Efficacy of physiotherapy treatment in medium and long term in adults with fibromyalgia: an umbrella of systematic reviews.

OBJECTIVES: To summarise the available evidence and assess the effectiveness of medium and long-term physiotherapy treatment in adults with fibromyalgia (FM). METHODS: This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO: CRD42023388356. The databases searched were MEDLINE, PEDro, Scopus, Cinhal, LatinIndex, and Cochrane, using the following keywords: "fibromyalgia", "physiotherapy", "treatment", "therapeutic exercise", "TENS", "laser therapy" and "manual therapy." The included articles analysed treatments with active or passive physiotherapy approaches in patients with FM. The variables included structural characteristics, such as: author, publication year, research question, and main outcome variables. The data on the findings of the articles comprised the following aspects: number of participants, intervention, follow-up, results, and principal conclusions. RESULTS: Thirty-three articles were analysed, with an overall PRISMA score of 18.63±3.36. The active treatment methods analysed were: movement and body awareness therapies (stretching, tai chi, yoga and Pilates); hydrotherapy; physical or aerobic exercise; and multidisciplinary therapy. The passive therapies analysed were: manual therapy; repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS); and other therapies (hyperbaric oxygen therapy, vibration therapy, virtual reality, transcutaneous electric nervous stimulation (TENS), pain neuroscience education, and acupuncture). Evidence was found on the positive effect of physiotherapy treatment on the signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia, such as pain, impairment of physical capacity and worse quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of the active and passive therapies analysed in the management of the symptoms and signs of the disease was positive in most of the studies. However, more specific descriptions of the treatment protocol, frequency, intensity and treatment dose are required to reach a consensus, as well as primary studies for a more extended follow-up period to better evaluate long-term effects.

New learning technique based on real-time kinematic feedback from an inertial sensor for manual therapy in shoulder joint: a randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Reducing teacher subjectivity and checking skill corrections have an impact on the manual therapy learning, one of the most crucial components of physical therapy clinical practise. The aim of this study was to analyse the effectiveness of a kinematic real-time feedback strategy (KRTF) with an inertial sensor as a new methodology for the learning of glenohumeral joint mobilisation, comparing it with the traditional teaching method. METHODS: This study was a randomised trial. 59 undergraduate students without experience in manual therapy were randomised into two different groups (G1: Traditional methods group; G2: KRTF group). G1: students would practice the technique while an expert in manual therapy would supervise them. G2: could perform the mobilisation and observe the kinematic characteristics of the technique on a laptop. For the two movements that compose the mobilisation (angulation and translation), the result variables extracted were: maximum displacement, minimum displacement, area under the curve and the difference between the area under the curve of angulation and translation. In addition, the consistency of the measurement and reliability were calculated, too. RESULTS: Some significant differences were observed within groups, between groups and in the group x time interaction, the difference between the angulation and translation area. The synchronization of the movements in in the post comparison was better in G2 because the differences in the areas of both movements were significantly smaller (Mean Difference G1 vs. G2 = 1111.4°s (p > 0.05)). CONCLUSIONS: After comparing the kinematic variables recorded between the two intervention groups analysed in the present study, we observed that the kinematic registers were significantly different between the two groups, with a higher evolution in the KRTF group compared to the traditional learning method. The effectiveness of KRTF was proved over the traditional teaching methods in facilitating the learning process of the glenohumeral joint mobilisation. GOV ID: NCT02504710, 22/07/2015.

Analysis of different gamification-based teaching resources for physiotherapy students: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: For health professionals, gamification is a new teaching method that has achieved an important role in recent years, with excellent results in learning and knowledge acquisition. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the gaming experience through different gamification resources in the classroom with physiotherapy students. METHODS: A comparative study on gamification-based teaching resources was carried out during the first semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. A total of 33 physiotherapy students participated in this study. After the theoretical topics were taught, the participants were invited to participate in different gamification resources such as Kahoot!, Physiotherapy Party and Escape Room. The gaming experience with the different gamification resources was measured with the GAMEX scale. RESULTS: The Physiotherapy Party showed a higher score in relation to the enjoyment dimension compared to the Kahoot! and Escape Room (p = 0.004). The Escape Room presented higher scores in absorption, creative thinking, activation and dominance compared to Kahoot! and Physiotherapy Party (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Gamification resources promote enjoyment and creativity in the students in the classroom. The use of new teaching methods based on gamification, such as Escape Room as Physiotherapy Party should be considered as first choice in the use of gamification resources due to the benefits they bring to students.

