Background: Postural changes are considered a public health problem, especially those that affect the spine, as they may predispose to degenerative conditions of the spine in adulthood. Musculoskeletal disorders are the main cause of chronic pain, illness, reduced educational performance, productivity, and quality of life, and are responsible for increased absenteeism, which could compromise the future career of students. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of postural changes and the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders in different anatomical regions in the 12 months prior and 7 days prior to the application of the questionnaire and the number of affected anatomical regions. Methods: This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. It included 508 students selected by a stratified random sample. Our outcomes were the Portuguese version of the Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, the Adam’s test, a scoliometer, and the visual analog pain scale associated with the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Results: In total, 79.3% of the students tested positive with the Adam’s test. The neck, shoulder, lumbar region, and knee stood out in all of the temporal references, the 12 months prior (44.3%; 35.2%, 50.2%, 34.1%) and the 7 days prior (16.5%, 16.9%; 28.9%, 17.5%), and even in the restriction of activity due to painful symptoms in the 12 months prior (4.3%, 5.3%, 10.6%, 8.5%). Conclusions: Out of 497 students, 403 were identified with postural changes. The high prevalence rate of identified musculoskeletal symptoms in the anatomical regions of the neck, lumbar region, and shoulder raises the need for intervention in students. Gender appears to generate differences between men and women. Pain from multiple body sites is frequent among young adults.

Background: Postural changes are considered a public health issue and have gathered significant interest in both research and clinical practice. Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of Global Postural Reeducation (GPR) in improving postural changes and postural stability in healthy young adults. Additionally, this study aims to identify the main postural changes in the sample population. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted with a sample of students (n = 38) from the 2nd and 3rd years of undergraduate programs at Coimbra Health School, divided into an experimental group (EG) with 20 subjects and a control group (CG) with 18 subjects. The EG underwent a GPR intervention, while the CG received no intervention. Postural changes were assessed using a 3D motion analysis system (Qualisys), and stabilometry was evaluated using a Bertec force platform. Results: At baseline (T0), the groups were homogeneous regarding sample characterization variables, as well as postural and stabilometric variables (p > 0.05). After four weeks of the intervention (T1), no significant differences were observed between the EG and CG for any of the variables studied (p > 0.05). However, within-group analysis for the experimental group revealed a significant difference (p = 0.04) in anterior-posterior velocity, indicating a reduction in this parameter from T0 to T1. In the control group, a significant difference was observed (p = 0.03) in the left knee valgus, indicating a reduction in valgus alignment. Conclusions: GPR does not appear to be effective in improving postural changes or center of pressure displacement in healthy young students.

Background: Rink Hockey is a high-intensity contact sport with growing participation in Portugal, yet epidemiological data on injuries among senior and under-23 practitioners remain scarce. This study aimed to retrospectively describe self-reported injury occurrence, injury characteristics, and potential associations with demographic and sport-related variables among Portuguese Rink Hockey athletes. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional, self-reported e-survey was conducted among federated Portuguese Rink Hockey practitioners (under-23 and senior categories) during the 2024/2025 season. The questionnaire included 53 closed-ended items on sociodemographics, sport participation, equipment, training loads, and injury history. Injury prevalence, incidence rate, mean injuries per athlete, and associations were analyzed. Results: Among 181 respondents (68.5% male; age 22.3 ± 4.3 years; experience 15.8 ± 5.0 years), 89 (49.2%) reported at least one injury (mean 2.6 ± 2.7 injuries/athlete in the total sample; 3.3 ± 3.1 per injured athlete). Estimated incidence was 3.9 ± 5.9 injuries/1000 h (total sample) and 7.9 ± 6.2/1000 h (injured athletes). The knee (19.1%) was the most common injury localization, and muscular injuries (25.8%) were the most frequent type. Most injuries occurred during matches (46.0%), with contact with another player (27.0%) during offensive transition (40.4%) in areas surrounding the goal (57.3%) being the most frequently reported circumstances. Older and female athletes reported a higher injury prevalence than younger and males counterparts (66.7% vs. 33.3% [p = 0.042; ES = 0.174] and 61.4% vs. 43.5% [p = 0.026; ES = 0.166], respectively). Injury occurrence was positively associated with age (r = 0.262–0.158, p ≤ 0.05) and playing experience (r = 0.157, p ≤ 0.05). However, greater playing experience was associated with lower odds of joint injury (11–15 years: OR = 0.116, 95% CI [0.019; 0.695], p = 0.018; 16–19 years: OR = 0.116, 95% CI [0.019; 0.695], p = 0.018; and ≥20 years: OR = 0.056, 95% CI [0.006; 0.534], p = 0.012). Conclusions: Portuguese Rink Hockey practitioners exhibit a high injury burden, predominantly affecting the knee, with muscle injuries and contact/overuse mechanisms as major contributors. Age, sex, and experience were associated with injury occurrence. These findings may support the incorporation of targeted prevention strategies into multidisciplinary support teams.