Objective: To investigate the effects of capacitive and resistive monopolar radiofrequency (CRMF) on the shear elastic modulus of the multifidus and erector spinae muscles in female athletes with low back pain (LBP) and a history of LBP. Design: Randomized crossover trial. Setting: Academic institution. Participants: Twenty female university athletes with LBP or a history of LBP were included. Interventions: All participants received CRMF, hotpack, and sham (CRMF without power) in a random order on the right side of the lumbar region. More than 2 days were allocated between the experiments to eliminate any residual effects. Main outcome measures: The shear elastic moduli of the right multifidus and erector spinae were evaluated in the prone (rest) position while sitting with 35° trunk flexion (stretched) using shear wave ultrasound imaging equipment. The moduli were measured before, immediately after, and 30 minutes after the intervention. Results: Repeated-measures 2-way analysis of variance and post hoc analysis showed that the moduli of the CRMF group were significantly lower than those of the sham group in the stretched position immediately after intervention (P = .045). This difference diminished 30 minutes after the intervention (P = .920). Conclusions: CRMF can be used to reduce the shear elastic modulus of the multifidus muscle in the short term. Further studies are warranted to determine how to provide longer effects. Trial registration: None.

Objectives The number of elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is increasing due to the extension of life expectancy and advances in pharmacotherapy. Although exercise therapy has shown to be effective in patients with RA, there is a lack of evidence specifically focusing solely on elderly patients. We aimed to review the evidence for the effects of exercise therapy on elderly patients with RA.Design Systematic review.Methods An electronic search was conducted on June 30th, 2023, in five online databases. Controlled clinical trials investigating the effects of exercise therapy on elderly patients with RA were included. No restrictions were placed on the exercise therapy or outcomes to examine the effects of exercise therapy broadly. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials and the risk of bias in non-randomized studies of interventions.Results Out of the 4,177 articles identified, only three studies were included. All three studies were judged to have a high or serious risk of bias. The exercise therapies in the included studies were Arthritis self-management programs, Tai Chi, and grip-strengthening exercise. Arthritis self-management programs and Tai Chi showed the positive effects, whereas grip-strengthening exercise reported no effectiveness.Conclusions In a few controlled clinical trials, the effects of exercise therapy on elderly patients with RA have been investigated, suggesting that the evidence on these effects is very limited. Considering that the society will continue to age, further studies on this topic are required.