Design and implementation of a standard care programme of therapeutic exercise and education for breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer survivors (BCS) face several symptoms and are at higher risk of weight gain following diagnosis. Current literature shows that both exercise and diet play a key role in recovery of BCS. However, there is a gap between current guidelines and the real-world context. The aim of this article is to describe the process behind a free, not-for-profit community-based therapeutic exercise and education programme (TEEP) for BCS in the clinical setting. METHODS: The "Onco-Health Club" (OHC) consists of therapeutic exercise (TE) intervention aimed at ameliorating cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and improving QoL and physical function. TE is supplemented with nutritional education, providing information about the Mediterranean diet. To this end, patients are recruited from an oncologist and are referred to a physiotherapist and a nutritionist for baseline assessment. TEEP consists of a 3-month intervention, delivered twice a week in a group format with 1 h of TE and 30 min of nutritional education. BCS then have a final assessment and are advised to continue with a healthy lifestyle. Data about referral, compliance and assessment were collected. RESULTS: From May 2017 to February of 2020, a total of 158 patients were recruited from 8 cohorts and 142 initially started the OHC. From 119 that joined the program, 96 patients were considered to have finished it with good adherence (assistance > 80%). BCS significantly improved their QoL, as well as upper and lower limb's function, and increased their level of physical activity. CRF tended to decrease (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: This study obtained data on recruitment, compliance, and possible limitations of these kinds of programmes in a real-world context. Further research is needed in order to optimize patient engagement and compliance, as well as to determine the transferability of these programmes in the clinical setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03879096, Registered 18th March 2019. Retrospectively registered.

Entrepreneurial intention, expectations of success and self-efficacy in undergraduate students of health sciences.

BACKGROUND: Entrepreneurial intention is considered to be the best predictor of entrepreneurial behaviour. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) explains the degree of correlation between variables such as entrepreneurial intention, perceived feasibility and perceived desirability. Knowing the entrepreneurial intention of students of Health Sciences will help to guide and promote effective university policies to support entrepreneurship. The authors aimed to analyse the entrepreneurial intention of university students in the field of Health Sciences. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Faculties of Health Sciences of two public universities of Southern Spain. 1518 students of different degrees of Health Sciences (Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Dentistry, Nursing and Occupational Therapy), from first to fourth year. An online structured questionnaire was used, the Entrepreneurial Event Model (EEM) adapted to the Spanish context. This measurement model was completed with 8 items from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire-MSLQ. RESULTS: The hypothetical model showed that perceived desirability and perceived feasibility were positive and significant predictors of entrepreneurial intention. Perceived desirability showed an indirect effect on entrepreneurial intention through perceived feasibility. Expectation of success and self-efficacy had no direct effect on entrepreneurial intention. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived desirability and perceived feasibility are related to entrepreneurial intention in Health Sciences students.

The Validity of the Energy Expenditure Criteria Based on Open Source Code through two Inertial Sensors.

Through this study, we developed and validated a system for energy expenditure calculation, which only requires low-cost inertial sensors and open source R software. Five healthy subjects ran at ten different speeds while their kinematic variables were recorded on the thigh and wrist. Two ActiGraph wireless inertial sensors and a low-cost Bluetooth-based inertial sensor (Lis2DH12), assembled by SensorID, were used. Ten energy expenditure equations were automatically calculated in a developed open source R software (our own creation). A correlation analysis was used to compare the results of the energy expenditure equations. A high interclass correlation coefficient of estimated energy expenditure on the thigh and wrist was observed with an Actigraph and Sensor ID accelerometer; the corrected Freedson equation showed the highest values, and the Santos-Lozano vector magnitude equation and Sasaki equation demonstrated the lowest one. Energy expenditure was compared between the wrist and thigh and showed low correlation values. Despite the positive results obtained, it was necessary to design specific equations for the estimation of energy expenditure measured with inertial sensors on the thigh. The use of the same formula equation in two different placements did not report a positive interclass correlation coefficient.

Psychometric analysis of the questionnaires for the assessment of upper limbs available in their Italian version: a systematic review of the structural and psychometric characteristics.

