Journal of Modern Rehabilitation

Anxiety, Mobility, Disability and Proprioception in Adults with Mild Neck Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study

2025-01-25T07:26:25+0330

Background. Studies on subclinical neck pain (SCNP), known as mild pain, are lacking in literature. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in anxiety, neck movement, disability, and proprioception in people with chronic SCNP (12 females and 4 males, Age: 28.1±4.0) and people without neck pain (17 females and 6 males, Age: 25.8±3.1).

Methods. A cross-sectional study with thirty nine participants was conducted. Participants were instructed to score their pain using the visual analog scale (VAS) (pain group: <4/10 and normal group: 0/10), anxiety level with the State-Trait anxiety inventory (STAI), and neck disability with the neck disability index (NDI). In addition, active range of motion (AROM) and joint position error (JPE) were assessed in participants of both groups.

Results. There was no significant difference in mean baseline characteristics between the two groups. Participants in the pain group reported significantly higher median NDI (p=<0.001) and higher mean current STAI_S (p=0.032) scores than participants with no pain. No significant differences in mean flexion, extension, lateral flexion right, lateral flexion left, rotation right, or rotation left were found between groups (p=0.95, p=0.68, p=0.29, p=0.59, p=0.70, and p=0.17, respectively). In addition, there were no significant differences in mean cervical spine joint position error flexion, extension, rotation right, and rotation left by study group (p=0.65, p=0.33, p=0.26, and p=0.23 respectively.
Conclusion. SCNP can substantially influence functional ability and anxiety levels, especially among students in higher education institutions dealing with additional stressors. The interaction between pain intensity, disability, and anxiety underscores the potential for a detrimental feedback loop, underscoring the significance of early intervention.
Methods. A cross-sectional study with thirty nine participants was conducted. Participants were instructed to score their pain using the visual analog scale (VAS) (pain group: <4/10 and normal group: 0/10), anxiety level with the State-Trait anxiety inventory (STAI), and neck disability with the neck disability index (NDI). In addition, active range of motion (AROM) and joint position error (JPE) were assessed in participants of both groups.
Results. There was no significant difference in mean baseline characteristics between the two groups. Participants in the pain group reported significantly higher median NDI (p=<0.001) and higher mean current STAI_S (p=0.032) scores than participants with no pain. No significant differences in mean flexion, extension, lateral flexion right, lateral flexion left, rotation right, or rotation left were found between groups (p=0.95, p=0.68, p=0.29, p=0.59, p=0.70, and p=0.17, respectively). In addition, there were no significant differences in mean cervical spine joint position error flexion, extension, rotation right, and rotation left by study group (p=0.65, p=0.33, p=0.26, and p=0.23 respectively.
Conclusion. SCNP can substantially influence functional ability and anxiety levels, especially among students in higher education institutions dealing with additional stressors. The interaction between pain intensity, disability, and anxiety underscores the potential for a detrimental feedback loop, underscoring the significance of early intervention.

Effectiveness of an Exercise Protocol for Dynamic Balance in Amateur Female Soccer Players: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

2025-01-21T10:03:57+0330

Background: Women's soccer has gained popularity in the last decade as well as preventive training strategies, therefore the present research aims to determine the effectiveness of a dynamic balance exercise protocol in amateur soccer players.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-four females participated in this study and were randomly assigned to a control group (12) and an experimental group (12). The experimental group received a dynamic balance exercise intervention with three sessions per week for six weeks, while the control group maintained their regular training. Balance was assessed before and after by the Y Balance Test in its anterior, posterior medial and posterior lateral directions. Data were analyzed through the T-test for independent and related samples.
Results: The analysis of this study shows significant improvements on dynamic balance p=0.000 in the experimental group after the intervention of the dynamic balance exercise program for six weeks, while in the control group there were no significant improvements.
Conclusions: Dynamic balance exercise program can be used to increase the balance of amateur female soccer players.

