hooman minoonejad

To compare the effects of the traditional Otago exercise program and a modified version (Otago with core stability exercises) on the quality of life in elderly women.

30 elderly women were divided into three groups: a modified Otago group, a traditional Otago group, and a control group. The exercise programs lasted 8 weeks, with 3 sessions per week. Quality of life was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire.

The modified Otago exercise program led to significantly better improvements in all eight dimensions of quality of life (P < 0/05) compared to the traditional Otago program and the control group.

Incorporating core stability exercises into the Otago program can enhance its positive impact on the quality of life of elderly women.

Ankle injury is one of the most common sports and daily life injuries. Usually, in 15%–60% of cases, Functional Ankle Instability (FAI) occurs after the initial sprain of the ankle. People with FAI have different muscle recruitment patterns and neuromuscular firing rates than healthy people. The human body relies on three sensory systems to maintain balance: vision, somatosensory, and vestibular. Information obtained from weight can be united by all three systems in the central nervous system, and balance can be established. Virtual reality technology is a new way to create more visual impairment and instability. By providing unreal visual cues, virtual reality makes the central nervous system rely on somatosensory and vestibular to maintain balance. This study aims to investigate the electromyographic activity of selected lower limb muscles in feedback and feedforward phases with and without using virtual reality in male badminton players with and without FAI.

The current research method was quasi–experimental. The statistical population of this research comprised Badminton athletes aged 15 to 18 who were playing at the professional level. Thirty Badminton players were divided into two groups with and without ankle instability, and each group included 15 subjects. The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (Hiller et al., 2006) was used to diagnose FAI. The group with FAI received a Cumberland questionnaire score of 0 to 27, and the control group received a score of 27 to 30. The Anterior Drawer of the Ankle Test was performed to ensure the absence of mechanical instability, and if the participants showed mechanical instability, they were excluded from the research. Motion Lab System MA400 (DTU) device was used to measure the electrical activity of muscles, and the F–RG model electrode was made by Skintact. The electromyographic activity of the tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, and lateral gastrocnemius muscles in the feedforward and feedback phases was studied using virtual reality. After checking the normality of the data, the independent t test and Man–Whitney U test were used to analyze the data at a significance level of 0.05 using SPSS 27.

The independent t test and Man–Whitney U test results showed a significant difference in the feedforward and feedback phases between the groups with FAI and without FAI regarding the tibialis anterior, peroneus longus muscles activities (p<0.05). When using Virtual Reality in the feedforward phase, there is a significant difference between the tibialis anterior (p=0.003) and lateral gastrocnemius muscles (p<0.001) in the group with and without FAI when using virtual reality. It should be noted that the activity of the tibialis anterior and lateral gastrocnemius muscle in the group without functional instability of the ankle in the feedforward phase was higher than the group with FAI. Also, a significant difference was observed in the feedback phase in the tibialis anterior (p=0.006) and the lateral gastrocnemius muscle (p<0.001) between the group with and without ankle functional instability. It should be noted that the activity of the tibialis anterior and lateral gastrocnemius muscle in the group without ankle functional instability in the feedback phase was higher than in the group with ankle functional instability. Also, there is no significant difference between the FAI and non–FAI groups regarding peroneus longus. 

According to the results, virtual reality can change the electromyography activity of the ankle muscles. There are changes in the electromyographic activity of the tibialis anterior and lateral gastrocnemius muscle when using virtual reality between athletes with and without FAI, indicating the effect of virtual reality on the electromyographic activity of ankle muscles in these people.

This research aims to investigate the effect of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and Faradic electrotherapy (FES) on lower limb coupling during gait in a patient with excessive ankle stiffness.

The study was conducted on a single patient who was diagnosed with ankle stiffness, decreased muscle strength due to 3.5 years of immobilization of the ankle joint, and was experiencing difficulty in walking. The patient underwent a 12-week treatment program that included IASTM and FES. The lower limb kinematics were measured using a motion analysis system before and after the intervention and couplings were calculated for 3-dimensional ankle movement. 

