Domestic violence against women committed by intimate partners is a worldwide concern especially in developing countries. The aim of this study was to assess the problem among Iranian women and identify associated risk factors. Using a cross-sectional multicenter design, 1,600 women in six different areas of Iran were surveyed. A measure of domestic violence against women was administered and demographic information collected. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with domestic violence. The prevalence of domestic violence among participants were emotional (64%), physical (28%), and sexual (18%). Higher education (both women and their partners), employment status of partner (being employed), and lower number of children lowered the risk, whereas history of previous marriage (for either women or their partners), unstable marriage, substance abuse, crowded family situation, and lower socioeconomic status increased the risk of domestic violence. There is a high prevalence of domestic violence, particularly emotional, against women by their partners. Preventive measures are recommended such as increasing public awareness, improving in socioeconomic status of families, educating women about what they can do, and encouraging counseling for the couple or the woman alone.

It is believed that unihemispheric concurrent dual-site transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCSUHCDS) of the primary motor cortex (M1) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) causes an increase in motor cortex excitability. However, the clinical effect of this type of stimulation on patients with neurological conditions is not yet known. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of anodal-tDCSUHCDS (a-tDCSUHCDS) on upper limb motor function in subacute stroke patients. Fifteen patients participated in this sham-controlled crossover study. The main outcome measures were the reaction time (RT) to visual stimuli, completion time of a nine-pin pegboard (9-PPB), and the scores from the Fugl–Meyer assessment (FMA) for the upper limb of the involved side before and after three brain stimulation conditions. For a-tDCSUHCDS, the anodal electrodes were placed on the M1 and the DLPFC, while for a-tDCS, the anodal electrode was placed on the M1. For the sham stimulation, the tDCS was turned off after 30 s. For brain stimulation, the selected current was 1 mA for 20 min. After a-tDCSUHCDS, there was a significant reduction in the RT and completion time of the 9-PPB compared with the times after a-tDCS and the sham stimulation: p = 0.013 and p = 0.022, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in the FMA scores after the three types of stimulations (p = 0.085). Compared with a-tDCS, a-tDCSUHCDS temporarily improved the RT and dexterity of the involved hand in subacute stroke patients.Clinical Trial Registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT), identifier IRCT2015012520787N1.

Objective: To determine the effects of repetitive ipsilateral rotation on low back pain among the taxi drivers of right and left hand drive. Methods: A total of 1200 (600 Iran+600 Pakistan) male taxi drivers, aged between 20-60 years with work experience of more than one year were randomly selected and interviewed in Tehran (Iran) & Lahore (Pakistan) to fill self-administered questionnaires in Persian and Urdu languages which contained socio-demographic, work related and LBP characteristics. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression models were employed for statistical analyses. Results: Point, one week, one year and lifetime prevalence of LBP among right hand drive taxi drivers was 26.7%, 35.5%, 49.8% and 77.7% respectively. Point, one week, one year and lifetime prevalence of LBP among left hand drive taxi drivers was 37%, 42.7%, 53.5% and 72.3% respectively. Mean Numeric Pain rating scale (NPRS) score was 4.15 (SD=1.42) in Pakistan, while in Iran it was 4(SD=1.57). There was no significant difference regarding pain intensity (p=0.123) between drivers from both countries. Mean Roland-Morris Questionnaire (RMQ) score among drivers in Pakistan with LBP was 7.76(SD= 2.50), while in Iranian drivers who had LBP, mean RMQ score was 7.71(SD=2.99). Conclusion: Static or less dynamic muscles are more prone to LBP due to lower endurance. Lack of exercising habit, work as a driver for more number of years, driving within city, more driving hours in a day, forward bending, lifting, no seat comfort, lack of awareness regarding ergonomics and lower satisfaction level of job were the main reasons of LBP. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.4.488 How to cite this:Arslan SA, Hadian MR, Olyaei G, Talebian S, Yekaninejad MS, Hussain MA. Comparative effect of driving side on low back pain due to Repetitive Ipsilateral Rotation. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(4):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.4.488 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of breathing re-education with routine physical therapy. This mixed method study was conducted at the District Headquarter Hospital Faisalabad, Faisalabad from April 2020 to July 2020. Fourteen participants (6men and 8 women) with chronic neck pain were recruited over a 16-week period and were equally divided into breathing re-education and routine physical therapy groups. The mean age of the patients was 38.48± 5.92 years. Feasibility outcomes were recruitment, randomisation and retention rates of the participants. Clinical outcomes assessed for full trial were neck pain, cervical ROM, strength and endurance of neck muscles, quality of life and pulmonary functions. Outcomes were measured at baseline, fourth and eighth weeks. All the participants completed all the treatment sessions. No adverse events were reported. The breathing re-education group showed significant improvement in clinical outcomes. The results of this feasibility study provide supporting evidence for a future large-scale trial. Breathing re-education appears to be an effective treatment for chronic neck pain. Keywords: Neck pain, Respiration, Re-education

In the present era, Low Back Pain (LBP) is a destructive health problem. It affects many people and accounts for huge economic loss. Office workers have a unique lifestyle while working in sedentary position with poor body posture for long periods of time. The musculoskeletal problems can result in inconvenience or pain with bad impact on the quality of life. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done to find the prevalence and risk factors of LBP among the office workers of King Edward Medical University (KEMU), Lahore, Pakistan. After taking the ethical approval from Institutional Review Board (IRB), KEMU, Lahore, a sample size of 300 office workers was calculated by using proportion formula of sample size estimation with 5% margin of error from KEMU with effect from Jan 2015 to Sep 2015. Participants aged between 18 and 60 years with at least 1 year work experience completed the validated questionnaires. Results: Results showed that point and lifetime prevalence of LBP among office workers of KEMU, Lahore, Pakistan was 29.20% and 69.20%, respectively. LBP prevalence rose with the increase in age, work experience, low education, low physical activity, sleep disturbance, smoking habit, more sitting and standing time, computer use, and low job satisfaction. Conclusion: We concluded that different individual, ergonomic, and psychosocial factors were associated with LBP. Because of high prevalence of LBP among office workers of this university, better ergonomic facilities and awareness about sitting posture, regular exercise, good sleep, and psychological support to the workers were recommended to decrease the effects of predisposing risk factors of LBP.