Comparison of static postural sway characteristics between pregnant and non-pregnant women.

The present study aimed to compare the postural sway between pregnant and non-pregnant women during eight different sensory conditions including those in which vision, proprioception, and base of support are compromised. Forty primigravidae at the 32nd week of pregnancy and forty non-pregnant women who were matched for age and anthropometric measurements participated in this cross-sectional comparison study. Static posturography equipment was used to record the anteroposterior sway velocity, mediolateral sway velocity, and velocity moment during normal stance and when vision, proprioception, and base of support were compromised. Pregnant women (mean age: 25.4) demonstrated a larger median velocity moment and mean anteroposterior sway velocity compared to non-pregnant women (mean age:24.4) across all tested sensory conditions (p < 0.05). Although mediolateral sway velocity did not show any statistically significant difference, the ANCOVA results suggested that there was a statistically significant difference in mediolateral sway velocity in Eyes open feet apart condition on the firm surface [F (1,77, p = 0.030, ηp2 = 0.121] and Eyes closed feet apart condition on the firm surface [F (1,77, p = 0.015, ηp2 = 0.15] between pregnant and non-pregnant women. There was a larger velocity moment and anteroposterior postural sway velocity in pregnant women in their third trimester compared to non-pregnant women when exposed to different sensory conditions. Title: Comparison of static postural sway characteristics between pregnant and non-pregnant women.

Influence of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on pain intensity and functional activities following lower segment cesarean section.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative incisional pain following lower segment cesarean section (LSCS) is one of the commonly reported complaints which may affect mother-infant bonding, and restrict mobility and functional activities. PURPOSE: To study the influence of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on pain intensity and functional activities using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and the Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) following LSCS from the postoperative day (POD) 1 to POD 4. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study consisted of 50 postpartum women who underwent LSCS and were assigned to an intervention group (IG) that received TENS and a control group (CG) that received routine hospital care. RESULTS: NPRS scores between CG and IG (pre-TENS application) showed a statistically significant difference (ηp2 = 0.542, p < .001) from POD 1 to POD 4. Study participants showed an improvement in PSFS scores (ηp2 = 0.412, 0.488, 0.661, 0.304, 0.262, and 0.395, p < .001) in IG compared to CG for bed transitions, bed transfers, sitting, sit to stand, walking, and toileting activities respectively from POD 1 to POD 4 which was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our study results suggest that administration of TENS following LSCS shows an improvement in pain intensity and functional activities as reported on NPRS and PSFS respectively.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward exercises among women visiting an infertility clinic: A cross-sectional study.

Globally, there is a rising prevalence of infertility, and it has a negative consequence on the quality of life of women. The researchers aimed to understand the knowledge, attitude, and practice of women with infertility toward exercises. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 332 women aged between 18 and 45 years attending an infertility clinic in a tertiary hospital in Southern India. Participants filled a self-developed, content validated, pilot-tested questionnaire. Informants perceived stress and weight gain to be the major causes of infertility. Exercise was believed to improve fertilization by 55.4% of the participants, and walking and yoga were the preferred mode of exercises.

Telerehabilitation for pelvic girdle dysfunction in pregnancy during COVID-19 pandemic crisis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic girdle dysfunction is a common musculoskeletal disorder among pregnant women. It is a disabling condition affecting the ability of a pregnant woman to perform her daily functional activities. The scope of digital health in delivering rehabilitation services is growing exponentially, especially in the present COVID -19 pandemic crisis. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 29-year-old primigravida, at 32 weeks of gestation with severe pelvic girdle pain during bed transitions, sought physiotherapy consultation via video call, as she expressed difficulty in accessing Physiotherapy services due to the present pandemic crisis. Physiotherapy consultation was provided in 4 weekly sessions using a real-time video-based telerehabilitation program and the patient performed unsupervised exercise sessions for 30 minutes for 5 days per week for 4 weeks. The plan of care included muscle energy techniques, pelvic cloth belt, strengthening, stabilization exercises and stretching. OUTCOMES: The patient completed four sessions including evaluation and treatment and there was a reduction of pain scores for bed transitions from NPRS 8/10 during session one to NPRS 0/10 during session four. The Pelvic girdle dysfunction questionnaire showed a decrease in percentage scores from 54.6 to 4 at the end of physiotherapy sessions. CONCLUSION: Telerehabilitation was successfully used to manage a pregnant woman with pelvic girdle dysfunction.