INTRODUCTION: There is no systematic review that analyzes the psychometric properties of questionnaires in Italian. Previous studies have analyzed the psychometric characteristics of instruments for the measurement of pathologies of upper limbs and their joints in different languages. The aim of the present study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the questionnaires published in Italian for the evaluation of the entire upper limb or some of its specific regions and related dysfunctions. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: For the development of this systematic review, the following databases were used: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Dialnet, Cinahl, Embase and PEDro. The selection criteria used in this study were: studies of transcultural adaptation to Italian of questionnaires oriented to the evaluation of upper limbs or any of their structures (specifically shoulder, elbow and wrist/hand), and contribution of psychometric variables of the questionnaire in its Italian version. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: After reading the titles and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria to the complete documents, 16 documents were selected: 3 for the upper limb, 8 for the shoulder, 1 for the elbow and 4 for the wrist and hand. The cross-sectional psychometric variables show levels between good and excellent in all the questionnaires. Longitudinal psychometric variables had not been calculated in the vast majority of the analyzed questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: Italian versions of the questionnaires show good basic structural and psychometric characteristics for the evaluation of patients with musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limb and its joints (shoulder, elbow and wrist/hand).

Diabetic foot disease: a systematic literature review of patient-reported outcome measures.

PURPOSE: Diabetic foot disease is one of the most serious and expensive complications of diabetes. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) analyse patients' perception of their disability, functionality and health. The goal of this work was to conduct a systematic review regarding the specific PROMs related to the evaluation of diabetic foot disease and to extract and analyse the values of their measurement properties. METHODS: Electronic databases included were PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, PEDro, Cochrane, SciELO and EMBASE. The search terms used were foot, diabet*, diabetic foot, questionnaire, patient-reported outcome, self-care, valid*, reliabil*. Studies whose did not satisfy the Critical Appraisals Skills Programme (CASP) Diagnostic Study Checklist were excluded. The measurement properties extracted were: Internal Consistency, Test-retest, Inter-rater and Intra-rater, Standard Error of Measurement, Minimum Detectable Measurement Difference, Content Validity, Construct Validity, Criterion Validity and Responsiveness. RESULTS: The PROMs selected for this review were 12 questionnaires. The Diabetic foot self-care questionnaire (DFSQ-UMA) and the Questionnaire for Diabetes Related Foot Disease (Q-DFD) were the PROMs that showed the highest number of completed measurement properties. CONCLUSION: According to the results, it is relevant to create specific questionnaires for the evaluation of diabetic foot disease. It seems appropriate to use both DFSQ-UMA and Q-DFD when assessing patients with diabetic foot disease.

Effects of obesity on balance in people with intellectual disabilities.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To know the differences in balance of people with intellectual disability with and without obesity. METHOD: 549 people with intellectual disability were evaluated. Participants were categorized as obese or non-obese according to their body mass index. All participants were evaluated with tests for static and semi-static balance. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the static balance between obese and non-obese people with intellectual disability. For women, there were not significant differences for any tests; in contrast for men, there were only significant differences in the SLSCE in people aged 37-46 years. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences were found in static balance between non-obese and obese people. In the analyses, in consideration of gender and age range, significant differences were only found in one static balance test, in the young adult men´s group. No significant differences were found in women, either in middle-aged adults or in older adults.

Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the extended TUG test in elderly participants.

BACKGROUND: To analyse the reliability, variance and execution time of the Extended Timed Up and Go (Extended TUG) test in three age groups of elderly participants (G1: 55-64 years; G2: 65-74 years; G3: 75-85 years). METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study of 114 recruited participants (63 women) of average age 70.17 (± 7.3) years was undertaken. Each participant performed the Extended TUG three consecutive times, with a rest break between tests of 120 s. Both the intragroup and intergroup reliability of the measurements in the Extended TUG were analysed. RESULTS: The reliability of the Extended TUG test is excellent for the first and second decades but drops down to good for the third decade. Specifically, intragroup reliability ranged from 0.784 for G3 to 0.977 for G1 (G2 = 0.858). Intergroup reliability, compared with intragroup reliability, was slightly lower, ranging between 0.779 for G3 and 0.972 for G1 (G2 = 0.853). CONCLUSION: The reliability of the Extended TUG test progressively decreases with increasing age, being excellent for the younger age groups and good for the oldest age group.

Validation, Reliability, and Responsiveness Outcomes Of Kinematic Assessment With An RGB-D Camera To Analyze Movement In Subacute And Chronic Low Back Pain.

