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Physiotherapy and Exercise Rehabilitation to Cure Diseases and Improve Health

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Exercise and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (16 October 2023) | Viewed by 17065

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alfonso Ibañez Vera

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Guest Editor

Department of Health Sciences, Campus las Lagunillas s/n, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Interests: physiotherapy; physical therapy; electrotherapy; therapeutic exercise; pain; manual therapy; posture; rehabilitation; temporomandibular disorders; pelvic floor disorders; idiopathic scoliosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Daniel Rodríguez-Almagro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Interests: physiotherapy; physical therapy; electrotherapy; therapeutic exercise; pain; manual therapy; posture; rehabilitation; temporomandibular disorders; pelvic floor disorders; idiopathic scoliosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Raquel Fábrega-Cuadros

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Guest Editor

Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Interests: physiotherapy; physical therapy; electrotherapy; therapeutic exercise; pain; manual therapy; posture; rehabilitation; temporomandibular disorders; pelvic floor disorders; idiopathic scoliosis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Physiotherapy has become the option of choice for the treatment of many musculoskeletal disorders. Clinical guidelines reflect the crucial role of physiotherapy modalities and exercise in the treatment and rehabilitation of a wide range of health conditions: temporomandibular disorders, pelvic floor disorders, orthopedic conditions such as idiopathic scoliosis, vestibular rehabilitation, respiratory rehabilitation, strength and endurance rehabilitation in cardiovascular diseases, etc. Nonetheless, the development of minimally invasive techniques such as dry needling and electrolysis have created new approaches for the treatment of soft tissue pathologies, requiring specific research into this area to delimit appropriate indications and clinical patterns that could extract the most profit from them.

For all the above, the present Special Issue aims to focus on the most up-to-date knowledge regarding the effects of physiotherapy and therapeutic exercise in the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders. Contributions in this field that are of a high academic standard will be welcomed and considered.

Dr. Alfonso Ibañez Vera
Dr. Daniel Rodríguez-Almagro
Dr. Raquel Fábrega-Cuadros
Guest Editors

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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2500 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
physical therapy
electrotherapy
electrical stimulation
therapeutic exercise
pain
manual therapy
posture
rehabilitation
temporomandibular disorders
pelvic floor disorders
idiopathic scoliosis
percutaneous electrolysis
diathermy
quality of life
sleep quality

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1077 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prevalence of Postural Changes and Musculoskeletal Disorders in Young Adults

by Maria Paula Pacheco, Paulo José Carvalho, Luís Cavalheiro and Filipa Manuel Sousa

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(24), 7191; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20247191 - 17 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1875

Abstract

Background: Postural changes are considered a public health problem, especially those that affect the spine, as they may predispose to degenerative conditions of the spine in adulthood. Musculoskeletal disorders are the main cause of chronic pain, illness, reduced educational performance, productivity, and quality of life, and are responsible for increased absenteeism, which could compromise the future career of students. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of postural changes and the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders in different anatomical regions in the 12 months prior and 7 days prior to the application of the questionnaire and the number of affected anatomical regions. Methods: This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. It included 508 students selected by a stratified random sample. Our outcomes were the Portuguese version of the Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, the Adam’s test, a scoliometer, and the visual analog pain scale associated with the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Results: In total, 79.3% of the students tested positive with the Adam’s test. The neck, shoulder, lumbar region, and knee stood out in all of the temporal references, the 12 months prior (44.3%; 35.2%, 50.2%, 34.1%) and the 7 days prior (16.5%, 16.9%; 28.9%, 17.5%), and even in the restriction of activity due to painful symptoms in the 12 months prior (4.3%, 5.3%, 10.6%, 8.5%). Conclusions: Out of 497 students, 403 were identified with postural changes. The high prevalence rate of identified musculoskeletal symptoms in the anatomical regions of the neck, lumbar region, and shoulder raises the need for intervention in students. Gender appears to generate differences between men and women. Pain from multiple body sites is frequent among young adults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiotherapy and Exercise Rehabilitation to Cure Diseases and Improve Health)

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13 pages, 1913 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of 3D Postural Correction and Abdominal Muscle Contraction on the Symmetry of the Transverse Abdominis and Spinal Alignment in Patients with Idiopathic Scoliosis

by Sung-Young Yoon and Sang-Yeol Lee

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 5016; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20065016 - 12 Mar 2023

Viewed by 2018

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of 3D postural correction (3DPC) using corrective cushions (CCs) and abdominal muscle contraction (AMC) on the thickness symmetry of the transversus abdominis (TrA) and spinal alignment in patients with idiopathic scoliosis (IS). In the first experiment, ultrasound measurements were taken of the TrA thickness on both the convex and concave sides of the lumbar curve in the supine position during AMC and non-AMC without 3DPC, and during AMC and non-AMC with 3DPC using CCs, in 11 IS patients. In the second experiment, 37 IS patients participated in a four-week 3DPC exercise program that aimed to maintain TrA thickness symmetry based on the results of the first experiment. The study found that TrA thickness symmetry significantly increased after 3DPC using CCs and combined with AMC (p < 0.05). Additionally, the Cobb angles and trunk rotation angles showed significant decreases, and trunk expansion showed a significant increase (p < 0.05). These results indicate that the simultaneous application of 3DPC and AMC is the most effective way to achieve TrA thickness symmetry in IS patients. Therefore, 3DPC and AMC should be considered as crucial elements in exercise interventions for IS patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiotherapy and Exercise Rehabilitation to Cure Diseases and Improve Health)

