McConnell patelar taping improves unipodal squat postural control in women with patellofemoral pain syndrome: A randomised trial.

McConnell's patellar taping is indicated for the treatment of women with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, however the literature points to controversial evidence, and does not establish the effect on postural control. This is a randomized trial study that aimed to compare the effect of McConnell taping (MT) with a Placebo taping (PT), during functional tasks that assess dynamic postural control, such as squatting and ascending/descending stairs, using a force platform among women with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). The participants were randomly assigned to two treatment groups: MT (n = 15) and PT (n = 15).

Effects of a Mat Pilates Exercise Program Associated with Photobiomodulation Therapy in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial.

Objective: To investigate the effects of combining a Pilates program with photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP).

Methods: Thirty-eight adults with CNLBP were randomly assigned to two groups: Pilates exercise + active PBMT (PIL + PBMT) or Pilates exercise + sham PBMT (PIL + SHAM). Both groups performed an 8-week mat Pilates program and received PBMT on their lumbar muscles 10 min before and after each session.

Age- and Parkinson-related differences in trunk and lower-limb muscle activation during four balance tasks: A case-control pilot study.

Background: Poor postural control has been reported in people with Parkinson's disease, which could be explained by the changes in muscular activation patterns related to antigravitational muscles. This study aims to measure the muscle activation of antigravitational muscles during balance tasks in individuals, with and without Parkinson's.

Methods: Sixteen (16) participants (9 with Parkinson's), aged ≥65 yrs.

An Innovative EEG-Based Pain Identification and Quantification: A Pilot Study.

Objective: The present pilot study aimed to propose an innovative scale-independent measure based on electroencephalographic (EEG) signals for the identification and quantification of the magnitude of chronic pain.

Methods: EEG data were collected from three groups of participants at rest: seven healthy participants with pain, 15 healthy participants submitted to thermal pain, and 66 participants living with chronic pain. Every 30 s, the pain intensity score felt by the participant was also recorded.

Vibration-induced postural reactions: a scoping review on parameters and populations studied.

Objective: Mechanical vibration is an effective way for externally activating Ia primary endings of the muscle spindles and skin mechanoreceptors. Despite its popularity in proprioception and postural control studies, there is still no review covering the wide variety of vibration parameters or locations used in studies. The main purpose of this scoping review was thus to give an overview of general vibration parameters and to identify, if available, the rationale for justifying methodological choices concerning vibration parameters.

Bilateral Idiopathic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Clinical-Functional Characterization and Efficacy of Two Combined Postoperative Physiotherapeutic Treatments.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of combined association instrument myofascial mobilization (IASTM) and stretching in patients with idiopathic bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) operated on one hand and to analyze the response of the operated (OH) and non-operated (NH) hand according to the sequence of therapies. Research on these parameters has not yet been found in the literature.

Methods: Randomized controlled crossover study with 43 participants using the objective and subjective outcome variables.

Distinctive phases and variability of vibration-induced postural reactions highlighted by center of pressure analysis.

Background: The vibration-induced postural reaction paradigm (VIB-PR) offers a unique way for investigating sensorimotor control mechanisms. Measures of VIB-PR are usually calculated from the whole VIB period, yet recent evidence proposed that distinctive mechanisms are likely at play between the early vs. later phases of the postural reaction.

Impact of plantar fasciitis on postural control and walking in young middle-aged adults.

Purpose: To assess if plantar fasciitis has an impact on postural control and walking pattern from gait analysis across different experimental conditions.

Methods: Thirty participants (n = 15 with plantar fasciitis) performed 5 different balance tasks on a force platform, and the center of pressure (COP) was computed for postural control analysis. Participants were also asked to walk at 3 different speeds on a gait analysis system to compute the spatial-temporal parameters.

Immediate Effect of Lumbosacral Orthosis and Abdominal Drawing-In Maneuver on Postural Control in Adults With Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the immediate effects of lumbosacral orthosis and the abdominal drawing-in maneuver on the trunk postural control of adults with chronic low back pain compared with asymptomatic controls during 1-legged and semi-tandem stances.

Methods: An experimental and comparative study (cross-sectional design) was conducted in a laboratory setting. Twenty adults with chronic low back pain and 20 asymptomatic controls randomly performed 2 postural balance tasks over a force platform, considering 3 experimental conditions: (1) natural posture (baseline-control), (2) lumbosacral orthosis, and (3) abdominal drawing-in maneuver.

Effectiveness of muscle energy technique in patients with nonspecific low back pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of physical disability in the world. The origin of this condition can be due to differents causes, with a specific cause or of unknown mechanical origin,being characterized as unspecific. In this case a physical therapy treatment approach with manual therapy is relevant, which includes the muscle energy technique (MET) classified as a common conservative treatment for pathologies of the spine, mainly in LBP and disability.

Towards the Objective Identification of the Presence of Pain Based on Electroencephalography Signals' Analysis: A Proof-of-Concept.

