The Effects of VR-based Wii Fit Yoga on Physical Function in Middle-aged Female LBP Patients.

[Purpose] The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of a virtual reality-based yoga program on middle-aged female low back pain patients. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty middle-aged female patients who suffered from low back pain were assigned to either a physical therapy program or a virtual reality-based yoga program for a period of four weeks. Participants could check their posture and weight bearing on a monitor as they shifted their weight or changed their postures on a Wii balance board. There were a total of seven exercise programs. A 30-minute, three times per week, virtual reality-based Wii Fit yoga program or trunk stabilizing exercise was performed, respectively. [Results] Repeated-measures analysis of covariance revealed significant differences in between pre- and post-training VAS, algometer, Oswestry low-back pain disability index (ODI), Roland Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ), and fear avoidance beliefs questionnaire (FBQ) scores. The VAS, algometer, ODI, RMDQ, and FBQ scores showed significant differences in groups. Regarding the effect of time-by-group interaction, there were significant differences in VAS, ODI, ODI, and FBQ scores. [Conclusion] In conclusion, for middle-aged female patients who have low back pain, a virtual reality-based yoga program was shown to have positive effects on physical improvements, and this program can be employed as a therapeutic medium for prevention and cure of low back pain.

Low-level laser irradiation facilitates fibronectin and collagen type I turnover during tooth movement in rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of low-level laser (LLL) irradiation on the turnover of fibronectin and collagen type I in periodontal tissue during tooth movement in rats by immunohistochemistry. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 15 weeks were assigned to either an experimental group (n = 15) that underwent LLL irradiation during tooth movement, or a control group (n = 15). In the experimental group, the gallium-aluminum-arsenide (Ga-Al-As) diode LLL (wavelength 808 nm; output 96 mW) was used to irradiate three areas on both the palatal side and the labial side of the maxillary incisor. The radiation was administered by the contact method for 10 s at 0.83 J/cm(2) energy dose, once a day for 7 days. Total energy dose over the complete schedule was 34.86 J/cm(2). The animals were killed on days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21. There was no difference between the two groups in the amount of tooth movement. The immunohistochemistry results showed that the expression of fibronectin and collagen type I in the experimental group had significantly increased from day 1, with a more even distribution than in the control group, and that this difference was maintained until the end of the experiment. These results suggest that LLL irradiation facilitates the reorganization of the connective tissues during tooth movement in rats.

Expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor -kappaB ligand, receptor activator of nuclear factor -kappaB, and osteoprotegerin, following low-level laser treatment on deproteinized bovine bone graft in rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate by immunohistochemistry the effects of low-level laser (LLL) irradiation on the expression of the receptor activator of nuclear factor -kappaB ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and the receptor activator of nuclear factor -kappaB (RANK) in deproteinized bovine bone grafts in rats. Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 15 weeks were allocated to either an experimental group that underwent LLL irradiation during bone healing at the bone graft sites of the rats' calvarial bone defects or a control group. In the experimental group, gallium-aluminum-arsenide (Ga-Al-As) diode LLL (wavelength 808 nm; output 96 mW) was used to irradiate three areas on and around bone defects. The radiation was administered by the contact method for 10 s at 8.3 J/cm(2), once a day for 7 days. The total dose over the complete schedule was 40.32 J. The animals were killed on days 7, 14 or 21. The results of immunohistochemical analysis showed that the expression of RANKL (P = 0.199), OPG (P = 0.035), and RANK (P = 0.020) in the experimental group significantly increased from day 7, with a more even distribution than in the control group, and that this difference prevailed until the end of the experiment. Bone density of the experimental group after trichrome staining was also higher than in the control group. These results suggest that LLL irradiation facilitates bone metabolism during bone healing at the sites of deproteinized bovine bone grafts in rats.