The results of the study changed ankle-knee, ankle-hip sagittal and transverse, and knee-hip frontal and transverse plane coupling during different subphases of gait after the intervention. The observed coordination pattern in the subjects under investigation approached a level of similarity to that of healthy individuals in loading response (LR) and midstance (MS) for the ankle-knee sagittal plane.

The results of this study suggest that IASTM and FES can be used as effective interventions to lower limb coordination during gait in patients with post-operation complications. Further research on more patients is required.

 One of the most common sports injuries is the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. So far, research has supported the positive effect of training instructions based on an external focus of attention, but no study has been conducted on the effect of a holistic focus of attention in ACL injury prevention. This study aims to compare the effects of holistic and external focus of attention on single-leg jump length and knee flexion range of motion (ROM) of female athletes at risk of ACL injury.

This is a quasi-experimental study. Thirteen female athletes prone to ACL injury (diagnosed the by Tuck jump test) with a mean age of 23.77±4.42 years were selected purposefully. They performed three jumps under each instruction condition (control, external focus, and holistic focus) and nine jumps in total. The single-leg hop test was used to assess the jumping performance of the participants. The effect of the order of conditions was controlled by counterbalancing. Thus, after three jumps in the control condition, group 1 first performed three jumps under the holistic-focus condition and then three jumps under the external-focus condition, while group 2 performed the jumps in the reversed order. Data analysis was performed using repeated measures ANOVA, followed by pairwise comparisons using the Bonferroni test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

 According to the results of ANOVA, the effect of the focus of attention on the jump distance and knee flexion ROM was significant (P=0.001, P<0.0001, respectively). The pairwise comparisons showed that the jump distance and knee flexion ROM under the external-focus condition were significantly higher than under the control condition (P=0.002), but there was no significant difference between the external- and holistic-focus conditions in the jump distance (P=0.622) and knee flexion ROM (P=0.965). The difference in the jump distance between holistic-focus and control conditions was not significant (P=0.078), but the knee flexion ROM was significantly higher under the holistic-focus condition than under the control attention (P=0.001).

 It seems that the instructions using the external or holistic focus of attention can increase knee flexion ROM, and the external-focus instructions can increase the single-leg jump performance in female athletes prone to ACL injuries.

Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and electrotherapy have shown to help alleviating post-operation complications and affect gait kinematics and muscle strength. This case study aimed to manage the post-operative complications in a patient with investigate excessive ankle stiffness with kinetics, kinematics and Electromyography (EMG) approach. A 41-year-old female with post-operation complications including decreased right ankle range of motion (ROM) and strength underwent a 12-week of IASTM and Electrotherapy. Gait analysis was performed before and after the intervention. The results showed notable improvements in ankle 3-dimensional (3D) ROM, power, moment, velocity, cadence, step length, ground reaction force (GRF) and decreased stiffness, muscles activity, single and double support time. Ankle dorsiflexion ROM was not notably increased during gait. Findings suggest that a 12-week intervention of IASTM and electrotherapy can improve gait mechanics and reduce muscle activity in a patient with excessive ankle stiffness.

Both of transcranial direct current electrical stimulation (tDCS) and neuromuscular training (NMT) have used to relive motor deficits in neurological disease. We decided to investigate augmenting effect of tDCS and NMT to improve static and dynamic balance and gait parameter in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 24 children with ASD aged 6-10 years old were randomly assigned to one of three groups: NMT+ sham, anodal tDCS, and NMT + tDCS. NMT consisted of 10 sessions motor training (each for 40 min). tDCS training was performed with 1.5 mA on left primary motor cortex for 20 min. Pre-test and post-test evaluations included static and dynamic balance and gait parameters (length and width of stepping and speed of gait). Although improvement of variables were seen in all groups, but in post intervention comparison, combined group was better in static and dynamic balance and gait parameters than two other groups. NMT was more effective than tDCS only in dynamic balance. Our findings were indicated tDCS enhance NMT effect on neuromuscular function in ASD, so regarding the augmented effect in combination of NMT and tDCS, it can be considered in rehabilitation of motor deficits in these children.

