Postural deviation in pregnancy: A significant debilitating balance problem which can be rectified by physiotherapeutic intervention.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of physiotherapeutic intervention to improve the deviated balance of pregnant women. Method: A total of 174 subjects were included in the study out of which 62 had postural deviation. They were divided into three groups, two intervention groups and one control group. The target population consisted of women in the antenatal stage, randomly selected from Obstetrics and Gynecology OPD, PGIMER, Chandigarh. The study was conducted over a period of 3 years (2014-2017). They were advised exercises, postural correction, regular walking, and hot water fomentation. Six follow-ups were taken into consideration throughout the pregnancy and postnatal stage. Result: The impact of the intervention package on both ante-natal and postnatal women with balance problems showed significant improvement. Conclusion: Postural deviations, pain, heaviness in the lower limb, incontinence, breathlessness, etc., are common complaints during and after pregnancy. The problem starts early in pregnancy and increased over time and may persist throughout life if treatment does not start early in the pregnancy. This intervention can be practiced in primary care setting after giving proper training to the health care workers by experienced physiotherapists.

Efficacy of a combined therapeutic approach in the management of Pisa Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Pisa syndrome (PS) represents an important source of disability in Parkinson's disease (PD). Currently no consensus has been reached on its definition or diagnostic criteria, and therapeutic approaches are unspecific and often futile. Recently the role of abdominal muscles, and in particular of the external oblique (EO), in the pathogenesis of PS was hypothesized. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of EO and propose a combined therapeutic approach in the management of PS. METHODS: Ten PD patients with PS underwent a combined protocol based on repeated lidocaine injection in EO and rehabilitation program. RESULTS: Our data confirm the primary role of EO muscles in PS pathogenesis and showed an improvement in truncal flexion and balance with a positive impact on patients' quality of life after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These data highlight the need for accurate characterization of PS focusing on the role of abdominal muscles and the need for a specific rehabilitation protocol for PS management.

The pathogenesis of Pisa syndrome in Parkinson's disease.

Postural abnormalities such as postural deviations affect nearly all patients with advanced Parkinson's disease and represent an important source of disability. Although their existence has long been known, their management remains a challenge as they respond poorly to medication, brain surgery, or physiotherapy. Improving management strategies will require better understanding of the mechanisms underlying such postural deformities. In this review on the pathophysiology of Pisa syndrome, we examine the data supporting the central and peripheral hypotheses that attempt to explain these lateral trunk deviations. Although the pathophysiology is very probably multifactorial, the bulk of the data supports central, rather than peripheral, hypotheses. The central hypotheses that are best supported by both animal studies and clinical data include asymmetry of basal ganglia output and abnormalities in the central integration of sensory information. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathophysiology underlying Pisa syndrome.

Um sistema de auxílio ao diagnóstico da escoliose baseado em realidade aumentada / An auxiliary system for scoliosis diagnostic based on augmented reality

Este trabalho propõe e descreve uma ferramenta, chamada de SADE (Sistema de Auxílio ao Diagnóstico da Escoliose), capaz de auxiliar o fisioterapeuta no diagnóstico do desvio lateral da coluna vertebral do paciente (escoliose), observando-a pela visão posterior. Um dos métodos de diagnóstico utilizados atualmente é realizado por meio de um painel, chamado simetrógrafo, posicionado verticalmente e paralelo ao corpo do paciente. Nesse método tradicional o fisioterapeuta não trabalha com boas referências, pois o painel possui linhas espaçadas. Isso obriga o fisioterapeuta a se posicionar a uma certa distância do paciente durante o exame, impossibilitando a interação com o mesmo. Já o SADE, que é baseado em Realidade Aumentada, disponibiliza uma melhor visualização, pois a coluna real é virtualizada e comparada a uma coluna ideal virtual, possibilitando maior mobilidade do fisioterapeuta e do paciente durante o diagnóstico, já que a coluna virtualizada é visível pelos monitores. A ferramenta disponibiliza também o armazenamento dos dados capturados em banco de dados, possibilitando assim uma análise histórica e visual do início do tratamento até o estado atual. Testes realizados dentro de um laboratório desenvolvido especificamente para o projeto, onde o SADE, o simetrógrafo e o método de palpação foram comparados, caracterizam a ferramenta proposta como promissora para auxiliar o profissional no diagnóstico da escoliose.

The paper proposes and describes a tool called SADE (Auxiliary System for Scoliosis Diagnose), which is able to assist the physio­therapist in diagnosing the deviation of the patient’s vertebral spine (scoliosis) observed by the posterior view. One of the current diagnose methods uses a panel called simetrograph, vertically positioned and parallel to the patient’s body. This method does not provide the physiotherapist with a good reference because the panel has spaced lines. Besides, the simetrograph compels the physio­therapist to stay away from the patient in every exam, making the interaction between patient and professional difficult. The SADE, which is based on Augmented Reality, allows a better visualization because of a virtualized spine and the virtual ideal spine, and gives better mobility to the patient and to the physiotherapist during the exam since the spine is visible through the monitors. The system also stores data in a database, allowing an historical analysis from the beginning of the treatment until the current stage. Tests done in a laboratory specifically prepared for the project, compared SADE, the simetrograph and the touch method, and the results have shown that SADE may be a promising tool to assist the physiotherapist in the diagnosis of scoliosis.