Prevalence of Nonspecific Low Back Pain in Schoolchildren in North-Eastern Slovenia

The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of the nonspecific low back pain (LBP) in a population of schoolchildren in Maribor, north-eastern Slovenia.100 children from an elementary school (age 11–15 y) and 90 children from a secondary school (age 17–18 y) were included in the study and investigated with a structured Watson questionnaire to assess low back pain prevalence, symptom characteristics, psychosocial factors, demographic, and anthropometric items. The data was statistically analysed using the SPSS software. 43% of children from elementary schools and 44% of children from secondary schools experienced back pain which lasted more than one day. No correlations between LBP and anthropometric items were found. Schoolchildren spend approximately 2 hours for learning, 2–3 hours for watching TV and approximately 2 hours for playing or working with the computer. Among important reasons for LBP, 44% of children mentioned carrying a school bag, 28% sitting on school chairs, and 18% intensive sport activity. Clinical examination of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine has shown that 12% of primary children and 12% of secondary children have increased cervical lordosis and 15% of primary schoolchildren have increased lumbar lordosis. In 5% of schoolchildren we found mild spinal scoliotic changes. Among our schoolchildren sedentary behaviour and low physical activity dominate. LBP may have an impact on their daily life, therefore it is important to recognise and treat it as soon as possible

Changes of Bone Structures in Osteoporosis as a Contraindication for the Metods of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Before every particular manipulative treatment wright and exact diagnosis of bone changes is needed. lt could be measured and diagnosed by X-rays or other diagnostic proceedures which could show the structure of bones and joints. Apsolute contraindicaion for osteopatic manipulation are osteoprotic changes on the local and systemic level and relative for vertebral spine and vertibral joints. Results of non compliense and ignoring of contraindications as well as malpractise of manual treatment could be catastrophic and probably fatal

ŽIVOTNE I AKADEMSKE AKTIVNOSTI ZASLUŽNIH I UMIROVLJENIH PROFESORA SVEUČILIŠTA U MARIBORU

Higher education lecturers go through a long developmental path from graduate students to academic title of professor. On this path, the most delicate period is the retirement. The age of 60 or 65, which is approximately the same as the retirement age in most developed countries, is supposed to be the onset of old age. Today, when we live longer and healthier, irreparable damage would occur if society and the state didn’t take advantage of the knowledge, wisdom and skills that senior professors have accumulated throughout their careers. The vast majority of senior professors could still contribute and participate in the development of society. In our article, we presented the results of a survey regarding the academic and life activities of senior professors, members of the Center for Retired and Distinguished higher education teachers of the University of Maribor. The results showed that the vast majority of retired and professors emeriti were still active in academic life and contributed to the development and functioning of the University.Visokoškolski učitelji prolaze dugi razvojni put od diplomanta do profesora. Na tom putu je jedno od najdelikatnijih razdoblja odlazak u mirovinu. Starost od 60 ili 65 godina, otprilike ista kao i starost za umirovljenje u većini razvijenih zemalja, označava početak starosti. Danas, kada živimo duže i zdravije, događa se nepopravljiva šteta ako društvo i država ne iskoriste znanje, mudrost i vještine koje je starija generacija akademika akumulirala tijekom svoje karijere. Velika većina starijih profesora može doprinijeti i sudjelovati u razvoju društva. U ovom članku prikazujemo rezultate istraživanja o akademskim i životnim aktivnostima članova Centra za umirovljene i zaslužne profesore Sveučilišta u Mariboru. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da je velika većina umirovljenih i zaslužnih profesora aktivna u akademskom životu i konstruktivno doprinosi razvoju i djelovanju Sveučilišta

PREGLED UTEMELJENJA I DJELOVANJA LIJEČNIČKIH DRUŠTAVA NA PODRUČJU DONJE ŠTAJERSKE

In the 1860s, the medical societies in Habsburg Monarchy, undertook a part of the medical postgraduate training. Doctors and wound surgeons from Ljubljana established medical association in October 1861 («Ärztlicher Leseverein in Laibach»). At a meeting in October 1862 they decided to include all the doctors and wound surgeons from the Carniola region. Following the organization was renamed Medical Association in Carniola («Verein der Ärzte in Krain»). A similar provincial association was founded by the Styrian doctors in Graz as early as in May 1862 («Verein der Ärzte in Steiermark»). Similar medical associations were also established in the Lower Styria in the 1870s. The most important medical association was established in Maribor in 1876. Another medical association was established in Celje in 1877 and one in the Ptuj-Ljutomer region in 1877. As the associations were mostly communicating in German, this might have been the reason for the establishment of the Slovene medical society in Celje in 1906. The Slovenian national consciousness began to strengthen across the territory of today’s Slovenia. Already after the First World War in 1918, they managed to achieve the establishment of the Slovene Medical Society. Due to the events during the Second World War, a uniform Slovene medical association was established in 1947.Uvođenjem ustavne monarhije, šezdesetih su godina XIX. stoljeća dio poslijediplomskog obrazovanja liječnika preuzela liječnička društva u regionalnim granicama tadašnje Habsburške Monarhije. Liječnici i ranarnici u Ljubljani ustanovili su svoje strukovno udruženje u listopadu 1861. (Ärztlicher Leseverein in Laibach). Udruženje je u listopadu sljedeće godine uključilo sve liječnike i ranarnike Kranjske dežele i preimenovalo se u Društvo liječnika Kranjske (Verein der Aerzte in Krain). Slično udruženje ustanovili su liječnici Štajerske u Grazu u svibnja 1862. (Verein der Ärzte in Steiermark). Sedamdesetih godina XIX. stoljeća slična su liječnička društva pokrenuta i u Donjoj Štajerskoj. Najvažnije je ustanovljeno u Mariboru 1876., zatim u Celju (1877.) te za kotar Ptuj-Ljutomer (1877.). Društva su djelovala većinom na njemačkom jeziku pa je zbog toga 1906. u Celju ustanovljeno i Slovensko liječničko društvo Celje. Odmah nakon Prvoga svjetskog rata, 1918., ustanovljeno je Slovensko liječničko društvo. Nakon Drugoga svjetskog rata, 1947., stvoreno je jedinstveno Slovensko liječničko društvo

