The impact of anthropometric measures on plantar pressure distribution in male handball players and non-athletes: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Increasing body anthropometry brings substantial spinal stress, which influences the spinal curvatures; this in turn may affect the foot plantar pressure distribution. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the impact of body anthropometry on static plantar pressure distribution and their relationship among handball players and non-athletes subjects. METHODS: Thirty handball players aged from 21 to 26 years, and thirty age-matched non-athletes subjects aged from 21 to 28 years participated in this study. The spinal lordosis and kyphosis angles, trunk length, pelvic tilting, and pelvic rotation were evaluated using Formetric 4-dimensions and the Pedoscan device was used to assess the plantar pressure distribution. RESULTS: The handball players were significantly taller, heavier, and have a long trunk length than non-athletes group (p < 0.05), and a significantly increased thoracic kyphosis, forefeet pressure distribution compared to non-athletes group (p < 0.05). The handball players had a significantly increased forefeet pressure distribution compared to the rearfeet pressure distribution (p < 0.05), a high positive correlation between body height, and both trunk length and kyphosis angle (r = 0.932, 0.665 respectively), and the body height showed a high positive correlation with the forefeet pressure distribution (r = 0.665). There was a high positive correlation between the handball players' thoracic kyphosis and forefeet pressure distribution (r = 0.751). CONCLUSION: Increasing the handball players' body height was related to increased thoracic kyphosis and forefeet pressure distribution compared to non-athletes subjects. Additionally, the kyphotic posture of handball players is associated with increasing the total forefeet pressure distribution compared to the total rearfeet pressure distribution.

Effect of Adding Physiotherapy Program to the Conservative Medical Therapy on Quality of Life and Pain in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Patients.

OBJECTIVE: : To assess the effectiveness of combining physiotherapy techniques with conservative medical treatment in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients. METHODS: : Sixty-eight volunteers with CRS were randomly assigned. Group A received only traditional medical treatment, whereas group B received a physiotherapy program that included pulsed ultrasound therapy, sinus manual drainage techniques, and self-sinus massage technique in addition to traditional medical treatment. Interventions were applied 3 sessions a week for 4 weeks. The rhinosinusitis disability index (RSDI) served as the main outcome indicator for assessing the quality of life, and the secondary outcome measure was the pressure pain threshold (PPT) using a pressure algometer. RESULTS: : Wilcoxon signed rank test revealed a significant reduction (p<0.001) in total RSDI values from 71.08±1.13 pretest to 47.14±1.15 posttest for group A, while it decreased from 70.64±1.20 pretreatment to 31.76±1.04 posttreatment for group B; furthermore, Mann-Whitney U-test revealed a significant difference (p<0.001) in total RSDI values between both groups when comparing the change of the pre-post data values, it was 23.94±0.95 for group A and 38.88±0.67 for group B. The independent t-test revealed a highly statistically significant increase (p<0.001) in the PPT values in the experimental group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: : The physiotherapy program which included pulsed ultrasound therapy, sinus manual drainage technique, and self-sinus massage technique in conjunction with conventional medical treatment was more beneficial for enhancing the quality of life and PPT than traditional medical treatment alone in CRS patients.

The efficacy of Theraband versus general active exercise in improving postural kyphosis.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic kyphotic posture is accompanying increased biomechanical load of the backbone which is possibly problematic. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to examine the effects of general active exercise versus Theraband exercise on female kyphotic posture. METHODS: An experimental study was conducted at the biomechanical lab. in Physical Therapy College, Cairo University. Fourteen female volunteers with kyphotic posture aged from 18 to 30 years were selected and equally distributed into two groups; 1st group received Theraband exercises (neck retraction exercise, scapular retraction exercise, and resistive shoulder blade squeeze) and 2nd group received general active exercises (Thoracic stretching exercise, thoracic extension exercises, and extension in lying with cervical retraction exercises). Each exercise was conducted properly for 60 min in 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks (total of 12 sessions per week). The Index of kyphosis (IK) was calculated before and after treatment. Moreover, the percentage of back disability index questionnaire (PBDI) and pain score were also detected. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to compare the post-treatment's means between the first and second groups and control the pre-treatment variables. No significant differences were found post-treatment (P > 0.05). Moreover, IK measures showed a statistically significant difference post-treatment (P < 0.05). The paired sample t-test showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in all variables within the first and second groups. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrated the positive effect of both techniques in reducing the IK, percentage of back disability index, and pain score with a more positive effect of Theraband in reducing the IK measures post-treatment.

Improving spatiotemporal gait parameters in spastic diplegic children using treadmill gait training.

BACKGROUND: Even though several physiotherapy techniques help to improve the spatiotemporal gait parameters of diplegic children, the efficacy of treadmill gait training together with conventional treatment techniques on spatiotemporal parameter improvement needs more investigation. OBJECTIVE: This study's main purpose is to investigate the effect of treadmill gait training as an adjunct to conventional physiotherapy treatment on the spatiotemporal gait parameters of diplegic children. METHODS: Twenty diplegic children were distributed randomly into two equal groups (a control group of ten children who received a traditional treatment and an experimental group of ten children who received the traditional treatment together with treadmill gait training). Gait data were collected using a Vicon three-dimensional motion analysis system during regular walking. RESULTS: Walking speed, cadence, step length, stride length, and single limb support were enhanced in both groups (p < 0.05). Cadence and walking speed increased by 6.5 steps/min and 0.2 m/sec respectively in the experimental group, compared to the control group. Also, step length, stride length and single limb support time increased by 0.13 m, 0.27 m, and 0.07 s respectively in the experimental group, compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The use of treadmill gait training together with conventional physical therapy treatment enhances the walking performance of diplegic children by improving several spatiotemporal gait parameters. Furthermore, walking balance is improved by increasing the single-leg support time.