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14 pages, 3010 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Virtual Reality Exercises versus Isokinetic Exercises in comparison with Conventional Exercises on the Imaging Findings and Inflammatory Biomarker Changes in Soccer Players with Non-Specific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

by Gopal Nambi, Mshari Alghadier, Faizan Zaffar Kashoo, Osama R. Aldhafian, Naif A. Nwihadh, Ayman K. Saleh, Mohamed A. Omar, Tohamy G. T. Hassan, Mohamed Nagah Ahmed Ibrahim, Hassan Fathy El Behairy, Abdehamid A. Attallah and Mohammed Abdelgwad Ismail

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 524; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010524 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2736

Abstract

Chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) is the most common musculoskeletal problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of advanced physiotherapeutic exercise programs on imaging findings and inflammatory biomarkers in soccer players with CNLBP. In total, 60 CNLBP participants were divided into virtual reality exercise (VRE; n = 20), isokinetic exercise (IKE; n = 20), and conventional exercise (n = 20) groups. Pain intensity, imaging findings (muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and muscle thickness), and changes in inflammatory biomarkers (CRP, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6) were measured at baseline and after four weeks. After four weeks of intervention, there was a significant improvement (p = 0.001) in pain intensity for the VRE vs. IKE (0.7; CI 95% 0.38 to 1.07) and VRE vs. conventional (3.0 CI 95% 2.68 to 3.31) groups. The IKE group showed a greater number of significant changes in muscle CSA and muscle thickness than the other two groups (p < 0.001). Moreover, the VRE group showed significant improvement in inflammatory biomarker measures compared with the other two groups (p < 0.001). In CNLBP, virtual and isokinetic exercises had equal effects on reducing pain intensity. Isokinetic exercise is beneficial in increasing the muscle CSA and thickness, and virtual exercises are helpful for attenuating the inflammation process in soccer players with CNLBP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiotherapy and Exercise Rehabilitation to Cure Diseases and Improve Health)

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11 pages, 2217 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Jaw-Opening Exercises with/without Pain for Temporomandibular Disorders: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

by Shoko Tobe, Hiroyuki Ishiyama, Akira Nishiyama, Keisuke Miyazono, Hiroko Kimura and Kenji Fueki

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16840; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416840 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2134

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of jaw-opening exercises with and without pain on temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), specifically in relation to pain intensity and range-of-mouth opening in patients with TMDs. Participants were randomly assigned to either the jaw-opening exercise with pain (JE w/pain) or the jaw-opening exercise without pain (JE w/o pain) groups, and each exercise was performed for eight weeks. TMDs pain intensity was assessed using a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS), and the range-of-mouth opening was evaluated at the baseline (T0), 2 weeks (T1), 4 weeks (T2), and 8 weeks (T3). Of the 61 participants, 57 (JE w/pain group, n = 30; JE w/o pain group, n = 27) were included in the analysis. The range-of-mouth opening and TMDs pain intensity improved from T1 to T3 in both groups. The JE w/pain group showed significant differences at T3 compared to T1 (pain-free unassisted mouth opening, p = 0.006; jaw-opening pain, p = 0.014; chewing pain, p = 0.018). In addition, the JE w/pain group showed significantly greater changes in the maximum unassisted mouth opening at T2 and T3 than the JE w/o pain group (T2, p < 0.001; T3, p = 0.003). Thus, jaw-opening exercises, until the occurrence of pain, may be effective in patients with TMDs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiotherapy and Exercise Rehabilitation to Cure Diseases and Improve Health)

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Review

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12 pages, 2614 KiB

Open AccessReview

Application of the Schroth Method in the Treatment of Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Vanja Dimitrijević, Tijana Šćepanović, Nikola Jevtić, Bojan Rašković, Vukadin Milankov, Zoran Milosević, Srđan S. Ninković, Nachiappan Chockalingam, Borislav Obradović and Patrik Drid

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16730; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416730 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7620

Abstract

(1) Background: Idiopathic scoliosis can be defined as a complex three-dimensional deformity of the spine and trunk, which occurs in basically healthy children. Schroth scoliosis-specific exercises have shown good results in reducing idiopathic scoliosis progression. This study aimed to critically evaluate the effect size of Schroth’s method through a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2) Methods: Four databases were included in the search: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The following keywords were used: “Schroth exercise”, “idiopathic scoliosis”, “Cobb angle”, “angle of trunk rotation”, and “quality of life”. Only articles written in English that met the following criteria were included in our study: subjects who had idiopathic scoliosis, the Schroth method was applied, and Cobb angle or angle of trunk rotation or quality of life as outcomes. (3) Results: Ten randomized controlled trials were included in this study. The effect size of the Schroth exercise ranged from almost moderate to large, for the outcomes used: Cobb angle (ES = −0.492, p ˂ 0.005); ATR (ES = −0.471, p = 0.013); QoL (ES = 1.087, p ˂ 0.001). (4) Conclusions: The current meta-analysis indicates that the Schroth method has a positive effect on subjects with idiopathic scoliosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiotherapy and Exercise Rehabilitation to Cure Diseases and Improve Health)

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