A Comprehensive Review on Oculomotor Nerve Palsy; Diagnosis and Management Strategies

2025-01-21T10:02:38+0330

The third cranial nerve (oculomotor nerve) plays an essential role in the function of ocular movement and mainly innervates the inferior oblique, medial rectus, inferior rectus, superior rectus, levator palpebrae, pupillary sphincter, and ciliary muscle. The most frequent clinical manifestations of oculomotor nerve palsy are ophthalmoplegia, ptosis, pupillary dysfunction, and diplopia. The etiology of oculomotor nerve palsy is complex, including congenital tumors, craniocerebral trauma, intracranial inflammation, diabetes, intracranial aneurysm, cerebrovascular infarction or hemorrhagic disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple myeloma demyelinating diseases, and other uncommon causes. Each etiology of oculomotor nerve palsy has its corresponding clinical features. The present article comprehensively reviews the common etiologies of oculomotor nerve palsy and the corresponding clinical manifestations and treatment methods in order to help practitioners for the prompt and accurate clinical diagnosis of the causes and effective management plan.

Overview of Binocular Diplopia; Etiology, Assessment Methods, and Treatment Strategies

2025-01-21T10:01:14+0330

Binocular diplopia is a challenging oculomotor disorder that significantly impacts patients' quality of life. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the etiology, diagnostic methods, and treatment strategies for binocular diplopia. Proper diagnosis begins with differentiating between monocular and binocular diplopia, followed by determining whether the cause is motor or sensory in nature. Diagnostic methods include detailed medical history, qualitative and quantitative assessment of diplopia, analysis using tools like the Haab Grid, evaluation of ocular motility, and assessment of head postures. The level of oculomotor defect should be investigated to differentiate between nuclear and supranuclear lesions. Treatment approaches are diverse and depend on the underlying cause. Functional strategies may include prismatic correction, which can provide immediate relief from diplopia. Surgical interventions are considered for cases of paralytic strabismus or when conservative measures are insufficient. The choice of treatment is guided by factors such as the etiology, duration, and severity of diplopia. Prismatic correction is often used as both a diagnostic tool and a treatment option, allowing for precise adjustment of eye alignment. In cases of acute diplopia, a systematic approach to diagnosis and appropriate identification of possible causes enables better patient management. This comprehensive approach to binocular diplopia, encompassing thorough diagnostic methods and a range of treatment strategies, aims to improve functional outcomes and enhance the quality of life for affected patients.
This study emphasizes the complexity of diplopia, distinguishing between monocular and binocular types, and motor and sensory forms. Management involves functional therapies, prismatic correction, and, if needed, botulinum toxin or surgery. Prompt evaluation and multidisciplinary collaboration are essential, particularly for neurological causes.

Predicting Trunk Muscle Activity in Chronic Low Back Pain: Development of a Supervised Machine Learning Model

2025-01-21T09:59:41+0330

Background: Recently the adoption of machine learning has significantly increased across various applications, including prediction of diseases based on person’s clinical profile. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a supervised machine learning to predict trunk muscle’s activity in people with chronic low back pain.
Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data from a subgroup of people with nonspecific chronic low back pain. The correlation between labeled data and the output data of muscle activity level was measured through surface electromyography. The result showed a good correlation, suggesting the potential utility of this approach in distinguishing individuals with low back pain from pain-free controls.
Results: to validate the performance of the developed machine learning, the results were compared with SPSS. The model’s predictive performance was further assessed using various evaluation methods including area under the receiver operating characteristics curve. The study's findings indicate that the model achieved Area Under the Curve (AUC) values ranging from 0.5 to 0.9 across all muscles and different tasks for people with back pain. In contrast, the pain-free group exhibited AUC values between 0.4 and 0.8.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that the supervised machine learning approach using logistic regression may offer clinically meaningful predictions in defining the differences in trunk muscle activity between individuals with non-specific chronic low back pain and pain-free controls. While the obtained results demonstrate promise, further studies need to enhance the model's performance and achieve a more accurate estimation of muscle activity levels.