Do Structural Changes of the Foot Influence Plantar Pressure Patterns During Various Stages of Pregnancy and Postpartum?

BACKGROUND: The foot of a pregnant woman undergoes morphological changes with the advancement of pregnancy. It is important to understand the structural changes of the foot during pregnancy and postpartum because any such change may alter the plantar pressure pattern and the entire foot biomechanics. METHOD: Primigravidae with a gestational age of 12 weeks or less, aged between 18 and 35 years were included in the study. They were prospectively studied across 5 time periods during pregnancy and postpartum. The measures recorded were length, width, navicular height, truncated foot length and normalized navicular height, truncated ratio of the foot, and the static plantar pressure pattern. Repeated-measures ANOVA was done to analyze the changes across various time periods. RESULTS: All the foot parameters, except foot length and truncated foot length, showed significant differences across various time periods of pregnancy and postpartum (P < .001). It was found that the static plantar pressures also varied significantly (P ≤ .001).The maximum pressure was recorded at the hindfoot of the dominant leg. CONCLUSION: The feet of pregnant women tend to get pronated as pregnancy advances but do not reach baseline values even at 6 weeks postpartum. Pregnant women tend to bear more weight on the dominant foot with an increased static hindfoot pressure as pregnancy progresses. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic study, Level I: Prospective.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal dysfunctions among Indian pregnant women.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy triggers a wide range of changes in a woman's body leading to various musculoskeletal dysfunctions. Most commonly reported musculoskeletal discomforts by pregnant women are low back pain and symphysis pubis pain. The culture and the environmental factors may influence the discomforts experienced by a pregnant woman. There is a dearth of literature in India, regarding the common musculoskeletal dysfunctions experienced by a pregnant woman, and hence this study. METHOD: A questionnaire to identify the musculoskeletal dysfunction was developed; content was validated and was translated to local languages through parallel back translation. 261 primiparous pregnant women participated in the study and filled the questionnaire in their native language. RESULTS: Among the musculoskeletal dysfunctions reported by the pregnant women, 64.6% reported calf muscle cramps, 37.1% reported foot pain, and 33.7% experienced low back pain in their third trimester. In the second trimester, common musculoskeletal dysfunctions experienced by the women were that of calf pain (47.8%), low back pain (42%), and pelvic girdle pain (37%). CONCLUSION: Musculoskeletal dysfunctions and general discomforts very commonly affect the activities of daily living of pregnant women. Understanding the common discomforts during various trimesters of pregnancy will help to develop a comprehensive program for prevention and cure.

Test-retest reliability of the Win-Track platform in analyzing the gait parameters and plantar pressures during barefoot walking in healthy adults.

The Win-Track platform is an instrument used to measure plantar pressures and gait parameters during barefoot walking. The objective of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of the system in assessing plantar pressures and temporal gait variables between 1-step and 3-step gait protocols. A total of 30 healthy participants (18 women and 12 men; age 23.7 ± 4.75 years) were recruited for the study. The 1-step gait protocol exhibited good reliability in terms of single stance, step duration and swing duration of the left foot; stride duration of the right foot; stride length; and step length of the right foot, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranging from 0.75 to 0.88. The 3-step gait protocol showed good reliability, with ICC values ranging between 0.75 and 0.90 in cadence; step duration of the right foot; double-stance duration and swing duration of the right foot; stride length of the right foot; step length and gait cycle length of the right and the left foot; and the area covered by the first, second, and third foot. The authors concluded that the Win-Track platform provided reliable plantar pressures and temporal gait measures, and the 3-step gait protocol showed better reliability compared with the 1-step gait protocol.