zohaib shahid

This study determines the effect of the Bobath approach versus task task-oriented approach for motor activity, activities of daily living and quality of life (QoL) in young stroke patients.

Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 60 patients participated in this study from different clinical setups (30 subjects in each group). The patients were analyzed after a three-month follow-up with the following three assessment tools: Barthel index (BI) scale for assessment of activities of daily living, motor assessment scale (MAS) for motor function and stroke-specific QoL scale (SSQOL) in post-stroke patients.

This study included two treatment groups (group A and group B) with an equal distribution of participants. Paired sample t-tests were applied to compare pre and post-treatment measures within each group. The results indicated significant changes in several measures. In pair 1 (pre-BI vs post-BI), the index showed a significant improvement after treatment. In pair 2 (pre-MA vs post-MA), the index also showed a significant improvement after treatment. However, in pair 3 (pre-SSQOL vs post-SSQOL), there were no significant changes in the SSQOL index. Furthermore, the independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare the measures between the groups. Accordingly, the results showed significant differences in some measures. In terms of pre-treatment BI and post-treatment BI, group A showed a significantly higher improvement after treatment. Meanwhile, group A showed a significantly higher improvement after treatment in pre-treatment MA and post-treatment MA. However, in pre-treatment SSQOL and post-treatment SSQOL, there were no significant differences between group A and group B in terms of SSQOL after treatment.

This study shows improvement in both treatment groups and effectiveness after the assessment of three different tools which assessed the overall body function of young stroke patients. Following the application of these tools, this study concluded which treatment is most effective as compared to other approaches in young stroke patients. However, in previous studies in which Bobath treatment was also compared with the motor relearning approach in geriatric stroke patients, in patients treated according to motor relearning, in patients who had a short stay in hospitals and those who were treated according to both treatment groups demonstrated effective improvement of body function; however, that study confirmed better results according to gender-wise description, i.e. women treated by motor relearning programme (MRP) are more effective and have better results compared to the Bobath approach.

Reflective practice is a thinking method about experiences, learning from mistakes, identifying skills and strengths, and developing options and actions for change and future success. This practice empowers individuals to explore diverse methods of introspection, thereby enhancing their proficiency in applying reflective techniques within both personal and professional domains and ultimately fostering their learning skills and self-development.

This study aims to compare the reflective practice and self-assessment methods of novice practitioners who graduated from the governmental and private sectors.

A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on 138 practitioners who graduated from the governmental and private sectors (69 from the governmental sector and 69 from the private sector). A random sampling method was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 20. Mean±SD was calculated for five main variables. Independent t-test was applied to calculate the reflective practice of novice practitioners. P≤0.05 was considered statically significant.

The study focused on investigating various factors related to the reflective practice of novice practitioners. All five main variables, namely reflection on events, reflection methods, others’ points of view, questioning of assumptions, and ability to reflect, were examined for potential differences between the graduates of private and governmental sectors. The results indicated no significant differences between these sectors, as evidenced by the P<0.05.

This study concluded that no significant difference is observed between reflective practice and self-assessment methods of novice practitioners who graduated from government or private institutes because reflective practice is the ability of a person to think and learn from experience in a way.

To determine the association between cervical radiculopathy and quality of life (QoL) in patients with cervical spondylosis.

This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 273 patients in five hospitals in Lahore within 3 months from April to June 2021. The Spurling test was used to measure cervical radiculopathy. The participants were selected according to the inclusion criteria. The Spurling test was used to measure cervical radiculopathy and its symptoms. The World Health Organization quality of life scale (WHOQoL) was used to evaluate the QoL of patients suffering from cervical spondylosis. 

Of 273 patients, 42.9% were male and 57.1% female. Their Mean±SD age was 42±11.9 years. Also, 70.3% had positive Spurling test, and 29.7% had negative results. Their Mean±SD physical health score was 11.70±1.74 (out of a total of 20), and their Mean±SD psychological health score was 11.75±1.78 (out of a total of 20). The Mean±SD social relationships score was 11.19±2.98 (out of a total of 20), and their Mean±SD environment health score was 11.13±3.08 out of a total of 20. P indicates a significant difference in the QoL between patients with positive and negative Spurling tests. Patients with negative Spurling tests had higher QoL scores. Greater scores denote a higher QoL

There is a significant association between cervical radiculopathy and QoL in patients with cervical spondylosis. These results will help us in the future to design educational programs or modify the lifestyle of those patients with cervical radiculopathy. This research concluded that there is a significant difference in the QoL among patients with positive and negative Spurling tests. Patients with negative Spurling tests have higher QoL scores. Hence there is a significant association between diagnosed cervical radiculopathy and QoL.