Assessment of spasticity and wheelchair skills performance is important in both clinical practice and research. The present study aimed to systematically review the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of outcome measures used to assess spasticity and wheelchair skill tests in people with spinal cord injury. A search was conducted using terms through PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Related articles included measures of spinal cord injury patients published in English from 2010 to 2021.To determine the publication quality of studies COSMIN checklist was used. A total of 2150 potentially eligible studies were retrieved from four databases. The remaining 20 full-text studies were retrieved for complete review. Finally, 12 studies involving a total of 658 participants were included in the systematic review. Ethical, safety, and psychological issues were considered during the test for people with disabilities. According to previous studies, the Spasticity Evaluation Tool has been suggested as a reliable tool for assessing spasticity in SCI subjects. However, due to the variety of tests and the elimination of selected tools, wheelchair skills tests cannot be recommended.

This case study aims to manage the post-operative complications in a patient with excessive ankle stiffness using Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and Faradic Electrical Stimulation (FES) and investigate the effects on knee and hip kinematics during gait.

Method and Materials: 

A 41-year-old female with post-operation complications including decreased right ankle Range of Motion (ROM) and strength underwent a 12-week of IASTM and FES. Gait analysis was performed before and after the intervention. Knee and hip angles and velocities in 3 dimensions were measured using a motion analysis system before and after the intervention.

Results showed an increased knee adduction, decreased peak knee external rotation at late swing phase, increased peak frontal plane knee velocity, frontal and transverse plane hip excursion, peaks velocities in transverse and frontal plane.

A 12-week IASTM and FES can improve knee and hip gait mechanics in a patient with excessive ankle stiffness.

Fatigue, imbalance, and walking disorder were commonly observed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) as debilitating symptoms. Therefore, the present study aims to examine the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) separately and in combination with virtual reality (VR) training on fatigue, balance, and walking (speed and stride length) in patients with MS.

The present clinical trial research was conducted with 30 MS patients aged 18-55 years (including 21 women and 9 men). The random assignment of subjects was assessed into one of three groups, tDCS group, VR group, and combined tDCS-VR training group. In the tDCS group, the M1 motor cortex was stimulated by direct electrical current in five sessions, and VR training patients participated in the VR program for six sessions. In the combination intervention, participants were delivered tDCS before each VR session. Fatigue severity scale (FSS), Berg balance scale (BBS), and 25-foot walk test (T25-FW) were used to evaluate the fatigue, balance, and walking speed respectively as pre and post-tests. Statistical analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare the results between the three groups.

Our results showed a significant effect of tDCS, VR, and tDCS-VR on fatigue and a significant effect of VR and tDCS-VR on balance and walking speed in patients with MS (P<0.05). In comparing the different interventions performed on the effect on fatigue and balance and walking speed, the improvements were significant in VR and tDCS-VR groups compared to the tDCS group (P<0.05); however, the difference was not significant between VR and tDCS-VR groups (P>0.05).

Despite the positive effect of fatigue, we found VR and tDCS-VR to be a more effective method for treating balance and walking of the patient. The combination effect of tDCS with VR therapy, should be investigated further.

Ultrasonography can be a suitable tool for measuring the muscle thickness of people with scoliosis. In the present study, the reliability and validity of ultrasonography for measuring the muscle thickness of people with idiopathic scoliosis are investigated.

 The method of this study was a systematic review. Based on this, a search was conducted in scientific databases of SID, Science Direct, Medline, Scopus, ISI and PubMed on articles examining ultrasonography’s reliability and validity for measuring muscle thickness in people with idiopathic scoliosis. The search keywords were “Reliability and Validity of Ultrasonography+Validity of Ultrasonography+ Reliability of Ultrasonography+Adolescence Idiopathic Scoliosis+Cross-section Muscles+Muscles.” Finally, the articles were entered into Endnote. In the selected studies, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the reliability and validity of ultrasonography for measuring the thickness of all muscles of people with idiopathic scoliosis were investigated. 

