Kesan realiti visual berasaskan terapi ke atas ketahanan berjalan dan kualiti hidup penghidap osteoarthritis lutut

Realiti Virtual Berasaskan Terapi (RVBT) semakin popular dan giat digunakan dalam perkhidmatan rehabilitasi. Namun, bukti keberkesanan RVBT dalam kalangan penghidap Osteoarthritis (OA) lutut pada masa ini masih terhad. Kajian ini bertujuan menentukan kesan RVBT berbanding terapi senaman konvensional ke atas ketahanan berjalan dan kualiti hidup warga emas yang menghidap OA lutut. Kajian rawak terkawal ini melibatkan 44 peserta (min umur dan sisihan piawai = 66.32 ± 5.73 tahun) yang menerima RVBT (kumpulan kajian, n = 22) atau terapi senaman konvensional (kumpulan kawalan, n = 22) selama 45 minit pada kekerapan dua kali seminggu selama 12 minggu. Kesan terapi ke atas ketahanan berjalan diukur menggunakan ujian Berjalan Enam Minit (BEM), manakala perubahan kualiti hidup dinilai menggunakan soal selidik Short Form-36 (SF-36) versi Bahasa Malaysia. Analisis hasil kajian adalah secara pendekatan ‘intention to treat’, menggunakan ujian Mixed Model ANOVA. Hasil kajian menunjukkan kesan masa yang signifikan (p < 0.05) dan saiz kesan yang besar antara 0.43 dan 0.54 bagi semua pembolehubah susulan kedua-dua terapi. Peningkatan sebanyak 17% (kumpulan kajian) dan 18.9% (kumpulan kawalan) ditunjukkan dalam ketahanan berjalan. Manakala, skor komponen fizikal dan komponen mental SF-36 masing-masing meningkat sebanyak 37.8% dan 19.4% dalam kumpulan kajian, dan 45.7% dan 20.6% dalam kumpulan kawalan. Namun, kesan kumpulan dan kesan interaksi didapati tidak signifikan (p > 0.05) dalam kajian ini. Kesimpulannya, RVBT adalah sebanding terapi senaman konvensional di dalam meningkatkan ketahanan berjalan dan kualiti hidup penghidap OA lutut. RVBT boleh dijadikan sebagai satu pilihan terapi bagi populasi ini

Learning style and its association with academic performance among physiotherapy students of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Physiotherapy students require relevant learning style according to years of study in order to optimise learning outcomes. To date, learning styles among this student group are not known. This study aimed to identify the learning styles among physiotherapy students of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and their association with academic performance. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 61 physiotherapy students. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire which consists of two sections, namely a demography section and a learning styles section. Questions in the learning style sections were adopted from items of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory. Summary of Kolb Learning Theory and Learning Style Inventory was explained to the participants prior to the questionnaire completion. All data were analysed descriptively and with the use of inferential statistics. All 61 participants returned the questionnaire (response rate of 100%). Results shown that a total of 44.26% (n=27) and 39.30% (n=24) of the participants used Assimilative and Divergent learning style, respectively. Students in the senior year were more likely to utilise divergent learning style as compared to the juniors. However, no significant association was found between learning styles and the academic performance (r=0.02, p=0.801). In conclusion, physiotherapy students of UKM utilise mostly assimilative and divergent learning styles. Both learning styles are considered appropriate for physiotherapy study as watching and thinking concepts, and feeling while processing information are needed especially during clinical practices

Effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on pain and recovery of range of motion after total knee arthroplasty: preliminary study

Introduction: Pain and limitation in knee range of motion (ROM) during the immediate postoperative period are the common outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedure. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound in combination with cryotherapy is a promising physiotherapy intervention which has been shown to help in relieving inflammation and improving recovery of joint function of patients with TKA. However, the documentation on the effects of combining low-intensity pulsed ultrasound in post-operative rehabilitation programme is limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound as in-addition to conventional physiotherapy on pain and knee ROM in patients with TKA. This study also aimed to assess the relationship between the recovery of knee ROM and pain following the combined intervention. Method: This was an assessor-blinded quasi-experimental study among patients with TKA at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre. Participants were alternately allocated to receive either pulsed ultrasound-added conventional physiotherapy (n=10, experimental group) or conventional physiotherapy alone (n=10, control group) for 3 weeks. Visual analogue scale and goniometer were used to assess post-operative pain and active knee ROM, respectively. The outcomes were evaluated at baseline (post-operative day 2), week 1 and week 4 after TKA. Mixed model ANOVA and Spearman’s rho were used to analyze the data. Result: This study showed a significant time and group effects for pain and knee ROM following interventions. The pain score decreased (p0.05). Discussion and Conclusion: The findings from this study provide physiotherapists and other healthcare providers knowledge regarding the effects of combining low-intensity pulsed ultrasound in post-operative rehabilitation following TKA. The combined intervention demonstrated more promising results in pain alleviation and recovery of knee motion following TKA. Further study with larger sample size is needed to establish this study findings. Keywords: low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, physiotherapy, total knee arthroplast

Effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on recovery of physical impairments, functional performance and quality of life after total knee arthroplasty: Protocol for a quasi-experimental study

The presence of significant pain and swelling during the acute stage following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may limit the patients’ ability to cooperate in intensive physiotherapy interventions. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound is one of the modalities that can be used for acute pain and swelling management. However, only one study investigated the effect of this modality in patients with TKA. There is limited documentation of the effects of combining low-intensity pulsed ultrasound in TKA rehabilitation in the recovery of physical impairments and how these influence the recovery of function after TKA. Therefore, this study is proposed with the aim to evaluate the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound as an adjunct to conventional physiotherapy on the recovery of physical impairments, functional performance and quality of life after TKA surgery

Outcomes of chair based exercise with progressive resistance training on physical performances among older adults: a preliminary study

Enhancement of physical function had been shown in older adults who actively participate in physical activities, particularly in the form of aerobic training with addition of progressive resistance training (PRT). However, it is quite challenging and risky for most older adults to exercise in standing position without any support. Chair Based Exercise (CBE) is an alternative mode of exercise for older adult to facilitate exercise participation and increase safety. Its effect when combined with resistance training is unknown to date. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of CBE with PRT on physical performances among older adults. A total of 18 older adults (13 females (72%)) and 5 males (28%)), aged 60 to 83 years with mean age (SD) 72.67 (6.17) years completed the study. All subjects performed CBE with PRT intervention twice weekly for 8 weeks, with individually-tailored exercise progressions. Pre and post measurements of physical performance were performed using Six MinutesWalk Test (6MWT), Five Times Sit to Stand (FTSTS) and Hand Grip Strength (HGS) test. Significant improvement in 6MWT (p < .001), HGS Right hand (p = .043), HGS Left hand (p < .001), FTSTS (p < .001) was shown after the eight-week intervention. Adding PRT into seated exercises results in further improvement in physical performance of older adults. CBE-PRT may be recommended as an exercise routine for older adults living in the community

Impacts of community-based rehabilitation program (centre-based care vs. home-based care) on health outcomes among children with disabilities in east coast region of Peninsular Malaysia

Objective: Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is one of the realistic and necessary programs to assist vast numbers of people with disabilities including children to improve their health outcomes and quality of life. Thus, this study aimed to determine the impacts of CBR program on health outcomes of children participated in CBR programme. Methods: The cross-sectional study design was conducted in three states in east coast region of peninsular Malaysia and employed two sampling methods which were multi-staged sampling method and universal sampling method. A total of 297 children registered with the Department of Social Welfare as CBR trainee during the period of study were recruited. The Barthel Index of Activities of Daily Living, Developmental Disability–Children Global Assessment Scale, and Health Related Quality of Life were used to assess the health outcomes of children with disability participated in CBR programmes. The health outcomes were compared for current score during data collection with previous 6 months, and children who changed type of programme within data collection period were excluded. Results: The result showed that children in centre-based care had significantly more favorable developmental disability, quality of life, and quality adjusted life years compared to home-based programme, where p < 0.001 respectively. Conclusions: Centre-based care has better impact on health outcomes compared to the home-based care. However, this study observed the effects only a one-time score which might have underestimated the ongoing benefit in terms of health outcomes

