and perceived health status. Within- and between-group comparisons were conducted using appropriate parametric or non-parametric tests, and Spearman correlation analysis explored associations between functional, strength, and perceptual variables. Results: Both groups demonstrated significant within-group improvements in functional and patient-reported outcomes. At follow-up, the study group showed significantly better subjective outcomes, including lower SARC-F scores (U = 30.0, p = 0.002), higher perceived mobility (U = 40.0, p = 0.008), and higher perceived health status (U = 40.0, p = 0.008), compared with the control group. Objective post-intervention measures of handgrip strength and chair-rise performance did not differ significantly between groups. Correlation analysis revealed strong associations between SARC-F score, muscle strength, functional mobility, and perceived health. Conclusions: The combined intervention consisting of a polyphenol-rich diet that influence gut microbiota and SarcoDYN^® supplementation, delivered alongside a structured rehabilitation program, was associated with better patient-reported mobility and health perception in adults at risk of sarcopenia. These findings should be considered exploratory and hypothesis-generating, and require confirmation in larger controlled studies.

Given its wide appeal as an entertainment method, cinema can be easily adapted in order to be used as a therapeutic and educational tool. Anxiety, which, in children, is considered to be both an important cause and consequence of bullying, can be healed through cinema, thanks to the experience of the happy end and the theory of identification with the character that help the child reach a state of harmony and contentment at the end of the story. Moreover, as bullying can often cause PTSD, which is a multi-sensory disorder, filmmaking therapy can be especially helpful as it can offer an audiovisual narrative approach to trauma. Also, the creative processes of filmmaking, such as writing, expressing through visuals, sound and music, could help children learn certain therapeutic creative methods that they could then use throughout their lives to express future inner tensions that could appear, contributing to an improved quality of life.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the leading causes of disability in older adults. As definitive treatment often involves knee replacement surgery, effective non-invasive approaches capable of alleviating symptoms and preserving mobility are needed to delay surgical intervention or bridge waiting periods for surgery. Methods: Thirty-two patients with knee OA were included in this pilot comparative study. Patients underwent either a standardized physical therapy program (10 sessions) or the same program supplemented with vacuum-compression therapy (VCT), according to treatment received during routine clinical care. Outcome measures included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the Physical and Mental Component Summary scores of the SF-12 questionnaire (PCS, MCS). Assessments were performed at baseline and at 1-month follow-up, with WOMAC additionally evaluated immediately after treatment. Responder analysis based on minimal clinically important difference (MCID) thresholds was also performed. Results: Both groups demonstrated significant improvement across most outcomes. Between-group analysis showed greater improvements in the intervention group, with statistically significant differences observed for functional outcomes (WOMAC and PCS). Conclusions: In this pilot comparative study, the addition of VCT to standard physical therapy was associated with greater functional improvement in patients with knee OA.