Influence of a virtual reality-based exercise protocol on the sit-to-stand activity kinematic variables in pregnant women: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

-Aims:Changes resulting from the gestational period may lead to changes in the biomechanics of women, which can alter the performance of functional activities such as sit-to-stand. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the influence of a virtual reality-based exercise protocol on the kinematic variables of the sit-to-stand movement in women in their second and third gestational trimesters. Methods: The sample consisted of 44 women selected according to the eligibility criteria, allocated into 4 groups: control group, 2 nd trimester (CG2T); experimental group, 2 nd trimester (EG2T); control group, 3 rd trimester (CG3T); and experimental group, 3 rd trimester (EG3T). All the volunteers answered the identification and evaluation form and were sent to the kinematic evaluation through the Qualisys Motion Capture System®. An intervention with game therapy was performed in 12 sessions of 30 minutes each, three times a week. Results: No statistically significant differences were found intra-(P> 0.54) and inter-groups (P> 0.059) for kinematic variables. However, there was a tendency for improvement in the analyzed variables after the proposed protocol. Conclusions: The data obtained suggest that the use of the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus® was not able to influence sit-to-stand kinematic variables in the analyzed women.

The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Exercise on Individual’s Physiological, Psychological and Rehabilitative Outcomes: A Systematic Review

“…(3) articles which did not use VR exercise (e.g., some focused on VR only or VR exposure therapy (VRET) or Virtual Reality in Psychological Treatment (VRT)). The characteristics of the included studies are shown in the Table 2, which includes 11 RCTs [7,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]30,32,34], three controlled trials [28,31,33] and one causal-comparative study [29]. In detail, all 11 RCTs used baseline and post-test results from the intervention and control groups as the basis of their conclusions [7,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]30,32,34].…”

“…Experiments were conducted between 2009 and 2019 and were conducted in different countries: six in South Korea [21,24,25,27,32,33], two in Canada [28,30], and one in Brazil [22], Taiwan [23], Israel [26], Australia [29], the US [7], Belgium [31], and Spain [34]. The sample size varied from 11 to 121 The characteristics of the included studies are shown in the Table 2, which includes 11 RCTs [7,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]30,32,34], three controlled trials [28,31,33] and one causal-comparative study [29]. In detail, all 11 RCTs used baseline and post-test results from the intervention and control groups as the basis of their conclusions [7,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]30,32,34].…”

“…The sample size varied from 11 to 121 The characteristics of the included studies are shown in the Table 2, which includes 11 RCTs [7,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]30,32,34], three controlled trials [28,31,33] and one causal-comparative study [29]. In detail, all 11 RCTs used baseline and post-test results from the intervention and control groups as the basis of their conclusions [7,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]30,32,34]. Moreover, the three controlled trials compared the inferential statistics at baseline and post-test of the predetermined control and experimental groups [28,31,33].…”

Impact of lumbopelvic pain on postural balance during sit-to-stand activity in pregnant women: a cross-sectional study

“…Among these changes we can include: weight gain, changes in the center of gravity (CG) [2], increased joint laxity [1], decreased control and neuromuscular coordination [1,3] and postural oscillation [4]. These modifications are capable of altering postural balance [5] and can result in the development of painful symptomatology [6], especially in the lumbar region [7], leading to influence the performance of functional activities [8] such as sit-to-stand [9].…”

“…Operationally, the sit-to-stand movement is defined as a successful transfer of the body's center of mass (CM) from a sitting to a stable standing position. This requires good coordination between the central nervous system (CNS) and the neuromuscular system [9,10]. During pregnancy, postural instability, lumbopelvic pain (LPP) and fatigability may be limiting factors for the execution of this movement.…”