Cabaran dalam pembelajaran kursus neurologi, strategi mengatasinya dan cadangan penambahbaikan dalam kalangan pelajar sains rehabilitasi di Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Neurologi telah dikenalpasti sebagai kursus yang mencabar dalam pengajian perubatan dan sains kesihatan. Persepsi pelajar perlu diterokai bagi mengenalpasti isu berkaitan pembelajaran kursus neurologi. Namun, kajian melibatkan pelajar sains rehabilitasi masih terhad. Kajian kualitatif ini bertujuan meneroka persepsi pelajar sains rehabilitasi terhadap kursus neurologi dan pembelajarannya di Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Sejumlah 12 pelajar cemerlang dari empat disiplin sains rehabilitasi iaitu fisioterapi, terapi cara kerja, sains pertuturan serta audiologi telah menyertai kajian ini. Semua peserta menjalani perbincangan kumpulan fokus (PKF) selama satu jam dan sebanyak dua sesi di satu bilik senyap di Fakulti Sains Kesihatan, UKM. Sesi PKF dilaksanakan oleh seorang penyelidik pelajar terlatih dan menggunakan protokol temubual yang telah diuji. Skop perbincangan merangkumi persepsi terhadap kursus neurologi, cabaran dalam proses pembelajarannya dan strategi bagi mengatasi cabaran. Data terakam dari PKF ditranskripsi secara verbatim dan dianalisis menggunakan pendekatan analisis bertema. Hasil analisis menunjukkan neurologi sememangnya dianggap kursus paling sukar dalam pengajian sains rehabilitasi. Cabaran yang dihadapi pelajar termasuklah melalui sesi kuliah yang membosankan, sesi amali yang tidak mencukupi, cabaran sepanjang penempatan klinikal dan situasi peperiksaan yang mencabar. Peserta kajian menggunakan beberapa strategi tersendiri bagi mengatasi cabaran yang dialami. Penambahbaikan terhadap beberapa aspek pengajaran telah dicadangkan bagi mengurangkan cabaran dan tahap kesukaran kursus neurologi. Kesimpulannya, neurologi dilihat sebagai kursus yang mencabar dan pendekatan pengajaran sedia ada perlu ditambahbaik bagi meningkatkan keberhasilan pembelajaran kursus ini

Outcome of chair-based exercise on physical performance and quality of life of older women : a preliminary study in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Chair based exercise (CBE) is an exercise alternative for older adults in ensuring safety during exercise. Its evidence of effectiveness is currently limited to frail older adults or those with acute medical conditions or terminal illnesses. Given higher exercise difficulty level, CBE could benefit healthier older adults and can be an exercise option for this population. This study was designed to evaluate the outcome of a CBE on physical performance and quality of life in community-dwelling older women in Malaysia. A total of 18 older women (mean age 66.78 + 4.60 years) completed CBE at twice-per-week for eight weeks. Exercise outcomes were measured using six minutes’ walk test (6MWT), five times sit to stand test (FTSTS) and hand-held dynamometer for physical endurance, functional lower limb strength and grip strength, respectively. A Malay version of the World Health Organization quality of life scale (WHOQOL-BREFMalay) was used to measure the health status and QOL of the participants. All data were analysed with the use of inferential statistics, with significance level set at p<0.05. The mean distance walked in 6MWT improved after CBE (p<0.001), indicating greater physical endurance. Significant improvements were also found in the overall QOL, and in the general health, physical health, psychological and environment domains of the WHOQOL-BREFMalay (p<0.05). However, no significant changes were demonstrated in the FTSTS and grip strength following the exercise. CBE enhances physical endurance and quality of life among older women in the selected community and can be an exercise option for this population

Does neurophobia exist among rehabilitation sciences students? A survey at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Neurophobia, defined as ‘the fear of neural sciences and neurology’ is reported among medical students, which threatened their performance in neurology course. This phenomenon has not been studied among rehabilitation sciences students despite the significance of neurology as an area for rehabilitation. In this study we aim to assess the perceptions of neurology course and the possibility of neurophobia existence among rehabilitation sciences students of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). We also aimed to identify learning methods which are regarded as useful among the students. A survey using self-administered questionnaires was conducted among 73 students from School of Rehabilitation Sciences of the university. Questions in the questionnaire were adapted from previous studies, in which neurophobia was indicated by poor knowledge and low confidence level in managing neurology course. Results showed that the percentage of participants who perceived having good knowledge of neurology was significantly higher than the percentage who claimed of having poor knowledge level (90.4% versus 9.6%, p < 0.01). Similarly, the percentage of participants who claimed having high confidence to handle neurology cases was higher than the percentage who expressed lack of confidence (79.2% versus 20.8%, p = 0.03). However, neurology course was perceived as difficult by majority of the participants (78.1%) when compared to other courses. Majority of the participants (97.3%) perceived clinical teaching as a useful method of learning rehabilitation science courses including neurology followed by problem-based learning (90.4%). While limited exposure to neurology cases was claimed as the main reason to why neurology is difficult. In conclusion, although neurology is perceived as a difficult course among rehabilitation sciences students, the students did not report lack of knowledge and confidence in the course. This implies that neurophobia does not exist among UKM rehabilitation students. Enhancement of learning methods may assist in reducing the level of difficulty of neurology course among the students