BACKGROUND: The RGB-D camera is an alternative to asses kinematics in order to obtain objective measurements of functional limitations. The aim of this study is to analyze the validity, reliability, and responsiveness of the motion capture depth camera in sub-acute and chronic low back pain patients. METHODS: Thirty subjects (18-65 years) with non-specific lumbar pain were screened 6 weeks following an episode. RGB-D camera measurements were compared with an inertial measurement unit. Functional tests included climbing stairs, bending, reaching sock, lie-to-sit, sit-to-stand, and timed up-and-go. Subjects performed the maximum number of repetitions during 30 s. Validity was analyzed using Spearman's correlation, reliability of repetitions was calculated by the intraclass correlation coefficient and the standard error of measurement, and receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated to assess the responsiveness. RESULTS: The kinematic analysis obtained variable results according to the test. The time variable had good values in the validity and reliability of all tests (r = 0.93-1.00, (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.62-0.93). Regarding kinematics, the best results were obtained in bending test, sock test, and sit-to-stand test (r = 0.53-0.80, ICC = 0.64-0.83, area under the curve (AUC) = 0.55-84). CONCLUSION: Functional tasks, such as bending, sit-to-stand, reaching, and putting on sock, assessed with the RGB-D camera, revealed acceptable validity, reliability, and responsiveness in the assessment of patients with low back pain (LBP). TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03293095 "Functional Task Kinematic in Musculoskeletal Pathology" September 26, 2017.

Effectiveness of a muticomponent workout program integrated in an evidence based multimodal program in hyperfrail elderly patients: POWERAGING randomized clinical trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Short-term and mid-term comparison of the efficacy of a multimodal program that incorporates a therapeutic workout program, medication review, diet adjustment and health education, in comparison to the standard medical practice in the improvement of the neuromuscular and physiological condition. Furthermore, it is intended to analyse the maintenance of these effects in a long-term follow-up (12 months) from the onset of the intervention. METHODS: A randomized clinical trial of elderly frail patients drawn from the Clinical Management Unit "Tiro de Pichón", Health District of Malaga, will be included in the study (after meeting the inclusion / exclusion criteria) will be randomized in two groups: a control group that will undergo an intervention consistent of medication review + diet adjustment + health education (regular workout recommendations within a complete advice on healthy lifestyles) and an experimental group whose intervention will consist of a multimodal treatment: therapeutic workout program+ medication review+ diet adjustment + health education. The sociodemographic, clinical and tracing variables will be reflected at the beginning of the study. In addition, the follow-up variables will be gathered at the second and sixth months after the beginning of the treatment and at the third and sixth months after the treatment (follow-up). The follow-up variables that will be measured are: body mass index, general health condition, fatigue, frailty, motor control, attention- concentration- memory, motor memory, spatial orientation, grip strength, balance (static, semi-dynamic), gait speed and metabolomics. A descriptive analysis of the sociodemographic variables of the participants will be conducted. One-Factor ANOVA will be used for the Within-Subject analysis and as for the Between-Subject analysis, the outcome variables between both the groups in each moment of the data collection will be compared. DISCUSSION: A multimodal program that incorporates a therapeutic workout program, medication review, diet adjustment and health education may be effective treatment to reduce the functional decline in elderly. The results of the study will provide information on the possible strengths and benefits in multimodal program in elderly. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02772952 registered May 2017.

New Tracking System of Human Scapula Using Ultrasonography and Motion Sensors: A Descriptive Test-Retest Design.

CONTEXT: Several studies have shown that the kinematics of the scapula is altered in many disorders that affect the shoulder. Description of scapular motion in the chest continues to be a scientific and clinical challenge. OBJECTIVE: To check the validity and reliability of a new, minimally invasive method of tracking the internal and external rotation of the scapula using ultrasound imaging combined with the signal provided by a 3-dimensional electromagnetic sensor. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study with a repeated-measures descriptive test-retest design was employed to evaluate this new tracking method. The new method was validated in vitro and the reliability of data over repeated measures between scapula positions was calculated in vivo. SETTING: University laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 30 healthy men and women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The validation of the scapula rotation tracking using the in vitro model was calculated by Pearson correlation test between a 2-dimensional cross-correlation algorithm of the new method and another software image. The reliability of the tracking of the scapula rotation was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: In the validation in vitro, the correlation of rotations obtained by the 2 methods was good (r = .77, P = .01). The reliability in vivo had excellent results (intraclass correlation coefficient = .88; 95% confidence interval, .82-.93) in the test-retest analysis of 8 measures. The intrarater analysis of variance test showed no significant differences between the measures (P = .85, F = 0.46). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound imaging combined with a motion sensor to track the scapula has been shown to be a reliable and valid method for measuring internal and external rotation during separation of the upper limb.