 After reviewing the articles based on the inclusion criteria, 17 articles with 792 samples were selected. The methodological quality of the studied articles was confirmed with a modified criterion taken from Downs and Black (1989). As the findings show, the accepted criteria or level of reliability and validity and corresponding ICC threshold values could be found in most studies but were somewhat heterogeneous. Confidence intervals (CI) (typically 95%) have been reported along with the ICC in all studies.

 According to the results, ultrasonography is a valid and reliable imaging method for evaluating the thickness of the muscles of people with idiopathic scoliosis.

The purpose of this research was to compare the effect of video games, training with catalogs, and face-to-face training of the FIFA +11 warm-up program on the level of acceptance and belief of football players.

The current semi-experimental research was done on 240 male players and coaches present in the premier soccer league of Khorasan Province who were randomly divided into four groups: 11+ face-to-face exercises, catalog, video games, and control (60 people in each group). Electronic questionnaires on acceptance and knowledge were filled by players and coaches. Then, the subjects of the training groups performed the exercises in three 15-minute sessions per week for eight weeks. Kruskal-Wallis test and marginal mean were used to check differences between the groups. 

After eight weeks of training, there was a significant difference in the knowledge and awareness of the players between the four groups (P<0.05). Also, the marginal average test results showed that the effect of these exercises on the level of knowledge and awareness of the players was greater in the face-to-face group than in other groups. Also, 33.3% of the players considered these exercises to be boring and 23.7% of the players considered the limitation of time to do other exercises and soccer skills as one of the factors that prevent them from doing the exercise.

Football players had low levels of knowledge and awareness of 11+ exercises, which increased after eight weeks of 11+ exercises using face-to-face exercises, catalogs, and videos.

 Postoperative complications decrease muscle strength and balance. Thus, managing the complications is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes and promoting speedy recovery. This case study explores the use of Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and electrotherapy in managing postoperative complications in a patient with excessive ankle stiffness, addressing balance and muscle strength, as they are essential components of functional mobility in patients with ankle stiffness.

 A 41-year-old female athlete with Achilles tendon contracture participated in this study. A 12-week IASTM and electrotherapy was implemented. Isokinetic muscle strength, balance, and quality of life were investigated.

 The results showed significant improvement in the stability index, path length and area, dorsiflexion/plantarflexion peak torque, range of motion (ROM), total work, and reduced passive stiffness. The results of all domains of quality of life (SF-36), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), , Achilles Tendon Rupture Score (ATRS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) improved. The intervention was successful in improving balance, muscle strength, sagittal plane ROM, and quality of life and reduced pain during balance in the patient. Conclusions These findings suggest that the intervention may be an effective treatment option for individuals with excessive ankle stiffness and related balance and strength deficits.

The lower limb has been reported as the most common anatomical site for gymnastics injury, which mainly includes ankle sprains; Therefore, this study aimed to predict the internal risk factors of ankle functional instability in gymnast girls aged 11-16.

The current research was applied and descriptive. First, 35 female gymnasts aged 11-16 with ankle functional instability in jump-landing and landing skills and 35 healthy gymnasts were selected. The Cumberland Functional Instability Questionnaire was used to identify athletes with ankle functional instability. Dynamometer, goniometer and Y test were used to measure ankle strength, ankle range of motion and dynamic balance. SPSS23 software and logistic regression and Pearson correlation tests were used for data analysis.

The results showed that there is a significant relationship between ankle range of motion and muscle strength (inversion and eversion) and dynamic balance in different directions with ankle functional instability. However, there is no significant relationship between plantar flexion and dorsiflexion muscle strength with ankle functional instability.

it seems that among the internal factors of ankle instability injury, the variables of evertor muscle strength, range of motion of dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, and balance in the external posterior direction have a significant contribution in the regression model, and the four variables of the strength of evertor muscles, range of motion of dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, and the Y test In the posters-external direction, they can predict the occurrence of ankle functional instability.

