The Upper Extremity Functional Index (UEFI) is a region-specific questionnaire for patients with upper extremity disorders including patients with rotator cuff-related pain (RCRP). We aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt the UEFI into Greek (UEFI-Gr) and evaluate its reliability and validity in a Greek-speaking population with RCRP. Published guidelines for translation and cross-cultural adaptation of patient-rated outcome measures were followed. One hundred two patients were asked to complete the Greek versions of the UEFI; Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire; and RAND 36-Item Health Survey. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, measurement error, content validity, concurrent validity, and ceiling and floor effects were evaluated. Minor linguistic discrepancies were identified and adopted in the Greek language. The UEFI-Gr presented high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.93), excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.91; 95% confidence interval {CI}: 0.79-0.95), and acceptable measurement error (standard error of measurement: 4.9 points; minimal detectable change {MDC}: 13.8 points). No ceiling or floor effects were detected. Strong correlations were found with the Greek versions of the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire (r=0.629; p<0.001) and weak to moderate correlations with most subdomains of RAND 36-Item Health Survey (r=0.30-0.59; p<0.05). The UEFI-Gr is a comprehensive, reliable, and valid self-reported instrument to evaluate symptoms in patients with RCRP. Further research on the responsiveness of the questionnaire is necessary.

Environmental conditions are associated with the onset of pain or the recurrence of symptoms of chronic sufferers either with musculoskeletal pathologies or neurological diseases. Recent research has indicated that physiotherapy also appears to be helpful in dealing with the symptoms of climate change. The purpose of this study was to investigate how temperature and precipitation are associated with referrals for physical therapy. All the data were collected retrospectively for three years, 2020–2022. A total of 2164 referrals were studied, 78% of which were female cases. Our results highlighted that (a) referrals with musculoskeletal problems are associated with the weather indicators of temperature and precipitation, (b) this relation was found to be stronger for females, and (c) there were slightly differentiated trends between them and those with neurological problems. These results suggest that low temperatures and high precipitation are strongly associated with increased referrals for chronic musculoskeletal pain and that females are more vulnerable to precipitation. Moreover, the increased number of referrals with chronic neurological problems was found to be associated with extreme temperatures. Considering these findings, rehabilitation centers and healthcare systems have the opportunity to immediately provide reliable and qualitative services, guided always by the safety and maximum relief of chronic sufferers.