Are There any Relations Between Posture and Pelvic Floor Disorders? A Literature Review

Objective: Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) include a wide variety of diseases. According to biomechanical theories, it can be suspected that there are relations between posture and PFDs. This review tries to find out if there are any postural, bony or muscular changes in patients with PFDs. Materials and Methods: Relevant key words were used to search in different databases such as Medline, Cochrane, Elsevier and CINHAL. We found 22 related articles about postural change in patients with PFDs. Results: The results showed increased thoracic kyphosis, decreased lumbar lordosis, wider transverse pelvic inlet and outlet, increased contraction of pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) with ankle in dorsiflexion, increasing protrusion in shoulders and decreasing in the angle of head in patients with PFDs compared to control group in different researches with different methodologies. Conclusion: From this narrative review, it can be concluded that postural changes may be seen more often in women with PFDs so it should be considered in conservative treatment methods in these patients

The Relationship between Neuromuscular Mechanisms and Static and Dynamic Balance of Soccer Players

Objective: The effective variables in maintaining balance come from sensory information that is obtained from sensory-visual, vestibular and visual systems, and is affected by coordination, range of motion and muscle strength. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between neuromuscular mechanisms and the static and dynamic balance of soccer players. Methods: In an analytical observational study, among the football players of the Shahdari Tabriz Club, 45 people were selected to examine the relationship between strength, joint strength, proprioception and range of motion. The static equilibrium value was measured by means of the equilibrium error assessment (BESS), dynamic equilibrium by Y test, knee range of motion and proprioception using an electrogunometer and chest and hamstring muscle strength and joint force sensation using an isokinetic dynamometer it placed. Finally, using SPSS software version 19 and running the Pearson correlation coefficient, the relationship between variables was evaluated at the significance level of 0.05 Results: The results showed that there wouled be a significant relationship between extensor muscle strength and knee flexion, joint force sensation, proprioception and knee range with static and dynamic balance (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results of the study imply that improvement of knee joint strength in soccer athletes may improve their static and dynamic balance

Effects of telerehabilitation-based respiratory and corrective exercises among the elderly with thoracic hyper-kyphosis: a clinical trial

Abstract Background Aging is associated with changes in the musculoskeletal system, including increased susceptibility to spine malalignments. Utilizing corrective exercises with a therapeutic emphasis can be beneficial in the elderly with thoracic spine hyperkyphosis. Objective This study aimed to investigate the effects of six weeks of telerehabilitation-based respiratory and corrective exercises on quality of life, disability, thoracic kyphosis, craniovertebral angle, shoulder angle, cranial angle, and chest expansion in the elderly with thoracic spine hyperkyphosis. Methods In this clinical trial, a total of 40 participants aged 60 and above with thoracic hyperkyphosis were randomly divided into the control (N = 20) and experimental (N = 20) groups. The experimental group performed the corrective exercises for six weeks (3 sessions per week). The control group performed general stretching exercises during the same time period. We measured the outcomes of quality of life, disability, thoracic kyphosis, craniovertebral angle, shoulder angle, cranial angle, and lung expansion before and after the intervention. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to analyze the data. A P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Quality of life (P < 0.001, Effect Size (ES): 0.44), chest expansion (P < 0.001, ES: 0.56), thoracic kyphosis angle (P < 0.001, ES: 0.31), craniovertebral (P < 0.001, ES: 0.33), cranial (P < 0.001, ES: 0.38), and shoulder (P = 0.005, ES: 0.20) angles were significantly improved in the experimental group as compared with controls. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of physical ability (P = 0.251, ES: 0.04). Conclusion It is therefore recommended that online corrective exercises be used in the rehabilitation protocol to improve the quality of life, posture, chest expansion, and disability in the elderly with thoracic kyphosis

Effectiveness of virtual reality-based exercise therapy in rehabilitation: A scoping review