The Benefits of Regular Kinesiotherapy Once a Week for Postmenopausal Women: an Aged-Matched Study

Regular exercise training improves overall physical fitness and quality of life in postmenopausal women. The exigent training frequency depends on a user-specified training aim. The aim of this study was to confirm the benefits of regular once a week exercise training for the maintenance of fitness in postmenopausal women. The test group included 20 postmenopausal women (65±3.1 years) who have been attending the exercise training program conducted by the physiotherapist once a week for three years. The age-matched control group included 20 healthy women (65.5±2.4 years) who did not regularly attend the training program. The outcomes were: right and left lateral trunk flexion, right and left shoulder flexion, right and left grip strength, endurance capacity of the trunk extensors, lower limb muscle strength (1’ chair stand test), and balance (one-leg standing duration time with eyes open and closed). Women from the test group achieved statistically significant better results in the following outcomes: right lateral trunk flexion (15.4 cm: 12.6 cm, p<0.001), left lateral trunk flexion (15.4 cm: 12.6 cm, p=0.001), trunk extension muscle endurance (53.4 s: 40.5 s, p<0.001), lower limb muscle strength (28.4 x: 25 x, p<0.001), and one-leg standing duration time with open eyes (33.5 s: 19.7 s, p<0.001). The results suggest that a regular once a week exercise training program designed and conducted by the physiotherapist, may be helpful in the improvement or maintenance of flexibility, muscle strength and capacity, and balance in postmenopausal women. The better fitness proved by our study could be a result of other causes and not solely that of the designed training program

POUZDANOST NAVIKULARNOG DROP TESTA PRI MJERENJU PRONACIJE STOPALA

The navicular drop test was used as an indicator of foot pronation. It is defined as the distance between the original height of the navicular from the floor, with the foot on the floor in sitting in the subtalar neutral position, and the final weight-bearing position of the navicular in relaxed stance. This measurement is thought to represent the sagittal plane displacement of the navicular bone from a neutral position to a relaxed standing position. The purpose of this study was to test intra-rater reliability of a method for measuring the navicular drop. Fourteen healthy subjects, mean age 34.5±5.68 years, participated in the reliability study. Foot pronation was assessed using the navicular drop test. Measurements of the navicular drop were performed three times on each foot, one day apart and were averaged for statistical analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (SPSS 10, for Windows). Intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.78 and 0.88 for the dominant and non- dominant leg respectively. The results demonstrated moderate to good intra-rater reliability for use of the navicular drop test for measuring foot pronation in clinical settings.Navicular drop test je upotrebljen kao indikator pronacije noge. Definira se kao razlika između visine navikularke od poda, u sjedećem položaju kad je noga na podlozi u subtalarnoj neutralnoj poziciji, i konačnom opterećenju navikularke u relaksiranom položaju. Mjerenje predstavlja pomak sagitalne ravnine navikularne kosti iz neutralne pozicije u stojeću neutralnu poziciju. Svrha studije je testiranje pouzdanosti intra-rater testa za mjerenje navikularnog pada. U studiji je sudjelovalo četrnaest zdravih osoba, prosječne starosti 34,5±5,68 godina. Pronacija noge je ocjenjena upotrebom navicular drop testa. Mjerenja navikularnog pada su izvršena tri puta na svakoj nozi, svaki drugi dan. Rezultati su bili statističko analizirani, upotrebom SPSS (SPSS 10, za Windowse).Koeficijent korelacije između različitih parametara je bio 0,78 i 0,88 za dominantnu odnosnu nedominantnu nogu. Rezultati pokazuju umjerenu do dobru intra-rater pouzdanost za upotrebu navikularnog drop testa za mjerenje pronacije noge u kliničkim okvirima

The Impact of Anthropometric Parameters on the Incidence of Low Back Pain

Endogenic factors as one of possible reasons for low back pain were investigated and discussed in this study. The study included 122 male bus drivers, average age 44.2 years, average period of active service 24.4 years. The following anthropometric indexes have been calculated: Quetelet’s index, percentage of body fat, relative body weight, Olivier’s typologic index, Lorenz’s constitution index and muscle index. According to inquiry form regarding history of low back pain the subjects were divided in two groups: 36 had no low back pain history and 76 had a history of recurrent low back pain. The results showed statistically nonsignificant differences in the anthropometric parameters and the calculated indexes between these two groups of subjects. The chosen subject sample showed that nutritional status, body build, constitution and muscular development are not associated with the incidence of low back pain