Comparative efficacy of kneading massage and pulsed mode ultrasound in the management of chronic knee osteoarthritis

Introduction. Osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common presentation of osteoarthritis with prevalence between 12% and 35% of general population and is considered the leading cause of musculoskeletal disability in the elderly population worldwide. Aim. The study compared efficacy of kneading massage and pulsed ultrasound on pain, joint stiffness and difficulty in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Material and methods. Fifty subjects with radiological evidence of KOA participated in the study. They were randomly allocated into kneading massage group (KMG) (25) and Ultrasound group (USG) (25). KMG received kneading massage for 7 minutes while USG received pulsed mode ultrasound for 15 minutes. Treatment was twice in a week for six weeks. Pain intensity (PI), joint stiffness and difficulty were assessed pre, 3rd and 6th weeks of treatment session with semantic differential scale and WOMAC. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, alpha level was set at 0.05 Results. There was a significant difference in present PI (F=11.45,P=0.001) and stiffness (F= 11.32, P=0.003) in USG. There was a significant reduction in PI (F=7.95, P=0.001) and joint stiffness (F=8.86, P=0.003) in KMG. At the 6th week, there was a significant differences in PI (t=12.23,P=0.000) and stiffness (t=8.08, P=0.000) when USG (3.00+0.4, vs 7.14+ 1.49) was compared with KMG (3.16+0.5 vs 7.50+1.5). Conclusion. Ultrasound (US) and kneading massage (KM) reduced PI and joint stiffness of KOA effectively; however US reduced PI than KM while KM reduces joint stiffness than US

Effect of vertical oscillatory pressure on disability of patients with chronic mechanical low back pain using Roland Morris Disability questionnaire

Prevalence of low back pain (LBP) among Africans is rising. Many adults in any given year experience low back pain at one time or the other, this should be of concern. It is then imperative to research into how to reduce the disability caused by LBP. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Vertical Oscillatory Pressure (VOP) on the pain and disability of patients with mechanical low back pain. A total of 84 patients (34 males and 50 females) diagnosed with mechanical low back pain were purposely selected to participate in the study after obtaining their consent. The pain intensity of all the patients was assessed individually using Present Pain Intensity (PPI) on the first day of their appointment in addition to other examinations. Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) was also administered to all patients individually on the first day of report to the clinic. This is pre test record. VOP was then administered to each patient twice in a week for 6 weeks making 12 treatment sessions. Pain intensity and disability were assessed regularly every week of appointment for the 6-week period using PPI and RMDQ (post-test) by another physiotherapist in order to avoid bias. The difference between the first week score of RMDQ and the 6th week score was calculated and the percentage of improvement was determined. Dependent t–test was used to compare the pre and post test values and an alpha level of 0.05 was set as level of significance. An independent t-test was used to analyse the difference between male and female values. Result revealed that the maximum complaint of patients using RMDQ showed a significant disability for males but not for females, and the rate of improvement of male was higher than that of females. There were significant differences (P<.001) between the pre-test and post test measurements of PPI and RMDQ, respectively. The rate of improvement in males was significantly higher than that of females. The study concluded that VOP can be useful in ameliorating pain and disability of patients with low back pain

Effects of bridging and V-sitting exercises on pain intensity and disability of patients with non-specific chronic low-back pain

Introduction. Exercises are important in the management of non-specific chronic low-back pain (NSCLBP). Aim. The study compared the effects of bridging and V-sitting exercises on pain and disability of patients with NSCLBP. Material and methods. 34 patients with NSCLBP recruited for the study were allocated into V-sitting (VSG) and Bridging Exercise group (BEG) equally. Participants in VSG and BEG groups performed V-sitting and bridging exercises respectively for 10 seconds, three times in a week for three weeks under a supervision of one of the authors. Each participants underwent ten sessions per a treatment regimen. Pain intensity and disability were assessed at the pre-intervention, second and third weeks using verbal rating scale and Rolland Morris Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire prospectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, alpha level was set at 0.05 Results. There was a significant reduction in the third week (P < 0.001) in both VSG and BEG group of pain intensity and disability comparing the pre intervention, second and third week values. There was a significant reduction in the 3rd week VSG’s pain intensity (F=27.34 P<0.001) and disability (F=14.96, P<0.001) compared with BEG. Conclusion. V-sitting and bridging exercises were effective in management of patients with NSCLP, but V-sitting seems more effective

