Comparison of Inter-Rater and Intra-Rater Reliability of Raters with Different Levels of Experience When Using Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) in Field-Based Screening of Professional Football Players.

It is essential for physical sports therapists to use reliable field-based tests to identify potential injury risk factors in athletes. The purpose of this study was to compare the inter- and intra-rater reliability of experienced and novice raters during use of the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) in a field-based examination of professional football athletes. Thirty-seven male football athletes underwent pre-season LESS assessment.

ACL Injury Etiology in Its Context: A Systems Thinking, Group Model Building Approach.

: Given the complex nature of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, it is important to analyze its etiology with suitable approaches in order to formulate intervention strategies for effective prevention. The present study employs system thinking techniques to develop a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) Model for investigating the risk factors for ACL Injury (CLD-ACLI), through a Group Model Building approach. : A two-stage procedure was applied involving a comprehensive literature review followed by several systems thinking group-modeling co-creation workshops with stakeholders.

The Effects of Motor Imagery on Static and Dynamic Balance and on the Fear of Re-Injury in Professional Football Players with Grade II Ankle Sprains.

Lateral ankle sprains are one of the most frequent athletic injuries in football, causing deficits in balance. Motor Imagery (MI) has been successively included in sports rehabilitation as a complementary therapeutic intervention. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of MI on static and dynamic balance and on the fear of re-injury in professional football players with Grade II ankle sprains.

Association between Chronic Pain and Sarcopenia in Greek Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) Background: Sarcopenia and chronic pain are prevalent syndromes among older adults that negatively affect their quality of life. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronic pain and sarcopenia among Greek community-dwelling older adults. (2) Methods: Older adults >60 years of age were enrolled in this descriptive, cross-sectional study.

The Feasibilty of the Motor Control Home Ergonomics Elderlies' Prevention of Falls (McHeELP) Programme in Patients with Sarcopenia: A Pilot Study.

Objectives: The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility of a three month 'Motor control Home ergonomics Elderlies' Prevention of falls' (McHeELP) programme on muscle mass, muscle strength, functionality, balance and fear of falling among older adults with sarcopenia.

Methods: A feasibility study of the McHeELP programme was performed in patients with sarcopenia. Primary outcome measures included number of participants; number of participants that showed engagement with the programme; adherence rates; data loss in questionnaires and secondary outcome measures; any adverse events, related or not to the intervention programme.

Effectiveness of an On-Field Rehabilitation framework for return to sports in injured male professional football players: a single-blinded, prospective, randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: In football, on-field rehabilitation (OFR) is critical during injury recovery for a player's safe return to sports (RTS). The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an OFR framework for RTS in injured male professional football players.

Trial Design: A prospective block-randomised controlled-parallel trial was conducted (level of evidence 1b).

Reliability and clinical applicability of lower limp strength using an enhanced paper grip strength.

The enhanced paper grip test (EGPT) quantitatively assesses lower limb strength. EGPT assesses the hallux grip force by reacting a pulling force derived from a card, being positioned underneath the participant's hallux. This study aimed to investigate the repeatability and clinical applicability of the EPGT for assessing foot muscle strength.

Towards the Development of a System Dynamics Model for the Prediction of Lower Extremity Injuries.

Acute noncontact Lower Extremity (LE) injuries constitute a significant problem in team sports. Despite extensive research, current knowledge on the risk factors of LE injuries is limited to static simplistic models of instantaneous cause and effect relationships ignoring the time dimension and the embedded complexity of LE injuries. Even though complex systems approaches have been used in various cases to improve policy and intervention effectiveness, there is limited research on predicting and managing LE injuries.

The effectiveness of blood flow restriction training in cardiovascular disease patients: A scoping review.

Therapeutic exercise is integral to the comprehensive rehabilitation of patients with cardiovascular disease and, as such, is recommended by the American Heart Association as a valuable and effective treatment method for such patients. The type of exercise applied to these patients is aerobic and resistance exercise with mild intensities and loads to avoid overloading the cardiovascular system. Blood flow restriction exercise is a novel exercise modality in clinical settings that has in many studies a similar effect on muscle hypertrophy, strength, and cardiovascular response to training at a 70% strength level without blood flow restriction.

Investigation of Real-Time Diagnostic Ultrasound as a Means of Biofeedback Training in Transversus Abdominus Re-Education of Patients with Non-Specific Low Back Pain: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

It is believed that ultrasound-guided imaging of activation/contraction of the deep abdominal muscles (such as transervsus abdominis) is useful for assisting deep muscle re-education, which is often dysfunctional in non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). Thus, this pilot study aimed to evaluate the use of real-time ultrasound (US) as a feedback device for transverse abdominis (TrA) activation/contraction during an exercise program in chronic NSLBP patients. Twenty-three chronic NSLBP patients were recruited and randomly assigned to a US-guided ( = 12, 8 women, 47.

