Cervical spine and muscle adaptation after spaceflight and relationship to herniation risk: protocol from 'Cervical in Space' trial.

BACKGROUND: Astronauts have a higher risk of cervical intervertebral disc herniation. Several mechanisms have been attributed as causative factors for this increased risk. However, most of the previous studies have examined potential causal factors for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation only. Hence, we aim to conduct a study to identify the various changes in the cervical spine that lead to an increased risk of cervical disc herniation after spaceflight. METHODS: A cohort study with astronauts will be conducted. The data collection will involve four main components: a) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); b) cervical 3D kinematics; c) an Integrated Protocol consisting of maximal and submaximal voluntary contractions of the neck muscles, endurance testing of the neck muscles, neck muscle fatigue testing and questionnaires; and d) dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) examination. Measurements will be conducted at several time points before and after astronauts visit the International Space Station. The main outcomes of interest are adaptations in the cervical discs, muscles and bones. DISCUSSION: Astronauts are at higher risk of cervical disc herniation, but contributing factors remain unclear. The results of this study will inform future preventive measures for astronauts and will also contribute to the understanding of intervertebral disc herniation risk in the cervical spine for people on Earth. In addition, we anticipate deeper insight into the aetiology of neck pain with this research project. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00026777. Registered on 08 October 2021.

The Impact of Exercise Prescription Variables on Intervention Outcomes in Musculoskeletal Pain: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal pain conditions are the largest contributors to disability and healthcare burden globally. Exercise interventions improve physical function and quality of life in individuals with musculoskeletal pain, yet optimal exercise prescription variables (e.g. duration, frequency, intensity) are unclear. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine evidence gaps, methodological quality and exercise prescription recommendations in systematic reviews of exercise for musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: In our prospectively registered umbrella review, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, and CINAHL were searched from inception to 14 February 2023. Backward citation tracking was performed. We included peer-reviewed, English language, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) that compared exercise with conservative treatment, placebo or other exercise interventions in adults with musculoskeletal pain. Data were extracted from the following groups of reviews based on their reporting of exercise prescription data and analysis of the relationship between prescription variables and outcomes: (1) those that did not report any exercise prescription data, (2) those that reported exercise prescription data but did not perform a quantitative analysis and (3) those that performed a quantitative analysis of the relationship between exercise prescription variables and outcomes. Outcome measures were physical function, pain, mental health, adverse effects and adherence to treatment. AMSTAR-2 (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews) was used to assess methodological quality. RESULTS: From 6757 records, 274 systematic reviews were included. 6.6% of reviews did not report any exercise prescription data, and only 10.9% quantitatively analyzed the relationship between prescription variables and the outcome(s). The overall methodological quality was critically low in 85% of reviews. CONCLUSION: High methodological quality evidence is lacking for optimal exercise training prescription variables in individuals with musculoskeletal pain. To better inform practice and evidence gaps, future systematic reviews should (1) identify optimum exercise prescription variables, for example, via dose-response (network) meta-analysis, (2) perform high-quality reviews per AMSTAR-2 criteria and (3) include outcomes of mental health, adverse events and exercise adherence. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021287440 ( https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021287440 ).

Effectiveness of Exercise Interventions for Preventing Neck Pain: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: To update the evidence on the effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent episodes of neck pain. DESIGN: Systematic review with meta-analysis. LITERATURE SEARCH: MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PEDro, and trial registries from inception to December 2, 2022. Forward and backward citation searches. STUDY SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that enrolled adults without neck pain at baseline and compared exercise interventions to no intervention, placebo/sham, attention control, or minimal intervention. Military populations and astronauts were excluded. DATA SYNTHESIS: Random-effects meta-analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. The certainty of evidence was judged according to the GRADE approach. RESULTS: Of 4703 records screened, 5 trials (1722 participants at baseline) were included and eligible for meta-analysis. Most (80%) participants were office workers. Risk of bias was rated as some concerns for 2 trials and high for 3 trials. There was moderate-certainty evidence that exercise interventions probably reduce the risk of a new episode of neck pain (OR, 0.49; 95% confidence interval: 0.31, 0.76) compared to no or minimal intervention in the short-term (≤12 months). The results were not robust to sensitivity analyses for missing outcome data. CONCLUSION: There was moderate-certainty evidence supporting exercise interventions for reducing the risk for an episode of neck pain in the next 12 months. The clinical significance of the effect is unclear. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2023;53(10):1-16. Epub: 8 September 2023. doi:10.2519/jospt.2023.12063.

Effectiveness of Exergame Intervention on Walking in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of exergaming on walking in older adults. In addition, the aim was to investigate the relationship between the exergaming effect and age, baseline walking performance, exercise traits, technology used, and the risk of bias. METHODS: A literature search was carried out in the databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, EMBASE, WoS, PsycInfo, and PEDro up to January 10, 2020. Studies with a randomized controlled trial design, people ≥60 years of age without neurological disorders, comparison group with other exercise or no exercise, and walking-related outcomes were included. Cochrane RoB2, meta-analysis, meta-regression, and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation were used to estimate quality, treatment effect, covariates' effect, and the certainty of evidence, respectively. RESULTS: In the studies included (n = 66), the overall risk of bias was low (n = 2), unclear (n = 48), or high (n = 16). Compared with comparison groups, exergaming interventions were more effective for walking improvements (standardized mean difference = -0.21; 95% CI = -0.36 to -0.06; 3102 participants, 58 studies; moderate-quality evidence) and more or equally effective (standardized mean difference = -0.32; 95% CI = -0.64 to 0.00; 1028 participants, 13 studies; low-quality evidence) after nonexergaming follow-up. The strongest effect for covariates was observed with the type of comparison group, explaining 18.6% of the variance. CONCLUSION: For older adults without neurological disorders, exergame-based training improved walking, and improvements were maintained at follow-up. Greater benefits were observed when exergaming groups were compared with inactive comparison groups. To strengthen the evidence, further randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of gamified exercise intervention are needed. IMPACT: Exergaming has an effect equivalent to other types of exercising on improving walking in older adults. Physical therapists and other rehabilitation professionals may consider exergaming as a promising form of exercise in this age group.