Change in scapula normal kinematic and scapula-thoracic rhythm cause scapulae dyskinesia. Scapulae Dyskinesia is defined as abnormal position and movement of scapula. The prevalence of scapulae dyskinesia in volleyball players and the resulting muscular dysfunction in these players have made present paper to study isokinetic strength of shoulder internal and external rotator muscles in volleyball players with and without scapulae dyskinesia.

30 volleyball players aged 18 to 25 with experience of playing in one of the top three leagues (Premier League, First Division League, Omid League) were selected non-randomly and purposefully and were divided into two groups of 15 players with and without scapulae dyskinesia. Isokinetic Dynamometer system was used to measure maximum concentric torque of shoulder internal rotators and maximum eccentric torque of shoulder external rotators during 90º arm abduction at a speed of 60 and 120 degree per second. Date were analyzed using Multivariate Analyze of Variance (MANOVA) test at the significance level α ≤ 0.05.

Maximum eccentric torque of shoulder external rotators and functional strength of dominant leg were significantly lower in volleyball players with scapulae dyskinesia. However, 2 groups did not have significant difference in maximum concentric torque of shoulder internal rotators.

Volleyball players with scapulae dyskinesia had more muscular balance deficiency between internal and external rotator muscle of shoulder. So that these players may have probably insufficient eccentric strength at shoulder external rotators and this insufficiency may result in decrease of shoulder functional strength.

This systematic review and meta-analysis study aims to investigate the effect of warming up on knee position sense.

The keywords of this systematic review and meta-analysis study were searched on December 1 by two authors in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The Downs and Black checklist checked the quality of articles. Statistical analysis was performed using CMA software. The I-square statistic was used to examine the data heterogeneity and estimate the percentage of heterogeneity. Besides, the Funnel Plot method was used for assessing the risk of bias in articles, and the trim-and-fill method was used in case of observation of possible bias.

Out of 5,133 studies found in selected databases, 31 were selected after reviewing the title and abstract, and seven articles were included in the study after reviewing the full text. The results indicated that warming up has a significant effect on reducing the active absolute angular error (P<0.05) and increasing the active relative angular error (P<0.05) but has no significant effect on the passive absolute angular error (P>0.05).

Warming can reduce absolute and relative angular error. Therefore, it has a significant effect on improving proprioception.

Karate consists of two somewhat different disciplines, kata, and kumite; each one may have a different effect on foot structure and dynamics in the longterm.  
As pedobarography is indicative of foot function, the present study aimed to compare pedobarographic profile during gait between young females participating in international kata and kumite competitions and non-karate-ka females.
Displacement and velocity of the center of pressure, and peak pressure in ten regions of the foot of 10 kata-ka, 12 kumite-ka, and 16 non-karate-ka were measured with a pressure platform during barefoot walking.
Peak pressure in the lateral-heel and lateral-toes of kata-ka and kumite-ka was significantly lower than non-karate-ka (P<0.05). Furthermore, peak pressure in the kata-ka midfoot was lower than non-karate-ka (P=0.01 in medial-foot, P=0.01 in lateral-midfoot). In the anteroposterior direction, center of pressure velocity and displacement were significantly different among the three groups (P<0.05).
It can be concluded that the practice of repeated intensive karate exercises has a demonstrable effect on foot progression, dynamic loading velocity, and plantar load distribution during gait. Moreover, practicing kata probably has a greater impact on the measured parameters.

