The association of fatigue severity with pain level, obesity indices and functional performances in women with knee osteoarthritis.

INTRODUCTION: Knee osteoarthritis is most common among women with obesity. It may lead to physical inactivity that, in turn, causes fatigue or lack of physical enthusiasm to perform meaningful daily activities. Hence, this study aimed to examine whether pain level, obesity indices and functional performances are associated with fatigue severity in women with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited women referred to physiotherapy to manage OA. The measurements included fatigue severity (fatigue severity scale); pain level (numerical rating scale); obesity indices (body mass index, fat %, waist circumference); functional performances (upper limb strength, lower limb strength, mobility, exercise capacity and quality of life). A simple linear regression analysis was used to determine which independent variable may be associated with fatigue severity. RESULTS: Ninety-six women with unilateral KOA participated in this study (Mean age, 55.70, Standard Deviation, SD 6.90) years; Mean fatigue severity, 34.51, SD 14.03). The simple linear regression analysis showed that pain level (ß=4.089, p<0.001), fat % (ß=0.825, p<0.001) and QoL (ß=0.304, p<0.001) were significantly associated with fatigue. After controlling for pain level, only fat % was significantly associated with fatigue (ß=0.581, p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Pain level, fat %, and QoL appear to be associated with fatigue severity in women with KOA. In addition, pain symptoms may interact with factors associated with fatigue severity.

Motor control on gait performance among individuals with lower crossed syndrome: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Lower Cross Syndrome (LCS) is a prevalent condition that manifests as muscular tension due to the asymmetry in the strength of the lower extremity muscles. This imbalance could be due to the tautness of the iliopsoas, rectus femoris, tensor fascia latae, adductor group, gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles. LCS causes a postural imbalance in the individual, which triggers low back pain (LBP). When LCS is present alongside LBP, may cause the upper body to sway more in the transverse plane and at the lumbar level, making walking and termination of gait (GT) more difficult. However, the evidence of motor control and gait performance is scarce with inconclusive findings. Thus, this study aimed to review motor control on gait performance among individuals with lower crossed syndrome. This review is conducted to determine the motor control on gait performance in patients with LCS and how the conditions affect gait. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The databases Google Scholar, Science Direct, ResearchGate, PubMed, and Scopus were searched to identify potentially relevant documents. The keywords used for the search included "motor control" OR "motor learning" OR" core stability" AND "lower crossed syndrome" AND "gait". The search includes articles published between 1970 and 2022 and written in English. It is excluded when the paper is not a full-text article. After finding the articles, the information was extracted, including author, year of publication, country, objective, type of study, and motor control analysis summary. RESULTS: There were 107 articles retrieved from the search. but only seventeen articles were included for analysis. The finding demonstrates that LCS may associate with LBP and reduces the motor control of the core muscle stability which indirectly influences gait performance. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that individuals with LCS will have an alteration in their gait. However, there is still insufficient information on motor control in gait performance among lower crossed syndrome. Further research is needed to find what factors that may contribute to the adaptation of motor control in gait among LCS population.

Factors that influence motor control in individuals with nonspecific low back pain: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most common musculoskeletal pain that causes disability in healthcare settings is low back pain that presents without a specific cause and is known as nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP). NSLBP can cause impairment in motor control, which is the ability of the body to execute a precise and stabilized movement in space. Many factors affect motor control dysfunction and lead to different physical impairments, consequently requiring different approaches in clinical settings. However, the study regarding the alteration of motor control and the factors coming with NSLBP are still limited. Thus, this study is aimed to determine the factors affecting motor control in NSLBP conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a scoping review of articles published from January 2012 to November 2022. This review follows the PRISMA guideline. The articles were searched through Scopus and Web of Sciences using the keywords "motor control" and "nonspecific low back pain". After finding the articles, the information was extracted, including authors, year of publication, country, objective, type of study, and motor control analysis summary. RESULTS: The search retrieved 1318 articles; however, after a thorough selection process, only eight articles were included for further review. The factors that affect motor control were related to trunk neuromuscular adaption, the precision of trunk control, motor control changes, motor abundance, and motor control impairment in the LBP population with or without comparison to healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: Motor control in NSLBP is affected by various factors. The pain can lead to changes in motor behavior, alignment, postural control, proprioception, and stability strategy. If the changes happen for a long time, it will cause further structural and core control changes as an adaptation.

Strengthening exercise and motor control among football players with ankle sprain: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: The ankles and feet of footballers are the most commonly affected areas by acute and chronic injuries, especially sprains. The durability of changes in motor control for the sprained injury strongly suggests that central motor commands have been reorganized and restructured involving the sensorimotor system. Indirectly, providing strength training improves muscular strength and benefits cardiometabolic health, coordination, sensorimotor, and motor performance. Thus, this study aimed to identify the effects of strengthening exercises on motor control among footballers with sprained ankles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This scoping review selected studies published from January 2002 to November 2022. The articles were searched through PubMed Central, BMJ Journal, Science Direct, and Scopus using "motor control", "ankle sprain" and "strengthening exercise" as the keywords. After finding the articles, the information extracted included author, year of publication, country, objective, type of study, and motor control analysis summary. The literature search strategy used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and a meta-analysis (PRISMA) where studies that are related to strengthening exercise and motor control were selected. RESULTS: From the initial search, 50 articles were found. After processing, only ten articles were further reviewed. The findings demonstrated strengthening exercises provide changes in neurophysiological parameters with motor performance, improved motor control, strength, balance, pain, and functional movement in footballers with sprained ankles. CONCLUSION: This review suggests the application of strengthening exercise interventions not only improves motor control, but strength, balance, pain, and functional performance among footballers with sprained ankles.