Using Smartphones to Collect Quantitative Data on Lower Limb Functionality in People Who Have Suffered a Stroke.

GOAL: The main objective was to use the inertial sensor integrated into a smartphone to collect quantitative data on lower limb functioning during execution of the timed up and go test and sit to stand test by people in the acute stage of stroke. The secondary objective was to analyze whether smartphones provide reliable quantitative data on performance of these functional tests. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional analytical study involving 8 elderly people (M age = 67.50 years). Both tests were performed to parametrize and analyze the functionality, balance, and strength of lower limbs using an inbuilt inertial sensor of the smartphone. Time, difference in trunk position, angular displacement, angular velocity, and angular acceleration were measured and calculated for each stage at which both functional tests were divided. RESULTS: The obtained results highlight the similarity in the angular displacement during the 2 stages into which the sitting-standing (flexion: 38.85° and extension: 38.10°) and the standing-sitting (flexion: 36.42° and extension: 36.45°) phases were divided. Mean velocities of .59 m/s and .61 m/s were registered during outward and return walking phases. The intra- and interobserver reliability of variables recorded with the inbuilt inertial sensor ranged from .860 to .897. CONCLUSIONS: Balance and muscle strength problems of stroke patients gave rise to the use of compensatory mechanisms when getting up from or sitting down in a chair and resulted in a reduction in walking speed that is sufficient to make walking in community contexts difficult. Smartphones has excellent reliability when used to quantify lower limb functioning in stroke patients.

Differences in Kinematic Variables in Single-Leg Stance between Patients with Stroke and Healthy Elderly People Measured with Inertial Sensors: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to analyze the differences between kinematic parameters in the single-leg stance (SLS) in patients with stroke and in healthy elderly people measured with 2 inertial sensors-1 in the trunk and 1 in the lumbar region. METHODS: Two groups of participants were measured: the first group consisted of 5 healthy elderly people over 65 years of age; the second group consisted of 5 patients with stroke over 65 years of age, recovering for more than 6 months after suffering a stroke, and who had been undergoing rehabilitation treatment for at least 6 months. Two inertial sensors were located in the participants: in the trunk region (T7-T8) and in the lumbar region (L5-S1). The SLS test was performed in 4 conditions: right-dominant leg, open eyes; right-dominant leg, closed eyes; left-nondominant leg, open eyes; and left-nondominant leg, closed eyes. RESULTS: Significant differences in displacement in the lumbar and trunk sensors are highlighted in 6 of 36 variables. In the velocity variables, significant differences were only found in 1 variable. Differences during SLS between the affected and the nonaffected legs in patients with stroke were found in 5 of the 36 analyzed variables and in 1 variable in velocity. The intraclass correlation coefficients were higher than .866 (95% confidence interval: .828-.857) for all variables. CONCLUSIONS: Only significant differences were found in 7 of the 128 kinematic variables analyzed in both groups, so that it could be confirmed that there are no significant differences in the static balance between healthy elderly people and people with stroke who undergo the rehabilitative treatment.

Comparison of fatigue accumulated during and after prolonged robotic and laparoscopic surgical methods: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to analyse the fatigue experienced by surgeons during and after performing robotic and laparoscopic surgery and to analyse muscle function, self-perceived fatigue and postural balance. METHODS: Cross-sectional study considering two surgical protocols (laparoscopic and robotic) with two different roles (chief and assistant surgeon). Fatigue was recorded in two ways: pre- and post-surgery using questionnaires [Profile of Mood States (POMS), Quick Questionnaire Piper Fatigue Scale and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)-related fatigue] and parametrising functional tests [handgrip and single-leg balance test (SLBT)] and during the intervention by measuring the muscle activation of eight different muscles via surface electromyography and kinematic measurement (using inertial sensors). Each surgery profile intervention (robotic/laparoscopy-chief/assistant surgeon) was measured three times, totalling 12 measured surgery interventions. The minimal duration of surgery was 180 min. RESULTS: Pre- and post-surgery, all questionnaires showed that the magnitude of change was higher for the chief surgeon compared with the assistant surgeon, with differences of between 10 % POMS and 16.25 % VAS (robotic protocol) and between 3.1 % POMS and 12.5 % VAS (laparoscopic protocol). In the inter-profile comparison, the chief surgeon (robotic protocol) showed a lower balance capacity during the SLBT after surgery. During the intervention, the kinematic variables showed significant differences between the chief and assistant surgeon in the robotic protocol, but not in the laparoscopic protocol. Regarding muscle activation, there was not enough muscle activity to generate fatigue. CONCLUSION: Prolonged surgery increased fatigue in the surgeon; however, the magnitude of fatigue differed between surgical profiles. The surgeon who experienced the greatest fatigue was the chief surgeon in the robotic protocol.

