No abstract

Background and Objectives: The Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic Shoulder and Elbow Score (KJOC-SES) is a reliable and sensitive tool used to measure the performance and function in overhead athletes with shoulder and elbow injuries. This study aimed to culturally adapt and validate the KJOC-SES questionnaire in the Persian language. Materials and Methods: A total number of 341 healthy competitive overhead athletes took part in this cross-sectional study and completed the KJOC-SES questionnaire. To assess the reliability of the KJOC-SES, 41 professional volleyball players filled out the questionnaire at the baseline and after a 4-week interval, during the off-season. Also, we compared the scores of KJOC-SES with those of the sports/performing arts module of disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand and the 12-item short-form health survey to test the construct validity. Moreover, we investigated the internal consistency and the concurrent validity of all measures. Results: The KJOC-SES was correlated with the sports/performing arts module of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (r=−0.559, P<0.001), and the 12-item short-form health survey (r=−0.505, P<0.001). The KJOC-SES had an excellent internal consistency (the Cronbach alpha=0.92). Also, the intra-class correlation coefficients of test-retest reliability for the 10 items of KJOC-SES were excellent (ICC=0.82, P<0.001). The new score correctly stratified overhead athletes by the injury category (P<0.001). Conclusion: The KJOC-SES is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the shoulder and elbow injuries in Iranian overhead athletes.

Background and Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the crosscultural adaptation of the Persian version of the Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE) in Iranian tennis players with lateral epicondylitis. Materials and Methods: The original version of the PRTEE questionnaire was translated into the Persian language by two bilingual translators in accordance with the instructions provided by Beaton et al. One hundred and two tennis players (64 males and 38 females) suffering from lateral epicondylitis and 40 tennis player with no lateral epicondylitis participated in this study. In order to determine the construct validity, the correlation between the Persian version of the PRTEE and disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand questionnaire (DASH) were all investigated. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined from two different aspects of the test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Results: There was a high correlation between PRTEE and DASH questionnaires (r = 0.88). The coefficient of Cronbach's alpha for the total score of the PRTEE questionnaire was 0.96 and the intra-class correlation (ICC) coefficient for the total score was 0.95. There was a significant difference in the scores of patients (M=45.56, SD=20.56) and healthy (M=7.23, SD=5.5) tennis players; (t =17.31, P<0.0001). Conclusion: The Persian version of the PRTEE questionnaire to assess pain and functional problems in patients with lateral epicondylitis is highly reliable and valid in this setting.

No abstract

Background: Spasticity and muscle weakness are the primary impairments that result in activity limitation after stroke. Functional mobility is the ability to transfer independently from one place to another that depends on the extent of impairments affecting body function. The knowledge of relationship between the physical consequences of stroke and functional limitation helps therapist to implement the most effective rehabilitation approach to improve mobility. Objective: The purpose of this study was to clinically assess the relationship between spasticity and lower extremity strength with functional mobility in hemi paretic stroke subjects. Methods: In this cross sectional analytical study using a convenience sampling, 30 (18 men, 12 women) participants with post stroke duration of 3-24 months participated. Spasticity of knee extensor and ankle plantar flexors was evaluated with Modified Tardieu scale. Lower extremity strength was measured with Motricity Index. Functional mobility was assessed by the Rivermead mobility index, Timed Up and Go test, 6 Min Walk Test and 10-Meter Walk Test. For analysis of data the Pearson correlation coefficient was used. Results: The results showed that there was no statistical significant relationship between the lower extremity spasticity and all functional mobility variables. The lower extremity strength and functional mobility variables were significantly correlated (p<0.05, r>0.70). Conclusion: It seemed that lower extremity spasticity was not correlated to functional mobility after stroke. The rehabilitation for decreasing lower extremity spasticity would not be functionally efficient. There should be increased focus on rehabilitation of lower extremity strength in order to enhance functional mobility.

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.

Background Non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP) is a major public health and global socioeconomic burden associated with a complex interplay of biopsychosocial factors. Despite scientific signs of progress, treatment of NSCLBP often tends to stick to a biomechanical model, without targeting psychological and social factors. To enhance the clinical efficacy of usual physiotherapy for NSCLBP, the development of clinical strategies is to be pursued. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of multidimensional physiotherapy based on a biopsychosocial approach compared to usual care physiotherapy, on clinical findings and electroencephalography spectrum in non-specific chronic low back pain. Methods This study is a triple-blind, two-arm (1:1) randomized controlled trial with a 4 months follow-up. Seventy NSCLBP patients will be randomly allocated to either the experimental (multidimensional physiotherapy) or the active control group (usual physiotherapy); each group will receive 6 weeks of physiotherapy. The main outcome is pain and secondary outcomes are brain function, quality of life, disability, lumbar flexion range of motion, and psychosocial correlates. Assessment will be performed at baseline, post-treatment, and at 1 and 4 months follow-up. Discussion Findings may provide evidence on the effectiveness of multidimensional physiotherapy on clinical findings and brain characteristics and might provide evidence towards showing the role of brain and biopsychosocial factors on chronic pain. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04270422, Registered on 17 February 2020, IRCT Identifier: IRCT20140810018754N11

BackgroundScapular dyskinesis is an alteration in normal scapular position and motion. Some researchers believe that altered kinematics of the scapula subsequent to dysfunction or weakness of scapular stabilizing muscles contributes to impingement syndrome. Scapular muscle exercises are included in the rehabilitation of patients with subacromial impingement syndrome and scapular dyskinesis because the muscular system is one of the major contributors of scapular positioning both at rest and during shoulder movement, but there is considerable uncertainty relating to the relative effectiveness of such approaches on changing scapular position and motion.ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review protocol is to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise therapy on scapular position and motion in individuals with scapular dyskinesis.MethodsA systematic review will be conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Elsevier, Ovid, ProQuest, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and Cochrane Library. The reference lists of articles, other reviews, gray literature, and key journals will be searched for relevant articles. Clinical trials reporting the effect of therapeutic exercises (scapular strengthening exercise, scapular stabilization exercise, scapular muscle stretching) with the aims of changing scapular position and motion in individuals with scapular dyskinesis will be included. Two independent reviewers will select studies, extract data, and assess the quality of primary studies. Any disagreement during the selection of studies will be discussed and decided by the whole team.ResultsThis systematic review began in December 2016 and is currently in progress. The findings will be synthesized to determine the effectiveness of recommended therapeutic exercise on scapular position and motion in individuals with scapular dyskinesis.ConclusionsThis is the first systematic review protocol aiming to assess the effectiveness of exercise therapy in individuals with scapular dyskinesis. The systematic review doesn’t require ethics approval because all data used will be provided from published documents. The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.Trial RegistrationPROSPERO CRD42017053923; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=53923 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6uzq32T02)