Article: Short-term effect of adding Graston technique to exercise program in treatment of patients with cervicogenic headache: a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial - European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 2021 October;57(5):758-66 - Minerva Medica - Journals

To investigate the effect of kinesiotaping and a designed exercise program versus sham kinesiotaping and the same exercise program on pain, range of motion, and activities of daily living in obese patients suffering from coccydynia. A double-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial. Outpatient, Cairo University hospitals. Sixty patients with coccydynia randomized equally into kinesiotape plus exercise and sham kinesiotape plus exercise groups. The kinesiotape was worn for three days and replaced for three weeks. Each patient practiced exercises for three weeks. All patients were examined by visual analogue scale (VAS) for rating pain, Modified Modified Schober Test (MMST), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). All outcomes were measured at baseline, three weeks postintervention, and four weeks follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences between groups at baseline (P < 0.05), but there were statistically significant differences between groups for pain score, MMST, and ODI at post and follow-up data in favor of the kinesiotape group (P < 0.001). For the three weeks postintervention, mean (SD) for pain score, MMST, and ODI was 33.07 ± 3.8, 6.6 ± 0.7, and 8.7 ± 2.1 in the study group and 39.9 ± 4.7, 5.8 ± 1.4, and 14.4 ± 2.7 in the control group, respectively. For the four weeks follow-up, mean (SD) for pain score, MMST, and ODI was 32.2 ± 3.4, 7.13 ± 0.6, and 7.2 ± 1.8 in the study group and 40.9 ± 4.4, 6.6 ± 0.75, and 13 ± 2 in the control group, respectively. Experimental kinesiotape intervention and exercise program provided significant improvements in pain, range of motion, and disability. It is suggested as an adjunctive therapy in treating obese patients with coccydynia.

People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently use dietary interventions such as Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and exercises to complement pharmacotherapy. To investigate the effect of adding MedDiet to a designed exercise program on quadriceps and hamstrings muscles performance, pain, C-reactive protein (CRP), handgrip strength, bodyweight, and function in females with RA. Sixty females were allocated randomly to the MedDiet plus exercise program (n = 30) or exercise program only (n = 30). The interventions continued for 6 months followed by 6 months of follow-up with no intervention. The primary outcome was the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles performance (agonist-antagonist ratio). The secondary outcomes were visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, CRP blood marker for inflammation, handheld dynamometer for handgrip strength, Health AssessmentQuestionnaire disability index (HAQ-DI) for function, and body weight. All outcomes were measured at baseline, 6-month post-intervention, and 12 months from baseline as a follow-up. The MedDiet group showed statistically significant improvements in all the measured outcomes than the control group (p < .05) after 6 and 12 months. After 6 months of intervention, the mean±SD for agonist-antagonist ratio, pain, and HAQ-DI were 84.59 ± 5.33 and 69.92 ± 5.56 (p < .001, ƞ² = 0.65), 42.33 ± 8.98 and 54.33 ± 10.06 (p < .001, ƞ² = 0.3), 1.13 ± 0.48 and 1.9 ± 0.59 (p < .001, ƞ² = 0.34) in the MedDiet and control groups, respectively. Adding MedDiet to aerobic and strengthening exercise program improved quadriceps and hamstrings muscles performance, pain, functional ability, CRP, handgrip strength, and body weight. Consequently, Mediterranean diet should be considered as adjunctive therapy in treating females with RA.

To investigate the additive effects of whole-body vibration (WBV) training to the traditional physical therapy program (TPTP) on balance control, postural stability, and mobility after thermal burn injuries. A single-blinded, randomized controlled study. Outpatient physical therapy setting. Forty participants, 20–45 years old, with deep second-degree thermal burn involving the lower limbs and trunk, with 35%–40% total body service area, were randomly allocated either into the study group or the control group. The study group received WBV plus TPTP while the control group received the TPTP only. Interventions were applied three sessions a week for eight weeks. Anteroposterior stability index (APSI), mediolateral stability index (MLSI), overall stability index (OSI), timed-up and go (TUG), and Berg balance scale (BBS) were measured at baseline and after eight weeks of interventions. There were statistically significant differences in APSI, MLSI, OSI, BBS, and TUG in favor of the WBV group after eight weeks of intervention (P < 0.001). After eight weeks of intervention, the mean (SD) for APSI, MLSI, OSI, BBS, and TUG scores were 1.87 ± 0.51, 41.36 ± 0.18, 1.95 ± 0.56, 47.2 ± 6.12, and 8.15 ± 1.05 seconds in the WBV group, and 2.41 ± 0.71, 2.21 ± 0.54, 2.68 ± 0.73, 40.65 ± 4.7, and 10.95 ± 2.44 seconds in the control group, respectively. The whole-body vibration training combined with the TPTP was more beneficial in improving APS, MLS, OSI, TUG, and BBS than TPTP alone. It might be considered a useful adjunctive therapy in treating patients with healed wounds with a deep second-degree burn of the trunk and lower limbs.