Effects of different heel heights on selected gait parameters of young undergraduate females

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different heel heights on selected gait parameters in a sample of young Nigerian females. A purposive sample of eighty apparently healthy undergraduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus participated in the study. Their mean age, height, and weight were 21.98± 1.83 years, 1.65±0.06 meters, 59.50±9.34 kilograms respectively. An ex post facto design was used to investigate the effect of different heel heights (3.2cm, 7.8cm and 11.0cm) on selected gait parameters. This was done using a prepared protocol and measurement of gait parameters were taken with a tape rule and stop watch respectively. One-way ANOVA was used to compare differences across the groups. Level of significance was set at 0.05. There were significant differences in mean values of selected gait parameters across the different heel heights for stride length, step length, stride width, cadence, and velocity respectively. However, with post hoc test, no significant difference exist in mean values between bare foot and low heel of all selected parameters for stride length, step length, and cadence respectively, barefoot and mid heel (p=0.142), and mid and high heel for stride width (p= 0.162) respectively. There was a significant difference exists only between low and high heel on velocity. As heel height increases, gait parameters such as stride length and step length shorten while the cadence increases and the stride width widens. It is recommended that to maintain comfort and reduce the adverse side effects associated with wearing the different heel height, women are advised to minimize putting on heeled shoes particularly the mid and high heels

Neurological and musculoskeletal features of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Importance: Some of the symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, and breathing difficulty. However, the mechanism of the disease, including some of the symptoms such as the neurological and musculoskeletal symptoms, is still poorly understood. Objective: The aim of this review is to summarize the evidence on the neurological and musculoskeletal symptoms of the disease. This may help with early diagnosis, prevention of disease spread, and treatment planning. Data Sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (first 100 hits) were searched until April 17, 2020. The key search terms used were “coronavirus” and “signs and symptoms.” Only studies written in English were included. Study Selection: The selection was performed by two independent reviewers using EndNote and Rayyan software. Any disagreement was resolved by consensus or by a third reviewer. Data Extraction and Synthesis: PRISMA guidelines were followed for abstracting data and assessing the quality of the studies. These were carried out by two and three independent reviewers, respectively. Any disagreement was resolved by consensus or by a third reviewer. The data were analyzed using qualitative synthesis and pooled using a random-effect model. Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s): The outcomes in the study include country, study design, participant details (sex, age, sample size), and neurological and musculoskeletal features. Result: Sixty studies (n = 11, 069) were included in the review, and 51 studies were used in the meta-analysis. The median or mean age ranged from 24 to 95 years. The prevalence of neurological and musculoskeletal manifestations was 35% for smell impairment (95% CI 0–94%; I 99.63%), 33% for taste impairment (95% CI 0–91%; I 99.58%), 19% for myalgia (95% CI 16–23; I 95%), 12% for headache (95% CI 9–15; I 93.12%), 10% for back pain (95% CI 1–23%; I 80.20%), 10% for dizziness (95% CI 3–19%; I 86.74%), 3% for acute cerebrovascular disease (95% CI 1–5%; I 0%), and 2% for impaired consciousness (95% CI 1–2%; I 0%). Conclusion and Relevance: Patients with COVID-19 present with neurological and musculoskeletal symptoms. Therefore, clinicians need to be vigilant in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients

Effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in the Management of Post-Injection Sciatic Pain in a non-randomized controlled clinical trial in Nnewi, Nigeria

Abstract Background Many studies on transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) had been undertaken to explore its pain relieving efficiency on several medicals/surgical conditions but none, specifically, had been carried out to determine the effect it has on post-injection sciatic pain (PISP) which comes about from wrong administration of intramuscular pain. This study aims to assess the effects of TENS in the management of PISP. Methods A total of 72 PISP subjects comprising 40 test subjects and 32 control subjects participated in a non-randomized controlled clinical trial in the current study. Participants were recruited from Department of Physiotherapy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi and Landmark Physiotherapy Services, Nnewi. The participants were however blinded to the intervention method they will receive before being allotted conveniently to test/experimental group (TG) or control group (CG). A written informed consent was obtained from participants before enrollments in the study. TENS and sham TENS (STENS) was applied to 40 test and 32 subjects respectively, 3 times a week, and 1 hour per session for the 10 weeks the study lasted. The Visual Analogue Scale was used to collect baseline data as well as those of 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th weeks after TENS and STENS interventions. The data analysis was performed with the Descriptive statistic of Mean ± SD, mean comparison test, repeated analysis of variance and paired wise t-test. Statistical level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Result Results of repeated measure ANOVA showed that the pain level among participants in the treatment group at the end (after 10 weeks) of the intervention was significantly lower than that of their counterparts in the control group (F = 16.26; p = 0.01); with the intervention accounting for the 19% of the variance. The effect size (partial eta squared) = 0.19. Conclusion The outcome of this research has proved the effectiveness of TENS in the management of PISP and is being recommended in the management of PISP. Trial registration Pan Africa Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR201805003408271). The study was registered retrospectively on the 29th May, 2018