Athletes with nonspecific chronic low back pain (CLBP) may have different kinematic patterns during cutting maneuver compared with healthy individuals. To investigate the kinematic risk patterns of anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) during an unexpected cutting maneuver in athletes with non-specific CLBP and compare it with those without nonspecific CLBP athletes. Twenty female athletes (10 with nonspecific CLBP and 10 without nonspecific CLBP) participated in this study. All participants engaged in sports whose common movements included cutting maneuvers. Participants performed an unanticipated cutting maneuver based on the direction in which the visual stimulus was shown by the examiner. A three-dimensional motion analysis system was used to collect the data on the knee and trunk flexion, knee valgus and tibia rotation on the femur at initial contact and peak value. Kinematic data were processed by Nexus software. An independent t-test was used in SPSS software at a significance level of 5% to compare variables between two groups. The results showed that peak trunk flexion, trunk flexion at initial contact, and peak knee valgus were significant between the two groups during the cutting maneuver. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in other variables. The results of this research indicated some kinematic pattern alterations in individuals with non-specific CLBP during the unanticipated cutting maneuver. Therefore, to prevent secondary injuries and exacerbation of back pain in athletes, it is recommended to take the non-specific CLBP of athletes into account and investigate the possible causes of its occurrence and treatment.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is one of the most prevalent spinal abnormalities, appearing far into puberty. Schroth’s exercises (SE) and core-stabilization exercises (CE) have become very prominent among the specialized and general methods to scoliosis treatment. However, their effects are still unclear and there is insufficient evidence of superiority between them. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of these methods on Cobb angles (CA) in AIS.

A systematic review was performed on SE and CE papers. The databases included PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Google Scholar from January 2005 to June 2022. The physiotherapy evidence database (PEDro) scale assessed the quality and provided internal validity and the statistical information of the papers.

After screening 410 papers, nine papers (SE=5, CE=3 and SE vs. CE=1), with 339 participants, were admitted for review (PEDro=6). Among them, three (SE=moderate evidence) and two papers (CE=limited evidence) reported clinically significant reductions in CA>5˚, alone or compared to control or other exercise methods, while only one paper (very limited evidence) showed the relative superiority of SE (-7.16˚) compared to CE (-3.27˚). However, three papers did not show clinically significant results (CA<5˚).

Moderate and limited evidence suggests that both SE and CE can effectively improve CA, respectively. There is very limited evidence to suggest that SE is more effective than CE in treating AIS. Thus, the definitive answers to the questions, especially concerning the superiority between these two methods, remained unclear. Further high-quality studies must be conducted in the future.

The available evidence on the efficiency of well-known Schroth's exercises (SE) for correcting adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is limited, especially in combination with the asymmetric spinal stabilization exercises (ASSE) method. Therefore, we hypothesized that, first, there is no difference in the efficiency of the combined exercises (SE+ASSE) and SE alone in improving Cobb angle, angle of trunk rotation (ATR), and quality of life (QoL) in AIS. Second, there is no difference in the efficiency of SE and no intervention on corresponding variables in treating AIS. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) consisted of 40 patients with mild AIS (10-18-year-old boys) divided into three groups: SE (n=15), SE+ASSE (n=15), and a waitlist control group (n=10). For 12 weeks (three days a week), both experimental groups performed SE, the combined group additionally received ASSE, and the control group received no intervention. The assessment included Cobb angle (photogrammetry), ATR (Adam’s test), and QoL (Scoliosis Research Society-22 questionnaire). It was found that Cobb angle, ATR, and QoL improved significantly in the combined SE+ASSE group (Cobb=16.45° to 9.01°; ATR=4.93° to 1.33°) compared to the SE group (P<.001). In addition, the SE group showed significant amelioration in the mentioned variables (Cobb=15.09° to 9.77°; ATR=4.23° to 2.17°) compared to the control group (P<.001), whereas the control group remained almost unchanged. Based on the obtained results, the combination of SE and ASSE provided more benefits than SE alone, and the SE results were efficient compared to the no-intervention group regarding the correction of scoliosis and related problems. However, patients with moderate to severe scoliosis should also be investigated in longer treatment periods in future. Level of evidence: I

Millions of people worldwide suffer from back pain and muscle weakness due to adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). It has been found that Schroth exercises (SE) are the most effective treatment for AIS. However, it is still not clear how combining SE with asymmetric spinal stabilization exercises (ASSE) can impact back pain and trunk extensor muscle endurance (TE). This study aims to compare the effects of SE with and without ASSE on back pain and TE in AIS.  

