Introduction: Non-specific mechanical neck pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint that is generally treated conservatively using electro/thermal therapeutic agents, exercise, soft tissue techniques, and manual therapy. In this review, we evaluated the effectiveness of Thoracic Manipulation (TM) compared to cervical manipulations, multi-level TM with single-level TM, and TM with other interventions such as electro/thermal therapy and exercise.
Material and Methods: PubMed, Google scholar and PEDro database were searched from inception until May 2016 by the following keywords: “neck pain”, “thoracic manipulation”, “physical therapy treatment”, “cervical manipulation”, and different combinations. Quality of the included studies were evaluated using physiotherapy evidence database [PEDro] scale.
Results: A total of 15 studies out of 47 based on PEDro score were included in this review. All studies measured pain intensity as a parameter indicating effectiveness of interventions, 9 studies measured disability as a key outcome and used either NDI or NPQ for its assessment.
Conclusion: Thoracic manipulation is equally effective as cervical manipulation in reduction of pain and improving function. Thoracic manipulation is also more effective than electrotherapy or exercise therapy alone. When combined with multimodal neck program, thoracic manipulation for patients with neck pain significantly improves function and reduces pain intensity.

Introduction: Awareness of the nasality norm condition in normal people’s speech (children and adults) is very important for assessment and treatment of nasality disorders. The main goal of this study was to determine normative nasalance scores among Persian-speaking adults.
Material and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, nasalance value of 152 adults (54 males and 98 females) older than 18 years was examined by access method. Nasality test which included vowels (front/back, high/low), syllables (with oral and nasal consonants), words (with oral and nasal consonants), and sentences (with oral and nasal consonants) was done using Nasometer II model 6450. The data were then analyzed using paired t- test and Wilcoxon statistical test.
Results: The results indicate that the nasalance mean score for back vowels is significantly higher than front vowels. Also, the amount of nasalance mean score for low vowels is significantly higher than that in high vowels. The results also indicate that the nasalance mean scores for syllables, words, and sentences with nasal consonants is significantly higher than those with oral consonants (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The results of the present study have provided the mean scores of nasalance for vowels, syllables, words, and sentences separately with oral and nasal consonants in normal Persian-speaking adults. Also, the data obtained in this study can be used to compare the function of the resonance system in people with suspected resonant disorders.

Introduction: Aging is a dynamic and progressive process characterized by morphological, functional, and psychological changes, which restricts adaption to the environment and reduces the quality of life. Maintaining the ability of performing activities of daily living (ADL) is vital to the elderly and poor motor function is associated with higher dependency. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hand resistance training and dexterity as a treatment package on the performance of ADL in the elderly.
Material and Methods: A total of 20 senior adults were randomly (picking up by coded envelopes) assigned to intervention and control groups. We used Barthel test to evaluate the performance of ADL, and Box and Block test to evaluate the hand function.
Results: According to results, changes in ADL were not statistically significant over time (P=0.583). However, the results of Box and Block test showed that right- and left-hand performance changes over time was statistically significant (P=0.002).
Conclusion: Based on the results, 6 weeks training could improve hand function and dexterity and maintain the ability to perform ADL in the elderly.

Introduction: This study investigated the relationship between bimanual coordination and writing skill in the elementary school children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) living in Urmia City, Iran.
Material and Methods: A total of 60 elementary school children, both male and female, with DCD aged 7 to 9 years old were selected based on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) test and relevant questionnaires. These subjects were requested to perform in-phase and anti-phase patterns. Writing composition scores and bimanual coordination tool were used as measures of children’s writing performance and bimanual accuracy. Descriptive statistics and coefficient regression were used for data analysis.
Results: The results indicated a statistically positive correlation between children’s bimanual accuracy and their writing skill. In other words, regression indicated that bimanual coordination accuracy test was a significant predictor for the writing skill (R2=0.331, P=0.001).
Conclusion: In general, motor control ability of children with developmental coordination disorder and its relationship with writing performance should be considered.

Introduction: Progress in understanding dyslexia has led to the discovery of abnormal brain waves in the areas related to reading skill. It seems that improving the function of these areas by regulating their waves is helpful for reading process. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of neurofeedback training (NFT) in improving children’s reading difficulties.
Material and Methods: This was a single-subject experiment with A-B-A design. Four dyslexic boys (age range 8-12 years) received twenty 30-minute sessions of NFT three times a week to reduce their theta and delta waves at F7 and increase their beta wave at T3. Their accuracy, speed, reading comprehension, and spelling skill were assessed using Name reading test before, during, and one month after treatment. Data analysis was done by reliable change index, mean percentage improvement, and effect size. Also results were displayed by graphs.
Results: The results showed clinically significant improvement regarding the accuracy and comprehension reading as well as spelling after NFT. Reliable changes (P<0.05) and the effect size above the effective surface (Cohen’s d>2.87) refer to significant improvement of these skills. However speed reading increased in two subjects, but the effect size for the first and second participant was negative (Cohen’s d<0).
Conclusion: The results suggest that 20 sessions of NFT improves the spelling, accuracy, and comprehension reading. It seems that the increased attention (due to the reduction of theta and delta waves) and performance tuning at T3 was effective in improving these skills. However, increase in speed reading may require more sessions.

