Efficacy of manual therapy on psychological status and pain in patients with neck pain. A randomized clinical trial

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common disease with a highly significant burden among the Saudi population. This study aimed to investigate the effects of adding either magnetic or laser therapy to medications in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Methods: Seventy-one medically controlled diabetic patients were randomly assigned to 1) Magnetic group: 26 patients were exposed to magnetic therapy for 20 minutes/session, 2 sessions/week, for 3 months 2) Laser group: 25 patients were exposed to laser therapy with intensity 5.7 J/cm² for 30 minutes/session, 2 times/week, for 3 months. 3) Drug group: 20 patients received only the regular medications for diabetic control and pain analgesia. Pain and neuropathy were assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS) and the Toronto Clinical Neuropath Scoring System (TRCNSS). Conduction velocities and amplitudes of peroneal and sural nerves were measured by electromyography. Results: The results showed significant increases in conduction velocities and amplitudes in both magnetic and laser groups in parallel with significant reductions in TRCNSS. Non-significant changes were obtained only after using only medications (P>0.05). The mean values of VAS reduced significantly in the three groups. The least significant differences showed significant changes among the three groups, whereas non-significant differences were obtained between both magnetic and laser groups. Conclusion: There were non-significant differences between both magnetic and laser therapy groups. Addition of either magnetic or laser therapy to medications could bring extra positive benefits to patients with DPN. Both magnetic and laser therapy can be applied with medications for the treatment of patients with DPN.

Background & Purpose Falls and balance issues are significant concerns for the elderly. Treadmill training is increasingly recognized as a potential intervention to improve balance and reduce fall risk in this population. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of treadmill training on balance in the elderly. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted in databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, PEDro, Cochrane Library, and ERIC from January 1, 1980, to January 1, 2025. The search focused on treadmill training’s impact on balance in older adults. From 74 identified studies, primary outcome measure was “Balance Improvement, risk of fall” and secondary were “Cognitive Function and Quality of Life,” and others. Articles were excluded for reasons like irrelevance to treadmill training, language barriers, or duplication, resulting in 16 final studies. Results Treadmill training demonstrated positive effects on balance and fall risk reduction, particularly in elderly individuals with Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, and age-related balance issues. Perturbation-based treadmill training significantly reduced fall rates, while underwater treadmill sessions improved mobility and cognitive function. Conclusion Treadmill training interventions are promising for improving balance and mobility in the elderly, including those with Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, and age-related balance issues. While these interventions show potential, further research is needed to determine optimal protocols, durations, and combinations with other interventions. This could lead to a more comprehensive approach for addressing balance and mobility challenges in the elderly, promoting healthy aging and reducing fall risks.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder that affects people of all ages. This study investigates the effects of the addition of hands-on procedures to McKenzie exercises on patients with LBP and derangement syndrome.Methods: Forty-eight female patients were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or control group. All the patients in both groups underwent McKenzie exercises, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and education for 35 min/session-45 min/ session, with three sessions/week for 2 weeks. Hands-on procedures were added to the McKenzie extension exercises only for the patients in the experimental group. A visual analogue scale (VAS), the Oswestry disability index (ODI), back range of motion (BROM) and body diagrams were used to measure pain, functional disability, BROM and the centralisation of symptoms, respectively.Results: The mean values of VAS, ODI and BROM significantly improved after the interventions in both groups (P < 0.05), whereas the results of repeated measures ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U tests showed statistically non-significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05).Conclusion: The addition of hands-on procedures to McKenzie exercises, TENS and education significantly alleviated back pain and functional disability and improved the back mobility and centralisation of symptoms in patients with LBP and derangement syndrome; however, these measures did not result in any significant additional benefits for such patients.

Background COVID-19 has serious consequences on different body systems particularly the respiratory system with its impact on pulmonary function, exercise capacities, and physical activities. This study aimed to investigate the long-term effect of COVID-19 on pulmonary function, exercise capacities, and physical activities in patients with non-severe COVID-19. Methods 160 individuals were selected to participate in a cross-section study. Group-I: 80 male and female patients with non-severe COVID-19 at least 3 months after the recovery time. Group-II: 80 male and female matched (non-infected with COVID-19) participants. The spirometer, six-minute walk test (6MWT), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were used to assess pulmonary function, exercise capacities, and physical activities respectively. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to test normality of data. The Mann–Whitney and independent t-tests were used to compare the significant differences between both groups. Results The results show significant differences in FVC & FEV1 of the pulmonary function, exercise capacities, and physical activities of the work & transportations between both COVID-19 and matched groups p-value = (0.001 & 0.001, 0.001 and 0.005 & 0.012) respectively. Conclusion Pulmonary function, exercise capacities, and physical activities are negatively influenced by COVID-19 as long-term consequences indicating the need for extended health care, and prescription of proper rehabilitative training programs for non- severe COVID-19 patients whatever their severity degree of infection or history of hospitalization. Outcome reflections of the current results raise awareness of physical therapists to the importance of the proper rehabilitative training programs for non-severe COVID-19 patients.

Background & Purpose Falls and balance issues are significant concerns for the elderly. Treadmill training is increasingly recognized as a potential intervention to improve balance and reduce fall risk in this population. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of treadmill training on balance in the elderly. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted in databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, PEDro, Cochrane Library, and ERIC from January 1, 1980, to May 31, 2023. The search focused on treadmill training’s impact on balance in older adults. From 74 identified studies, outcome measures were categorized into groups like “Balance Improvement,” “Gait Improvement,” “Mobility Enhancement,” “Muscle Strength Improvement,” “Cognitive Function and Quality of Life,” and others. Articles were excluded for reasons like irrelevance to treadmill training, language barriers, or duplication, resulting in 16 final studies. Results Treadmill training shows diverse positive effects on the elderly. Perturbation-based training reduces falls, and treadmill walking enhances balance and quality of life, particularly in institutionalized older individuals. Benefits were noted for Parkinson’s patients’ gait, cognitive changes in neurophysiology, fitness and mobility improvements through underwater treadmill sessions, and refined gait in hemiparetic patients. Conclusion Treadmill training interventions are promising for improving balance and mobility in the elderly, including those with Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, and age-related balance issues. While these interventions show potential, further research is needed to determine optimal protocols, durations, and combinations with other interventions. This could lead to a more comprehensive approach for addressing balance and mobility challenges in the elderly, promoting healthy aging and reducing fall risks.