A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 40 boys aged 10 to 18 years who had AIS. They were divided into three groups: SE+ASSE (n = 15), SE only (n = 15), and a waitlist control (n = 10). The participants underwent exercise training for 50-70 minutes three times a week for up to 12 weeks. The study evaluated two variables, namely, back pain (measured with a Visual Analog Scale or VAS) and TE (measured with the Biering-Sorensen test), before and after the interventions. For statistical analysis, a post-hoc Bonferroni test following analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used at α = 0.05.  

According to a study, patients who underwent a combination of SE and ASSE experienced a significant reduction in back pain (VAS score = 2.9±0.8 to 0.1±0.4) as compared to those who only underwent SE (VAS = 2.7±0.9 to 1.5±1.2) and the control group. No significant difference was found between the SE group and the control group in terms of back pain reduction. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in TE among the three groups. However, the combined exercises showed a numerical improvement (75.6±52.5 sec to 119.2±62.6 sec) compared to the other groups (P = 0.311).  

The combination of SE and ASSE is more effective in reducing back pain in AIS than SE alone or control. Although there was no significant difference between the three groups in terms of improving the TE, the SE and ASSE groups showed better results numerically.

Context:

 Recently, the use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) tools for assessing athletes’ performance in returning to sports and neuromuscular training has experienced significant growth across all age groups. Through this technology, by utilizing laboratory facilities and creating a three-dimensional simulated sports environment that closely resembles the reality and conditions of each sports discipline, athletes can train and undergo evaluation under controlled conditions. The VR and AR systems have been used recently to prevent and rehabilitate Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries and assess the motor control of injured individuals. This scoping review aimed to investigate the impact of VR and AR exercises on ACL injury prevention, ACL rehabilitation, and expediting the return to sports process.

Evidence Acquisition: 

The scoping review follows the reporting system of systematic and meta-analysis studies (PRISMA-ScR) and utilizes the guidelines provided by the Joanna Briggs Institute for conducting various stages of work and data extraction. This study was registered in the PROSPERO database with code CRD42023446354. The search for English articles was conducted in electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, SPORT Discuss, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane, using keywords such as virtual reality, rehabilitation, injury prevention, simulation, augmented reality, ACL, and anterior cruciate ligament until the end of June 2022. Inclusion criteria encompassed any primary research involving both athletes and non-athletes across all levels (from beginners to professional) and all ages and genders (male and female) who have experienced unilateral anterior cruciate ligament injury and have undergone any type and degree of sports or therapeutic intervention using VR and AR systems.

 Twenty-six out of 204 comprehensive studies were reviewed based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results showed that biomechanical parameters related to ACL injury were measured using various methods such as real-time biofeedback, virtual reality, and augmented reality. The factors investigated showed significant changes after exercise in VR and AR environments.

 Anterior cruciate ligament injury (or any other sports injury) cannot be summarized in a single musculoskeletal dimension involving mechanical or movement dysfunction. The failure of current approaches to prevent ACL injuries, rehabilitation, and risk assessment is due to the neglect of cognitive and neurological aspects of the injury. New methods such as augmented neuromuscular training (aNMT), multidimensional rehabilitation approaches, and the utilization of virtual reality technology and novel training strategies based on the strengths of VR and AR systems (such as optimal strategy) can compensate for this scientific and practical gap.

 The injury significantly disrupts the performance of the individual and the team and the prevention should be the priority of training programs. To design prevention programs, the first step is to identify risk factors. The joint position sense is one of these factors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of muscle stretching interventions on the sense of the position of the lower limbs with an injury prevention approach.