Introduction: Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) and Research Utilization (RU) were introduced to physiotherapy more than two decades ago. Physiotherapists with their professional responsibility to provide the best care, will find practical evidence-based physiotherapy a veritable goldmine of useful information. Recently, evidence-based physiotherapy, as a means to improve the quality of physical therapy intervention, has become an interesting topic for the researchers all over the world. However, few studies have researched EBP in Iranian community of physiotherapists. This study was conducted to investigate the perceptions and experiences of EBP among Iranian physiotherapists and the resources of evidence for a duration of 8 months, from 2015 to 2016.
Material and Methods: In this qualitative study, 15 physiotherapists holding at least a BSc. degree and with two years of relevant work experience, participated. Purposeful sampling method was used to recruit the samples. The data were collected via semi-organized in-depth interviews. Content analysis was used to analyze the data according to Cheevakumjorn’s method.
Results: The collected data were divided into two groups containing the definition of EBP and evidence resources for physiotherapists. The participants were divided into two groups. The first group contained the physiotherapists who became familiar with EBP at university. The contributors who had not passed this course at university were included in the second group. The first group provided more detailed definitions and implemented evidence into their clinical work with greater certainty. The data related to the nature of evidence were put into 4 subgroups; experiences of colleagues, acquired knowledge, therapist’s experience, and obtained knowledge through the patients.
Conclusion: Most physiotherapists participating in this study were somewhat familiar with EBP. Since there are some impediments such as poor clinical training, lack of role models during university education, weak research skills and critical evaluation of research, as well as ignoring the importance of life-long learning, most physiotherapists are not able to fully apply evidence in their clinical practice. A comprehensive program for educating the physiotherapists can be an effective method to improve the physiotherapists’ overall level of knowledge as well as the quality of the health care services they provide.

Introduction: Flatfoot is a common orthopedic disorder in the world. Some investigations have demonstrated flatfoot as the cause of many problems such as balance impairment by affecting the proprioception of the soles. Balance reduction can lead to injuries too. In this regard, textured surfaces can be used for stimulating somatosensory system as well as improving proprioception. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the role of textured insole on somatosensory system stimulation and consequently its effect on the balance improvement in individuals with flatfooted.
Material and Methods: This study is a kind of interventional quasi-experimental research. Twenty male students of Iran University of Medical Sciences (Mean [SD] age 22.1 [1.3] years with bilateral flexible flatfoot) were recruited in this study by convenience sampling method. The study variables were as follows: anteroposterior and mediolateral displacements and total velocity of the center of pressure that were measured using a Kistler force plate instrument. Repeated measures ANOVA test was used to compare the test values.
Results: Textured insole reduced the average of all measured parameters in eyes closed condition. This reduction was significant in both anteroposterior displacement and total velocity parameters (P<0.05). Surprisingly, the common arched medical insole leads to balance reduction when used in shoe.
Conclusion: Data analysis demonstrated that using textured insoles can be effective in balance improvement in individuals with flexible flatfooted. This can be the result of extroception and proprioception improvement. On the other hand, we found that common traditional insoles can disturb balance in this group of patients.

Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of group training of mindfulness-based techniques on improvement of psychological well-being of patients with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) covered by Tabriz Rehabilitation Organization.
Material and Methods: To this aim, 30 patients with SCI were selected by cluster random sampling out of paralyzed people due to SCI from centers covered by Tabriz Welfare Organization. Then, they were randomly assigned to experimental (n=15) and control group (n=15). The experimental group received 8 sessions of mindfulness training, but the control group received no intervention. Both groups completed psychological well-being scale of Ryff as well as demographic questionnaire before and after the intervention.
Results: Result of covariance analysis showed that mindfulness training affected improvement of self-acceptance (F=31.55, P<0.001), establishment of quality ties to others (F=31.55, P<0.001), a sense of autonomy (F=231.87, P<0.001), ability to manage complex environments (F=121.64, P<0.001), pursuit meaningful goals (F=212.15, P<0.001), continued growth and development as a person (F=747.09, P<0.001), and total score of psychological well-being (F=1212.83, P<0.001) of patients with SCI.
Conclusion: The findings supported the effectiveness of mindfulness training on improvement of psychological well-being of patients with SCI, and such changes may occur due to mediating the role of recognition mechanism.