Manual Therapy versus Localisation (Tactile, Sensory Training) in Patients with Non-Specific Neck Pain: A Randomised Clinical Pilot Trial.

Manual therapy (MT) techniques typically incorporate localised touch on the skin with the application of specific kinetic forces. The contribution of localised touch to the effectiveness of MT techniques has not been evaluated. This study investigated the immediate effects of MT versus localisation training (LT) on pain intensity and range of movement (ROM) for neck pain.

Risk of sarcopenia, fear of COVID-19, anxiety, depression and physical activity levels: Associations across patients on hemodialysis within Greece.

Objectives: The purpose of this multicenter cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between SARC-F, fear of COVID 19, anxiety, depression and physical activity in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Methods: This study was conducted in 3 hemodialysis centers in Greece during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sarcopenia risk was assessed using the Greek version of SARC-F (≥4).

Physiotherapists' Perceptions and Willingness to Use Telerehabilitation in Greece: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected the healthcare system and the practice of physiotherapists. Telerehabilitation is an alternative method of delivering physiotherapy services. The aim of this study was to investigate physiotherapists' knowledge, beliefs, and willingness to use telerehabilitation in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cold-Water Immersion and Sports Massage Can Improve Pain Sensation but Not Functionality in Athletes with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of cold-water immersion (CWI) and sports massage on delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in amateur athletes. Sixty male amateur athletes were randomised into four equal groups ( = 15) receiving either CWI, sports massage, their combination, or served as controls after applying plyometric training to their lower extremities. The main outcomes measures were pain, exertion, rectus femoris perimeter, knee flexion range of motion, knee extensors isometric strength and serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels examined before the plyometric training, immediately after the treatment, and 24, 48 and 72 h post exercise.

Neuromuscular control of the lower extremities can be better enhanced by applying ankle taping and kinesiological taping rather than elastic bandaging: a randomized control study in amateur soccer players.

[Purpose] This study evaluated the effects of ankle elastic bandaging, taping, and kinesiology taping on the neuromuscular control of the lower extremities before and after their application and after exercise in soccer athletes. [Participants and Methods] Fifty-five amateur soccer players were randomly divided into four research sub-groups either receiving bandaging (n=15), taping (n=15), and kinesiology taping (n=15) on their ankle or serving as controls (n=10). The dynamic stability of the non-dominant limb was assessed through the star excursion balance test (SEBT) in three research conditions: a) before sports taping application, b) after the application, and c) after a 15 min laboratory simulation of soccer activities.

Low-Load Resistance Training With Blood Flow Restriction Is Effective for Managing Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial.

To evaluate the effect of low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction (LLRT-BFR) when compared to LLRT with sham-BFR in patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET). Randomized controlled trial. Forty-six patients with LET were randomly assigned to a LLRT-BFR or a LLRT with sham-BFR treatment group.

Reliability and Validity of Non-radiographic Methods of Forward Head Posture Measurement: A Systematic Review.

Forward head posture measurement can be conducted using various methods and instruments. The selection of the appropriate method requires the factors of validity and reliability to be considered. This systematic review reports on the reliability and validity of the non-radiographic methods examined for measuring forward head posture.

Prevalence of probable sarcopenia in community-dwelling older Greek people.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence rate of probable sarcopenia and to determine the factors associated with it in older people living in Western Greece.

Methods: Probable sarcopenia was estimated based on cut-off values for handgrip strength (HGS) as recommended by EWGSOP2. Information about socio-demographic, chronic diseases, fear of falls and lifestyle of the participants were also collected.

Acute Effects of Static Self-Stretching Exercises and Foam Roller Self-Massaging on the Trunk Range of Motions and Strength of the Trunk Extensors.

Although the effectiveness of static self-stretching exercises (SSSEs) and foam roller self-massaging (FRSM) in joint range of motion and muscle strength of the lower limbs has been extensively investigated, little is known about their effectiveness on the posterior trunk muscles. The present study aimed to investigate the acute effects of two 7-min SSSEs and FRSM intervention protocols on the range of trunk movements and the strength of the trunk extensors. Twenty-five healthy active males ( = 14) and females ( = 11) performed each intervention separately, one week apart.

The Efficacy of Manual Therapy in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review.

: Osteoarthritis (OA) is among the most common degenerative diseases that induce pain, stiffness and reduced functionality. Various physiotherapy techniques and methods have been used for the treatment of OA, including soft tissue techniques, therapeutic exercises, and manual techniques. The primary aim of this systemic review was to evaluate the short-and long-term efficacy of manual therapy (MT) in patients with knee OA in terms of decreasing pain and improving knee range of motion (ROM) and functionality.

Preseason functional testing in young basketball players: asymmetries and intercorrelations.

[Purpose] The present study aimed to examine the existence and degree of possible asymmetries of functional test performance and their intercorrelations in the lower extremities of young basketball players. [Participants and Methods] Twenty-seven healthy male basketball players (age: 15.52 ± 1.