 The keywords of this review were investigated on 24 September by two researchers in the electronic databases of Pub Med, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, elmnet, Magiran, SID. The quality of the articles was checked by the Downs and Black checklist. Statistical analysis was done with the help of CMA software and Q- test was used to check the homogeneity of data and I2 was used to estimate the percentage of heterogeneity. Also, Funnel Plot and Egger - test were used to evaluate the risk of bias in the articles, and trim - and - fill method was used if the was a possibility of bias.

 Out of 7487 studies found in selected databases, 25 ones were selected after reviewing the title and abstract, and 10 articles were included in the study after reviewing the full text. The results indicated that stretching exercises do not affect the joint position sense of the knee and ankle.

 It seems that stretching does not have a significant effect on the ankle and knee joint position sense. Considering that the duration of stretching in most studies was short, duration of stretching was one of the important reasons for the non - significance of the stretching. Therefore, more studies with longer periods of time are needed.

The present study has been conducted with the aim of the effect of the simultaneous implementation of the dual task on the dynamic balance of people with forward head posture.

In this quasi-experimental study, 40 male students with forward head posture and 40 normal male students were purposefully selected to participate in the present study. After familiarizing the participants with the test implementation conditions (dynamic balance with cognitive task and dynamic balance without cognitive task), each of the tests was performed three times, and between each performance, the subject rested for 30 seconds.

The results shown that there is significant difference between the dynamic balance of the participants with forward head posture position and normal participants, and the participants with forward head posture statistically have weaker dynamic balance (P<0.05). Also, the implementation of the dual task has a significant effect on the balance of both groups of participants with forward head and normal posture and statistically weakens the dynamic balance of participants with forward head posture and normal participants (P<0.05).

In general, the results of the research made it clear that the posture of the forward head posture will cause the loss and decrease of the stability of the person's posture. Also, in both groups of people with forward head and normal posture, performing a dual task leads to the weakening of postural stability.

Nowadays, lifestyle changes have led to non-structural musculoskeletal disorders. Various methods are used to correct these disorders, such as techniques with a local perspective on the disorder and its correction and techniques focused on the cerebral cortex. This study aims to review the studies that have addressed the role of the cerebral cortex, postural awareness, and used methods in correcting postural disorders.

In this review study, the search was conducted for relevant papers published from 2005 to 2020 in Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, SID, and Academic Search. Of 70 papers found in the initial search, 20 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were reviewed.

In the present study, Some studies examined the cortical map and body representation in the brain (BRIB), muscle behavior, and movement patterns and suggested a reciprocal relationship between BRIB and muscle behavior. According to some studies, the inconsistency of BRIB with the actual state of the body led to improper control of posture and, consequently, poor posture. Some other studies suggested a relationship between postural awareness and muscle dysfunction, followed by poor posture.

Although studies have acknowledged the role of the cerebral cortex and body representation (Homunculus) in correcting and achieving an optimal posture, there are lack of studies on the techniques for improving this representation and its effect on correcting postural abnormalities.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is one of the spinal deformities with unknown causes that contributes to 80-85% of scoliosis cases. This study aims to evaluate the effect of an integrative corrective exercise program on the severity of scoliosis in girls with AIS.

This is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest/posttest/follow-up design. Thirty-two girls (Mean age: 13.97±2.25 years; mean height: 153.97±7.978 cm, mean weight: 52.03±6.23 kg) with AIS (C-shaped thoracic deviation in the frontal plane) participated in the study. They were randomly divided into the exercise and control groups. The Cobb angle was measured by the radiography method. All measurements were performed before, immediately after, and 12 weeks after the exercise. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine within-group differences, and analysis of covariance was used for between-group differences.

The mean Cobb angle at the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up phases were 15.8, 16.60, and 16.85 degrees in the control group and 16.04, 11.26, and 11.01 degrees in the exercise group, respectively, indicating a significant improvement in the Cobb angle in the exercise group compared to the control group over time (P<0.05); this improvement maintained for 12 weeks.

The integrated corrective exercise program, by using selected exercises, can reduce the degree of Cobb angle in females with AIS. The use of this program is recommended for adolescents.