Body composition of Kwara state basketball players - implications for peak performance: Body composition of Kwara state basketball players - implications for peak performance

This study was carried out to evaluate the body composition of Basketball players in Kwara State, Nigeria. Physical characteristics of age, height and weight, the percentage body fat, fat mass, fat free mass and muscle mass were measured using standardized methods. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants made up of twelve (12) junior and fifteen (15) senior male basketball players. Portable Bathroom-type Hanson, scale (model B1801) was used to measure weight in kilogrammes, Holtain Stadiometre for height in centimetres and Slim-guide Skinfold callipers (model MI 48170, U.S.A). One-way ANOVA was used to analyse the difference in physical characteristics of the participants; t-test was used to determine difference in the body composition of the senior and junior basketball players. Significant difference was found in the body composition. The senior team had significantly higher fat free muscle mass and less fat and percentage body fat (4.69) that was too low for continuous vigorous intensity workout. However, there were no significant differences in the fat mass and fat free mass; while significant difference was found in percent body fat, BMI and muscle mass of both the senior and junior teams. This implies that the senior team has better musculature than the junior team. It was concluded that there is need for nutritional intervention and carbohydrate loading prior to performance to meet up the energy demand for daily training programme and during performance in order to improve performance ability of the senior basketball players

Therapeutic efficacy of Lofnac Gel via phonophoresis in the management of chronic nonspecific low back pain: A randomised controlled trial

Background: The prevalence of nonspecific low back pain is very high among Nigerians and in Africa. Lofnac Gel is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory gel that has been used to treat musculoskeletal pain, but its efficacy on nonspecific low back pain is inconclusive. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the therapeutic efficacy of Lofnac Gel in the management of nonspecific low back pain. Methods: Seventy patients diagnosed with mechanical low back pain of 3 months' duration were divided into two groups: experimental group (n = 35) and control group (n = 35). Participants in both groups were placed on supervised strengthening exercises for multifidus muscles of the low back. The experimental group was placed on ultrasound phonophoresis therapy with Lofnac Gel (with diclofenac and methyl salicylate as active ingredients), whereas the control group was placed on ultrasound with water as coupling medium. The treatment was applied twice per week for 6 weeks. Present pain intensity and disability were measured before treatment, and in the 3rd week and 6th week of treatment. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and post hoc analysis was carried out when necessary. Results: There was a significant difference between the pre- and posttreatment pain intensity and disability index for both the experimental (F = 17.947, p < 0.001; F = 20.712, p < 0.001) and control (F = 14.791, p < 0.001; F = 10.418, p < 0.001) groups. There was also a significant difference between the experimental and control group data in terms of pain intensity (F = 28.76, p < 0.001) and disability index (F = 39.817, p < 0.001) in the 6th week. Conclusion: Exercise combined with Lofnac phonophoresis was more effective in the management of patients with chronic low back pain than exercise and ultrasound alone

Transverse oscillatory pressure in management of cervical radiculopathy: A randomised controlled study

Background: Cervical radiculopathy is an important subgroup of neck disorders causing severe pain and disability. Objectives: The study assessed the effect of transverse oscillatory pressure (TOP) on pain intensity and functional disability of patients with cervical radiculopathy. Methods: Twenty-six individuals with unilateral radiating neck pain were randomly allocated into Group A (8 males and 5 females) and Group B (6 males and 7 females). Participants in the two groups received kneading massage, cryotherapy, and active isometric exercises to the posterior paraspinal muscles, trapezuis, and sternomastoid muscles. TOP was administered to Group A, whereas Group B served as control. Treatment was applied three times per week for 4 weeks, making 12 treatment sessions for each participant. Visual analogue scale and Neck Disability Index were used to assess pain intensity and neck disability, respectively, at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. Data were analysed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: There was a significant improvement in pain intensity and neck functional disability of patients between baseline, 2nd week, and 4th week of treatment sessions in Groups A and B (p < 0.05). There was a significant reduction in pain intensity in Group A (f = 7.08, p < 0.05) at the 2nd week and 4th week compared with Group B. Conclusion: It can be concluded that TOP reduces pain faster in patients with cervical radiculopathy