This proof-of-concept study explores the potential of developing objective pain identification based on the analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) signals. Data were collected from participants living with chronic fibromyalgia pain ( = 4) and from healthy volunteers ( = 7) submitted to experimental pain by the application of capsaicin cream (1%) on the right upper trapezius. This data collection was conducted in two parts: (1) baseline measures including pain intensity and EEG signals, with the participant at rest; (2) active measures collected under the execution of a visuo-motor task, including EEG signals and the task performance index.

tDCS Task-Oriented Approach Improves Function in Individuals With Fibromyalgia Pain. A Pilot Study.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex pain syndrome accompanied by physical disability and loss of daily life activities. Evidences suggest that modulation of the primary motor cortex (M1) by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improves functional physical capacity in chronic pain conditions. However, the gain on physical function in people living with FM receiving tDCS is still unclear.

Reproducibility of dynamometers in handrail format in evaluating handgrip strength and traction in young and older adults.

Background: The aim of the present study was twofold: (1) to assess the reproducibility of two dynamometers in handrail format to measure handgrip strength and traction force in the young and older adults; (2) to compare the handgrip strength and traction of these two populations.

Approach: Twenty-four volunteers (12 older adults and 12 young adults) performed a functional effort related to handgrip strength and traction force during stair climbing. The participants were evaluated two times (separated by one week) using a coupled dynamometer that quantifies the muscular effort in grip and traction simultaneously to simulate stair climbing in bus service.

The Impact of Pain on Functionality, Postural Control and Fall Risk in Woman Aged 45 to 64 Years Old.

Background: Ageing in women is associated with chronic degenerative pain leading to a functional decrease and therefore increase fall risk. It is therefore essential to detect early functional decreases in the presence of pain related to osteoarthritis.

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the impact of pain on functionality, postural control and fall risk in women aged between 45 to 64 years old.

Capacitive electrical stimulation of a conducting polymeric thin film induces human mesenchymal stem cell osteogenesis.

Electroactive materials based on conductive polymers are promising options for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. In the present work, the conducting copolymers of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and poly (d, l-lactic acid) (PEDOT-co-PDLLA) with PEDOT:PDLLA molar ratios of 1:50, 1:25, and 1:5 were synthesized and compared to the insulating macromonomer of EDOT-PDLLA as an experimental control. Bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC-BM) were cultured on the copolymers and the macromonomer thin films inside a bioreactor that induced a capacitive electrical stimulation (CES) with an electric field of 100 mV/mm for 2 h per day for 21 days.

Vitamin D deficiency, functional status, and balance in older adults with osteoarthritis.

Background: Low vitamin D levels are associated with a more severe case of knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, there are few published reports concerning an association between vitamin D deficiency and functional status of individuals with OA and no reports about postural balance in this population.

Aim: To analyze the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and severity, functional status, and balance in elderly patients with OA.

The Impact of Parkinson's Disease on Postural Control in Older People and How Sex can Mediate These Results: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease is most prevalent among elderly people, 65 years and over, and leads to an alteration in motor control associated with postural instability. Current evidence shows that postural control decreases with the aging process. In addition, postural control is more altered in healthy aged men than in women.

Evaluation of the effects of different applications of kinesio taping on postural control in healthy women.

Unlabelled: It has been demonstrated that Kinesio Tape (KT) application has immediate positive effects on balance in healthy individuals, but its mid-term effects have not yet been investigated.

Objective: Evaluate the effects of KT on postural control in young women, using four strategies.

Methods: Forty-eight healthy women aged 18-35 years old were randomly assigned to four groups with different elastic bandages (G1: ankle; G2: hamstrings; G3: lumbar; G4: different taping applications) and their postural control was evaluated using stabilographic parameters obtained on a force platform during right and left unipodal (UNP-R and UNP-L) and semi-tamdem tests at pre-intervention (PRE), immediately after (IME), and 24 and 48 h after the application of bandages.

Vibration of the Whole Foot Soles Surface Using an Inexpensive Portable Device to Investigate Age-Related Alterations of Postural Control.

Standing on a foam surface is used to investigate how aging affect the ability to keep balance when somatosensory inputs from feet soles become unreliable. However, since standing on foam also affects the efficacy of postural adjustments, the respective contributions of sensory and motor components are impossible to separate. This study tested the hypothesis that these components can be untangled by comparing changes of center of pressure (CoP) parameters induced by standing on a foam pad vs.

Photobiomodulation Therapy at 808 nm Does Not Improve Biceps Brachii Performance to Exhaustion and Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness in Young Adult Women: A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Trial.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the effects of laser photobiomodulation (PBM) at 808 nm on biceps brachii performance to exhaustion, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in untrained young women.

Methods: Thirteen young women (20.1 ± 2.

Leucine Supplementation Does Not Improve Muscle Recovery from Resistance Exercise in Young Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Crossover Study.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of free leucine supplementation on muscle recovery from resistance exercise (RE) in young adults. Fourteen untrained subjects (23.9 ± 3.

Strength development according with age and position: a 10-year study of 570 soccer players.

Background/aim: The purpose of this study was to compare the isokinetic peak torque profiles from the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles during concentric and eccentric contractions in elite Brazilian soccer players across different field positions and age categories. Our hypothesis was that soccer players from different field positions are subjected to different ageing-related effects on their isokinetic peak torque.

Methods: This is a retrospective study based on professional elite-level soccer players between the years 2009 and 2019.