Background: When it comes to rehabilitation following many injuries and disabilities, exercise therapy is a long, arduous, and tedious process. Therefore, there is a need to employ new methods to increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of the exercises, and to boost motivation and satisfaction of the patients in a way that they can better perform the exercises. In this regard, virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that can be an effective tool in mitigating therapeutic challenges. Objectives: The main objective of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of VR-based exercise therapy to highlight areas for future studies in rehabilitation. Methods: The scoping review methodology was used to comprehensively search for and identify related papers in MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, IEEE, and Web of Science, while grey literature was also searched. Studies that used VR for exercise therapy were included in the current review. Quality assessment was performed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database. The consensus was reached following two reviewers’ independent inclusion screening, data extraction, and appraisal. Results: Among 2887 identified studies, 26 papers were eligible to be included in this review. The results showed the positive effects of VR-based exercise therapy in a variety of conditions or disorders. With regard to treatment objectives, VR-based exercise therapy has been more commonly considered for the improvement of pain (41%), functional ability (31%), and muscular strength (24%). According to the findings, compared to other VR devices, Nintendo Wii and Kinect are 41% and 24% more common, respectively. Conclusions: This review provides evidence for the potential effectiveness of virtual reality-based exercise therapy for the improvement of rehabilitation outcomes. However, further higher-quality research is needed to confirm the observed positive effects

Additional file 1 of Effects of telerehabilitation-based respiratory and corrective exercises among the elderly with thoracic hyper-kyphosis: a clinical trial

Additional file 1: Supplementary1. The raw data and material analyzed in this study

IMU design process.

a The schematic output from Altium designer software. b Designed PCB for the designed module. c Show axes on IP: 192.168.4.1. d Chips assembly on PCB. e Pitch and roll outputs in Unity environment.</p

The design process of game-based VR on FHP correction.

The design process of game-based VR on FHP correction.</p

Overview of participations information.

Forward Head Posture (FHP) is one of the most commonly occurring musculoskeletal abnormalities. Despite exercise therapy being an effective approach for FHP treatment, it can be long, monotonous, and tedious. Virtual reality (VR) can be used as an innovative solution to address these challenges. We designed an affordable and immersive VR-based exercise therapy (VRET) system for FHP correction. The VRET contents (i.e., exercises and VR scenarios) were determined by physiotherapists and game designers at the focus group meetings. Hardware requirements include a VR box, smartphone, and sensors (i.e., a smartphone accelerometer and an affordable Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)) to measure head motions and transfer them via Wi-Fi to the VRET system. The IMU was designed using the MPU6050, Arduino Nano, and ESP8266-01S. Gwet’s AC1, Game Experience Questionnaires (GEQ), and System Usability Scale (SUS) were used to measure intra-rater reliability, user experience, and system usability, respectively. The determined exercises, including Capital Flexion-Extension and Chin Tuck, were designed in the form of a shooting game. A physiotherapist and twenty-one FHP individuals took part in evaluating the system. High precision was obtained for the designed IMU (i.e., pitch and roll </div

Approved exercises in the focus group session.

Forward Head Posture (FHP) is one of the most commonly occurring musculoskeletal abnormalities. Despite exercise therapy being an effective approach for FHP treatment, it can be long, monotonous, and tedious. Virtual reality (VR) can be used as an innovative solution to address these challenges. We designed an affordable and immersive VR-based exercise therapy (VRET) system for FHP correction. The VRET contents (i.e., exercises and VR scenarios) were determined by physiotherapists and game designers at the focus group meetings. Hardware requirements include a VR box, smartphone, and sensors (i.e., a smartphone accelerometer and an affordable Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)) to measure head motions and transfer them via Wi-Fi to the VRET system. The IMU was designed using the MPU6050, Arduino Nano, and ESP8266-01S. Gwet’s AC1, Game Experience Questionnaires (GEQ), and System Usability Scale (SUS) were used to measure intra-rater reliability, user experience, and system usability, respectively. The determined exercises, including Capital Flexion-Extension and Chin Tuck, were designed in the form of a shooting game. A physiotherapist and twenty-one FHP individuals took part in evaluating the system. High precision was obtained for the designed IMU (i.e., pitch and roll </div

The designed holder to fix the smartphone on the forehead and neck of the person.

The designed holder to fix the smartphone on the forehead and neck of the person.</p