The effect of low back and neck pain on posture, burnout, and quality of life in formal caregivers of children with disabilities and the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Caregiving, which is often described as a stressful job due to the patience and dedication it requires, affects the physical and mental health of the employees of the profession due to various factors. AIMS: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of lower back and neck pain on posture, burnout level, and quality of life of the formal caregivers of children with disability and the elderly. METHODS: The study included 64 formal caregivers of children with disability and the elderly. The socio-demographic characteristics of the participants were recorded. The Oswestry Disability Index, the Neck Disability Index, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Short Form-36 were used to evaluate low back pain, neck pain, burnout levels, and quality of life, respectively. Participants' spinal posture values were measured with the Spinal Mouse device. RESULTS: When the groups were combined and examined, it was found that neck pain caused changes in the spinal posture (p < 0.05) and that low back pain did not affect spinal posture (p > 0.05). Also, low back and neck pain had an increasing effect on emotional burnout and desensitization and a decreasing effect on the quality of life (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, it was observed that low back and neck pain experience has negative effects on individuals' posture, burnout levels, and quality of life.

The effects of short-term use of compression stockings on health related quality of life in patients with chronic venous insufficiency.

[Purpose] This study was aimed to analyse the effects of short-term use of compression stockings (CS) on symptoms and QoL in patients with Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI). [Subjects and Methods] Based on the CEAP classification C2 and C3, 117 patients with CVI were enrolled in this study. The participants were divided into two groups. The control group refused to use CS, however, was advised to do exercises and take skin care whereas the CS group used CS and performed exercise. The data were collected by using Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), Venous Insufficiency Epidemiological and Economic Study (VEINES-QoL/Sym) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at baseline and after four weeks of treatment and compared within and in between groups. [Results] The comparison of pre- and post-treatment differences between groups was statistically significant for all parameters. In the study group, pre- and post-treatment scores for each parameter were significantly different. However, elevated scores in the control group suggested worsening of the illness. [Conclusion] This study established that short-term use of CS in patients with CVI significantly improved disease specific and general QoL by reducing venous symptoms. Further studies with larger sample size are necessary to confirm these findings.

Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Chronic Venous Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (CIVIQ-20).

BACKGROUND: Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a well-defined and known disorder which impact on related-health quality of life (QoL). The Chronic Venous Insufficiency Quality of Life Questionnaire (CIVIQ) is a disease-specific instrument to measure the impact of chronic venous insufficiency on patients' lives. The purpose of this study is to cross-culturally adapted the Chronic Venous Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (CIVIQ-20) for Turkish-speaking patients and determine the psychometric properties of reliability, validity and factor structure in a Turkish population with CVD. METHODS: The CIVIQ-20 was translated into Turkish and culturally adapted using a double forward-backward protocol according to established guidelines. Individuals (n = 140) with venous diseases completed the CIVIQ-20, Venous Insufficiency Epidemiological and Economic Study (VEINES-QoL/Sym) and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) questionnaires at baseline and 1 month later. RESULTS: Cronbach's α value was 0.93. Test-retest reliability was determined as moderate (ICC2:1 = 0.80). There was a significant correlation between CIVIQ-Tk and Nottingham and VEINES-QoL total scores (Nottingham 1: r = 0.770; p < 0.00, Nottingham 2: r = 0.7000; p < 0) (VEINES-QoL: r = -0.574; p < 0.00, VEINES-QoL 2: -0.592, p: 0.00). The measurement error were calculated from SEM and MDC90. The SEM was 2.63 and the MDC90 was 5.79. Exploratory factor analysis demonstrated a three factor structure that explained 56.32 % of total variance. CONCLUSION: The CVIQ-20 Turkish is a reliable and valid instrument for Turkish speaking patients with chronic venous insufficiency.

The effect of parity on pelvic floor muscle strength and quality of life in women with urinary incontinence: a cross sectional study.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to analyze the pelvic floor muscle (PFM) activity after vaginal birth, and the effect of parity on PFM strength and quality of life (QoL) in women with urinary incontinence. [Subjects and Methods] Patients (n=241) who gave birth vaginally and experienced urinary incontinence were divided into three groups: group 1 consisted of women having 1-3 children, group 2 consisted of women having 4-6 children, and group 3 consisted of women having more than 6 children. All patients underwent detailed examination of the PFM. The Turkish version of the self-administered Incontinence Quality of Life Instrument (I-QoL) questionnaire was used to evaluate the effects of stress urinary incontinence on participants' QoL. [Results] Comparison of PFM strengths showed a significant intergroup difference. Group 1 showed significantly higher PFM strength scores than those of groups 2 and 3. I-QoL scores related to stress incontinence showed a significant intergroup difference. As number of deliveries increased, quality of life decreased. Comparison of PFM strengths and I-QoL scores related to stress incontinence showed a significant intergroup difference. [Conclusion] Increasing the awareness of PFM training in women will reduce potential postpartum incontinence due to a weak PFM strength; and will increase quality of life.

Complex Decongestive Physiotherapy Treats Skin Changes like Hyperkeratosis Caused by Lymphedema.

Lymphedema is a chronic, progressive, and often debilitating condition. Primary lymphedema is a lymphatic malformation developing during the later stage of lymph angiogenesis. Secondary lymphedema is the result of obstruction or disruption of the lymphatic system, which can occur as a consequence of tumors, surgery, trauma, infection, inflammation, and radiation therapy. Here, we report a 64-year-old woman presenting with hyperkeratosis, a lymphedema due to metastatic uterus carcinoma. In this paper, we present the effects of complex decongestive physiotherapy on lymphedema and hyperkeratosis.