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.

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.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges in a Military Recruit Training Center of the Hellenic Navy: A Retrospective Analysis of the Poros Registry Serving as a Quality Improvement Project for Medical Officers.

Introduction: Basic military training (BMT) has been associated with increased morbidity burden. Nevertheless, the exact epidemiology of the encountered cases in the BMT of Greek recruits has never been assessed. The aim of this quality improvement project was to investigate for the first time the clinical patterns, rates, and severity of symptoms leading recruits to visit the infirmary of a recruit training center and use this knowledge to provide a practical guidance for the physicians in charge.

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.

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.

The Greek version of the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire: Cross-cultural adaptation and validation amongst women with urinary incontinence.

Objectives: As in Greek settings there is a need to develop validated patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for pelvic floor dysfunction, this study's aim was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire (APFQ) into Greek, a 42-item PRO for routine urogynaecological evaluation of four domains; bladder, bowel, prolapse and sexual function.

Study Design: Cross-cultural translation was completed through official multistage forward and back-translation process. Validation involved administering the adapted APFQ (APFQ_GR) to women visiting Greek community-based healthcare settings.

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.

Functional activity and communication-social ability of youths with developmental disabilities: a qualitative study.

[Purpose] To describe the functional activity and the communication-social ability levels of youths with developmental disabilities and to determine whether demographic factors predict these levels. [Participants and Methods] A mixed, observational and qualitative, study in which parents of students with developmental disabilities were interviewed based on the WeeFIM questions. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analysed.

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.

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.

The effects of free weights and isoinertial resistance during semisquatting exercise on amateur soccer players' physical performance indicators: a randomized controlled study.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two lower extremity strengthening programs using isoinertial resistance or free weights on amateur soccer players' physical performance indicators.

Methods: Thirty-five amateur soccer players (average age 22.6±5.

The Effects of Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization, Tissue Flossing, and Kinesiology Taping on Shoulder Functional Capacities in Amateur Athletes.

Context: Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), tissue flossing, and kinesiology taping are increasingly popular treatments among athletes for improving functional performance, despite limited evidence for their efficacy.

Objective: Previous research regarding the efficacy of soft tissues and neuromuscular techniques on improving functional capacity of shoulder joints in athletes has yielded conflicting results. We examined the immediate and short-term effects of IASTM, flossing, and kinesiology taping on the functional capacities of amateur athletes' shoulders.

Cross-cultural validation of the start back screening tool in a Greek low back pain sample.

Background: Keele STarT Back Screening Tool (SBST) is a popular 9-item prognostic recovery questionnaire for low back pain (LBP) with validation studies in several cultural settings, but not Greek.

Objectives: The cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the SBST into Greek among LBP and LBP-associated leg pain patients.

Methods: A five-stage forward-backward translation procedure developed the Greek SBST.