Experimental Validation of Depth Cameras for the Parameterization of Functional Balance of Patients in Clinical Tests.

In clinical practice, patients' balance can be assessed using standard scales. Two of the most validated clinical tests for measuring balance are the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and the MultiDirectional Reach Test (MDRT). Nowadays, inertial sensors (IS) are employed for kinematic analysis of functional tests in the clinical setting, and have become an alternative to expensive, 3D optical motion capture systems. In daily clinical practice, however, IS-based setups are yet cumbersome and inconvenient to apply. Current depth cameras have the potential for such application, presenting many advantages as, for instance, being portable, low-cost and minimally-invasive. This paper aims at experimentally validating to what extent this technology can substitute IS for the parameterization and kinematic analysis of the TUG and the MDRT tests. Twenty healthy young adults were recruited as participants to perform five different balance tests while kinematic data from their movements were measured by both a depth camera and an inertial sensor placed on their trunk. The reliability of the camera's measurements is examined through the Interclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), whilst the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r) is computed to evaluate the correlation between both sensor's measurements, revealing excellent reliability and strong correlations in most cases.

Systematic review of mirror therapy compared with conventional rehabilitation in upper extremity function in stroke survivors.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Stroke is a leading cause of disability in developed countries. One of the most widespread techniques in clinical practice is mirror therapy (MT). To determine the effectiveness of MT over other methods of intervention in the recovery of upper limb function in people who have had a stroke. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted. The search string was established based on the last systematic review about MT that dated from 2009: "upper extremity" OR "upper limb "AND "mirror therapy" AND stroke. For this search Pubmed, Scopus and SciELO databases were used. RESULTS: Fifteen studies were included in the systematic review. Recovery of the upper limb, upper limb function and gross manual dexterity were frequently measured in these studies. CONCLUSIONS: In the primary variables in promoting recovery, MT alone showed better results in acute and chronic stroke patients in upper limb functioning than either conventional rehabilitation (CR) or CR plus MT. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42015026869.

Kinematic real-time feedback is more effective than traditional teaching method in learning ankle joint mobilisation: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To analyse the effect of real-time kinematic feedback (KRTF) when learning two ankle joint mobilisation techniques comparing the results with the traditional teaching method. METHODS: Double-blind randomized trial. SETTINGS: Faculty of Health Sciences. PARTICIPANTS: undergraduate students with no experience in manual therapy. Each student practised intensely for 90 min (45 min for each mobilisation) according to the random methodology assigned (G1: traditional method group and G2: KRTF group). G1: an expert professor supervising the student's practice, the professorstudent ratio was 1:8. G2: placed in front of a station where, while they performed the manoeuvre, they received a KRTF on a laptop. OUTCOME MEASURES: total time of mobilisation, time to reach maximum amplitude, maximum angular displacement in the three axes, maximum and average velocity to reach the maximum angular displacement, average velocity during the mobilisation. RESULTS: Among the pre-post intervention measurements, there were significant differences within the two groups for all outcome variables, however, G2 (KRTF) achieved significantly greater improvements in kinematic parameters for the two mobilisations (significant increase in displacement, velocity and significant reduction in the mobilisations runtime) than G1. Ankle plantar flexion: G1's measurement stability (post-intervention) ranged between 0.491 and 0.687, while G2's measurement stability ranged between 0.899 and 0.984. Ankle dorsal flexion mobilisation: G1 the measurement stability (post-intervention) ranged from 0.543 and 0.684 while G2 ranged between 0.899 and 0.974. CONCLUSION: KRTF was proven to be more effective tool than traditional teaching method in the teaching - learning process of two joint mobilisation techniques. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02504710.