Assessment of Nigerian physiotherapy students’ knowledge, attitudes and awareness of physiotherapy roles in the prevention and management of Covid-19: a nationwide online survey

This cross-sectional study assessed Nigerian Physiotherapy students’ knowledge, attitudes and awareness of the roles of physiotherapy in the prevention and management of COVID-19.  Four hundred (400) Nigerian physiotherapy students responded to the survey via an electronic (WhatsApp) questionnaire. The survey revealed a high degree of COVID-19 awareness (98.3%) with the social media (83.3%), especially WhatsApp (70.8%), indicated as the. main source of information. 52% of the respondents exhibited a good level of knowledge of the virus, as well as anti-COVID-19 precautions and hygiene. The level of knowledge correlated with the participants’ ages; the final year (class v) had the highest knowledge score (40). While Nigerian physiotherapy students demonstrate a high level of awareness with regard to the virus and its transmission, the level of knowledge relating to physiotherapy roles in COVID-19 appears to be low

Physiotherapists’ Knowledge, Attitude and Willingness to Care for Covid-19 Patients: a Nationwide Survey in Nigeria

Introduction: COVID-19 requires an all-inclusive task sharing/shifting approach by clinical professions in order to stem the tide of the pandemic. Physiotherapists have, therefore, potential for front line duties to COVID-19 patients as part of their traditional role in acute care for patients with respiratory complications. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and willingness of physiotherapists to care for patients with COVID-19 at the onset of the pandemic. Method: An electronic (WhatsApp) survey of 210 licenced physiotherapists was conducted from March 2020 to July 2020 using an adapted questionnaire from a previous validated tool. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The physiotherapists displayed a high level of awareness (99.0%) about COVID-19, and the social media (96.2%), especially WhatsApp (74.8%), was the main source of information on COVID-19. 28.6% of the respondents had a sufficient level of knowledge of COVID-19. The knowledge about COVID-19 was significantly influenced by educational qualifications (p = 0.00). Also, 77.1%, 74.8% and 87.1% of the respondents werewilling to provide care for patients with COVID-19, be part of front-line care team, and care for COVID-19 survivors, respectively. Conclusion: Nigerian physiotherapists displayed an appreciable level of knowledge of COVID-19 at the onset of the pandemic. The surveyed physiotherapists were also willing to provide care for COVID-19 patients and survivors, as well as to be part of the COVID-19 front-line care team for

Classification criteria for cervical radiculopathy : An international e-Delphi study

Background: Establishing a set of uniform classification criteria (CC) for cervical radiculopathy (CR) is required to aid future recruitment of homogenous populations to clinical trials.Objectives: To establish expert informed consensus on CC for CR. Design: A pre-defined four round e-Delphi study in accordance with the guidance on Conducting and Reporting Delphi Studies. Methods: Individuals with a background in physiotherapy who had authored two or more peer-reviewed publications on CR were invited to participate. The initial round asked opinions on CC for CR. Content analysis was performed on round one output and a list of discrete items were generated forming the round two survey. In rounds two to four, participants were asked to rate the level of importance of each item on a six-point Likert scale. Data were analysed descriptively using median, interquartile range and percentage agreement. Items reaching pre-defined consensus criteria were carried forward to the next round. Items remaining after the fourth round constituted expert consensus on CC for CR. Results: Twelve participants participated with one drop out. The final round identified one inclusion CC and 12 exclusion CC. The inclusion CC that remained achieved 82% agreement and was a cluster criterion consisting of radicular pain with arm pain worse than neck pain; paraesthesia or numbness and/or weakness and/or altered reflex; MRI confirmed nerve root compression compatible with clinical findings.Conclusions: The CC identified can be used to inform eligibility criteria for future CR trials although caution should be practiced as consensus on measurement tools requires further investigation