Pain intensity, spine structure, and body composition in patients with acute discogenic lumbar radiculopathy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the pain intensity, spine structure, and body composition according to functional disability levels in patients with acute discogenic lumbar radiculopathy (DLR). METHODS: A total of 118 women (n = 83) and men (n = 35) patients with acute DLR (mean age: 51.87 ± 13.38 years) were included in the study. The function ability was measured with the Oswestry Disability Index, pain intensity was measured with the Visual Analogue Scale, spine structure was measured with the Spinal Mouse® device, and body composition was measured with the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis System. RESULTS: Patients with mild functional disability levels had significantly lower activity (p˂.001) and night pain intensity (p = 0.001) than patients with moderate, severe, and completely functional disability levels, and patients with completely functional disability levels had significantly higher rest pain intensity (p = 0.005) than patients with mild, moderate, and severe functional disability levels. Patients with mild functional disability levels had significantly better spine check scores (p = 0.001), posture (p = 0.005), and mobility (p = 0.003) than patients with moderate, severe, and completely functional disability levels. Patients with mild functional disability levels had significantly lower fat percentage (p = 0.032), and higher basal metabolic rate (p = 0.024) than patients with moderate, severe, and completely functional disability levels. CONCLUSION: Pain intensity, spinal structure, and body composition of acute DLR patients differ greatly according to their functional disability levels. Although it is known that the level of functional disability of patients is a result of the severity or prognosis of the disease, performing different treatment methods aimed at decreasing the functional disability level of patients by health professionals may be important in terms of coping with the disease.

Assessing Lower-Extremity Visuo-Motor Reaction Time in Young Male Soccer Players: Test-Retest Reliability and Minimum Detectable Change of the Brain Pro System.

A reliable, versatile means of assessing visuo-motor reaction time (V-MRT) is important to football (soccer) players for many reasons, including the fact that faster V-MRT is a critical sport skill that may even play a role in reducing common sports injuries to the lower muscle extremities that can be associated with lost time on the field. We aimed to determine the test-retest reliability and minimum detectable change (MDC) of the Brain Pro System for assessing lower-extremity V-MRT in young male football players. We had 68 participants (M age = 16.35, SD = 1.71 years) perform two assessment sessions one-week apart. For test-retest reliability, we calculated a one-way intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) at the 95% confidence interval and provided the standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimum detectable change (MDC) (MDC = SEM × 1.96 × âˆš2) for V-MRTs. We obtained excellent V-MRT test-retest reliability for dominant lower-extremity, non-dominant lower-extremity, and dominant and non-dominant lower-extremities (ICC2,1 = .93, 95%CI = .89-.96; ICC2,1 = .94, 95%CI = .91-.96; ICC2,1 = .96, 95%CI = .94-.97; respectively). The calculated MDC for the dominant lower-extremity V-MRT, the non-dominant lower-extremity V-MRT, and dominant and non-dominant lower-extremities (random) V-MRT were 1.21 seconds, 1.13 seconds, and 1.21 seconds, respectively. Brain Pro System had excellent reliability for assessing lower-extremity V-MRT in young male football players. The MDC values at the 95% confidence level (MDC95) we obtained were reliable for assessing clinically meaningful V-MRT changes.

Effects of 16-week circuit training on physical fitness parameters, pulmonary function, and quality of life in healthy women.

BACKGROUND: Circuit training (CT) is an important type of training that can combine different types of exercises in a single form of training. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 16-week CT on physical fitness parameters, pulmonary function, and quality of life in healthy women. METHODS: Twenty-nine healthy women (median age: 37.00 [31.50/39.50] years) were included in the study. CT was applied to the participants for a total of 16 weeks. Participants' body composition with the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis System, knee flexor and extensor muscle strength with the Biodex System-4 Pro, flexibility with the sit-and-reach test, pulmonary function with a spirometer device, and quality of life with Short Form-36 were assessed. RESULTS: A significant difference was found between the participants' pretest and posttest median and interquartile range values of waist-hip ratio, body mass index, right/left knee flexor/extensor mean peak torque (60°/s,180°/s), right hamstring/quadriceps (H/Q) ratio (60°/s), flexibility, and SF-36 Mental Health Score (P˂0.050). There was no significant difference between the participants' pretest and posttest median and interquartile range values of total body fat, fat percentage, right H/Q ratio (180°/s), left H/Q ratio (60°/s,180°/s), pulmonary function, and Short Form-36 Physical Function Score (P˃0.050). CONCLUSIONS: CT decreased waist-hip ratio and body mass index, increased knee flexor/extensor strength and flexibility, and improved mental health. The 16-week CT may be an alternative approach to improve physical fitness parameters and mental health without any positive effects on body fat and pulmonary functions in healthy women.

Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Adaptation of the Yale Physical Activity Survey.

This study aimed to examine the convergent validity and test-retest reliability of the Turkish version of the Yale Physical Activity Survey (YPAS-TR). Eighty-one volunteer older adults were included in the study. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Correlation coefficients between YPAS-TR and Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE), Short Form-36, and Short Physical Performance Battery were examined for convergent validity. Acceptable intraclass correlation coefficient values were reached for YPAS-TR energy expenditure, total physical activity time and summary, vigorous, leisurely walking, moving, standing, and sitting indices (intraclass correlation coefficient = .96-.99). There was a moderate correlation between energy expenditure and total physical activity time with PASE (leisure time activities), PASE (household activities), and PASE (total) (r = .478, r = .468, r = .570, r = .406, r = .490, r = .550, respectively, p < .001). Also, a weak correlation was found between summary and leisurely walking index with PASE (household activities), standing index with PASE (leisure time activities), and PASE (total) (r = .285, p = .010; r = .257, p = .021; r = .238, p = .033; r = .283, p = .010; respectively). The results of the study suggest that the YPAS-TR is a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be used to assess the physical activity patterns of Turkish older adults.

Comparison of Immediate Effects of Foam Rolling and Dynamic Stretching to Only Dynamic Stretching on Flexibility, Balance, and Agility in Male Soccer Players.

CONTEXT: Dynamic stretching (DS) is typically suggested during warm-up protocols. Also, foam rolling (FR), which is applied with a foam cylinder, has increased popularity in recent years. However, the combined effects of DS and FR in improving flexibility, dynamic balance, and agility performance are unclear in current literature. Therefore, this study aim to evaluate and compare the acute effects of DS as well as DS followed by FR (DS + FR) on flexibility, dynamic balance, and agility in male soccer players. DESIGN: This study was a crossover study with a within-subject design. METHODS: Thirty volunteer male soccer players (mean age 18.80 [0.66] y) were included in the study. Each participant performed the 2 sessions (DS and DS + FR) on separate occasions in a randomized order, with an interval of 72 hours. All sessions were performed in the indoor gym at the sports club. Flexibility was assessed by sit-and-reach test, dynamic balance was assessed by Y balance test, and agility was assessed by t test. RESULTS: Compared with the pretest results, significant improvement in flexibility was observed in both groups (change = 0.55, percentage change = 2.05, effect size [ES] = 0.15, P = .041; change = 0.64, percentage change = 2.36, ES = 0.20, P = .025; respectively). Balance scores did not significantly improve in either group (change = 0.40, percentage change = 0.45, ES = 0.09, P = .342; change = 0.93, percentage change = 1.02, ES = 0.23, P = .103; respectively). Agility performance significantly improved in both groups (change = -0.12, percentage change = -1.18, ES = 0.19, P = .021; change = -0.21, percentage change = -2.18, ES = 0.38, P = .005; respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Both DS and DS + FR improved flexibility and agility and did not affect balance. DS + FR was not superior to DS at improving flexibility and agility as compared only with DS. Both methods are effective warm-up protocols to augment factors related to injury risk and performance. It seems that further studies that investigate the combined effects of FR and DS are needed.

Adaptation, validity and reliability of geriatric self-efficacy index for urinary incontinence (GSE-UI) in geriatric incontinents.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the GSE-UI for use with a Turkish population and to determine its validity and reliability. METHODS: 120 elderly with UI aged 60 and over years (mean 72.89 ± 9.59 years) participated in this study. An interview was held to determine the type, severity and frequency if any, incontinence. Then, the Mini-Mental State Examination, IIQ-7, UDI-6 and I-QOL questionnaires were administered to the participants. After translating the tool to Turkish, test and retest was performed with an interval of 7-14 days. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the first test of the GSE-UI-Turkish was excellent, with a Cronbach α of 0.95. The test-retest reliability of the GSE-UI-Turkish was found to be excellent (ICC = 0.94, 95% CI 0.92-0.96). The correlation coefficient between the GSE-UI-Turkish and the UDI-6, IIQ-7, I-QOL were found to be good to excellent (r = 0.68, r = 0.67, r = 0.81, r = 0.45, respectively; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Results of our study GSE-UI of Turkish version, self-efficacy evaluation in geriatric incontinence was a valid and reliable survey that can be used in clinical practice.