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Healthcare
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Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine—2nd Edition
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Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine—2nd Edition

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2025 | Viewed by 3243

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Tadashi Ito

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Three-Dimensional Motion Analysis Room, Aichi Prefectural Mikawa Aoitori Medical and Rehabilitation Center for Developmental Disabilities, Okazaki 444-0002, Japan
Interests: physiotherapy treatment; physiotherapy exercise; physical function; motion analysis; gait analysis; biomechanics; geriatric rehabilitation; stroke rehabilitation; physiotherapy children; muscle training; motor control; prevention; health promotion; healthcare; proprioception; balance control; rehabilitation medicine; community health; rehabilitation engineering; low back pain; pain; pain rehabilitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

To improve a patient’s physical ability, effective physiotherapy and occupational therapy treatment and an assessment of comprehensive rehabilitation appear to be important. Thus, a proper understanding of clinical factors along with adequate physiotherapy and occupational therapy has become a critical component of any rehabilitation approach. In addition, the accurate assessment of physical or motor function can lead to the early detection and prevention of disease. Therefore, it is critically important that physiatrists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists constantly develop their knowledge and techniques. This Special Issue aims to serve as a global forum for the discussion of all aspects of motion analysis, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation studies including evaluation, treatment, and prevention.

Dr. Tadashi Ito
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physiotherapy
  • rehabilitation
  • gait analysis
  • muscle training
  • motor control
  • physical medicine
  • comprehensive clinical medicine
  • prevention
  • healthcare
  • biomechanics
  • physical function
  • postural control
  • falls
  • low back pain
  • children’s health
  • physical activity

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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17 pages, 810 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Balance and Walking Endurance in Older Adults: The Potential of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation as an Adjunct to Balance Training, a Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Clinical Trial
by Orathai Tunkamnerdthai, Panita Thamnithis, Chalermkiat Sawasdee, Keattichai Keeratitanont, Vichaya Auvichayapat, Wiyada Punjaruk, Somsak Tiamkao and Paradee Auvichayapat
Healthcare 2025, 13(11), 1263; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111263 - 27 May 2025
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Abstract
Background: Falls among the elderly present significant physical, psychological, and economic challenges. Fall prevention strategies, such as balance and muscle strengthening exercises, are essential but often require long-term commitment. This study explores the potential of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an [...] Read more.
Background: Falls among the elderly present significant physical, psychological, and economic challenges. Fall prevention strategies, such as balance and muscle strengthening exercises, are essential but often require long-term commitment. This study explores the potential of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an adjunct to balance training to enhance physical performance in the elderly. Method: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled design was employed to compare balance training with active or sham tDCS. Participants underwent baseline assessments, followed by a six-week intervention period. The intervention protocol consisted of 2 mA, 20 min of anodal tDCS over the left primary motor cortex, three times weekly. Post-intervention assessments were conducted a few days after the intervention and follow-up at 4 weeks. Results: Following 18 sessions of anodal tDCS combined with balance exercise training, no significant group differences were observed for the Time Up and Go, One-Leg Standing, lower-limb strength, or the 6 min walk test (6MWT), although both the intervention and control groups demonstrated significant improvements over time. A significant group × time interaction was found only for the 6MWT, with participants in the intervention group exhibiting greater improvements in the 6MWT compared to controls. Conclusions: Anodal tDCS combined with balance exercise training selectively enhanced physical endurance but did not confer additional benefits for balance, gait, or leg strength in healthy older adults. These findings suggest that tDCS may serve as a promising adjunct to exercise for improving endurance-related outcomes in aging populations. Control of various variables for tDCS and exercise is necessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine—2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 2744 KiB  
Systematic Review
Pain and Disability Therapy with Stabilization Exercises in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Meta-Analysis
by Vanja Dimitrijević, Bojan Rašković, Nikola Jevtić, Siniša Nikolić, Dejan Viduka and Borislav Obradović
Healthcare 2025, 13(9), 960; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13090960 - 22 Apr 2025
Viewed by 2365
Abstract
Background: Chronic low back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide, necessitating effective interventions to alleviate pain and improve function. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of stabilization exercises for pain relief and disability reduction in patients with chronic low back [...] Read more.
Background: Chronic low back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide, necessitating effective interventions to alleviate pain and improve function. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of stabilization exercises for pain relief and disability reduction in patients with chronic low back pain. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted following PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines. Randomized controlled trials evaluating stabilization exercises for chronic low back pain were included. Subgroup analyses were performed based on treatment duration, type of pain (specific vs. non-specific), study quality, and exercise type. Effect sizes were calculated using standardized mean differences (SMD), and evidence quality was assessed using the GRADE tool. Results: A total of 23 studies involving 1132 participants were included. The meta-analysis revealed that longer treatment durations (8–12 weeks) showed the strongest effects on pain reduction (SMD = −0.88) and disability improvement (SMD = −0.85). For pain type, non-specific low back pain responded better (SMD = −0.81 for pain, −0.73 for disability) compared to specific LBP (SMD = −0.61 and −0.42, respectively). The 6-week duration also demonstrated moderate effects (SMD = −0.72 for pain). Core stability exercises had superior pain reduction (SMD = −0.90, large effect) compared to spinal stability exercises (SMD = −0.57), while spinal stability exercises showed higher-quality evidence for disability improvement (SMD = −0.56, high-quality) versus core stability (SMD = −0.62, low-quality). Conclusion: Stabilization exercises are a highly effective intervention for chronic low back pain, offering significant pain relief and functional improvement. They outperform other common interventions and should be prioritized in clinical practice, particularly in longer-duration, supervised programs. These findings provide strong evidence to guide treatment protocols and improve outcomes for patients with chronic low back pain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine—2nd Edition)
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