Purpose: Among athletic populations with lower extremity amputations, chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) represents a prevalent complication that significantly impairs physical comfort, vertebral mobility, and overall well-being. To address this, manual therapy is often introduced as a conservative, non-drug restorative strategy. The primary objective of the current investigation was to evaluate how a structured 6-week massage intervention influences pain intensity, thoracolumbar flexibility, and health-related quality of life in amputee athletes suffering from persistent non-specific LBP. Methods: Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, volunteers were enrolled and allocated into either an un-treated control cohort (mean age: 35.53±9.28 years; BMI: 24.56±1.88kg/m2) or a treatment collective (mean age: 40.53±7.66 years; BMI: 23.19±2.30 kg/m2). Pre-intervention data collection encompassed clinical discomfort severity, lumbar spine flexibility, sleep metrics, and subjective well-being via the WHOQOL tool. Individuals in the intervention arm participated in three weekly massage sessions spanning six weeks, whereas the control cohort sustained their baseline habits. Final post-intervention profiles were recorded immediately after the final week. Statistical evaluations comprised paired-sample t-tests, ANCOVA, and non-parametric Wilcoxon/Mann-Whitney criteria, establishing significance at P<0.05. Results: Post-test indicators revealed substantial enhancements within the massaged cohort regarding lower back discomfort reduction (p=0.001), expanded trunk flexibility (p=0.001), and boosted quality of life scores (p≤0.01) relative to the control group. The data confirmed distinct inter-group variances favoring the active treatment arm upon trial completion. Conclusion: Implementing a 6-week manual soft-tissue manipulation program serves as a viable, productive approach to mitigate lumbosacral pain while simultaneously advancing daily physical capacity and health satisfaction in disabled athletes dealing with post-amputation spinal discomfort.
Human gait is a remarkably intricate process that integrates neural control, musculoskeletal dynamics, and biomechanical coordination. Historically, gait analysis has focused predominantly on lower limb mechanics, with much of the emphasis placed on stride length, cadence, joint kinetics, and energy expenditure in the legs. However, this lower limb-centric perspective overlooks the critical role of upper limb movement—specifically, arm swing—in the regulation of dynamic stability and locomotor efficiency.
Purpose: Pelvic floor disorders span a broad spectrum of common illnesses that impact the pelvic floor area in various ways. These conditions have a substantial financial, emotional, and physical impact on people, families, and society as a whole. Kinesio taping (KT) is utilized in the management and prevention of several pelvic floor disorders; however, there is insufficient research on KT’s effectiveness in this context. Consequently, the precise impact of this therapeutic approach on different pelvic floor issues remains unclear. To gain a better understanding of the effects of KT on the treatment of various pelvic floor dysfunctions, the current study aimed to conduct a systematic evaluation of all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: The following keywords were used to search databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Medline, and Web of Science: Kinesio-taping, kinesiology taping, pelvic floor physiotherapy, pelvic floor conservative treatment, pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic floor disorder, vaginal dysfunction, anal or defecatory dysfunction, urethral dysfunction, urge incontinence, stress incontinence, overactive bladder (OAB), constipation, sexual dysfunction, vaginismus, pelvic floor dyssynergia, erectile dysfunction, pelvic organ prolapse, voiding dysfunction, and chronic pelvic pain syndrome, as of March 2024. The checklist from the critical appraisal skills program (CASP) was utilized to evaluate the articles’ quality and bias risk. There were six RCTs that satisfied the inclusion/exclusion criteria and were reviewed. Results: There was insufficient evidence to suggest that incorporating KT is more clinically effective than placebo or some of other physiotherapy treatment modalities for urinary and defecatory dysfunctions and pelvic girdle pain. However, significant decreases were noted in the frequency of incontinence occurrences, and positive effects were observed on depression test results, defecation frequency (DF), duration, consistency, strain, pain, and ultimately improvement in quality of life. Conclusion: The findings revealed that the KT alone or in combination of other physiotherapy treatment modalities, have beneficial effects on some pelvic floor dysfunctions. However, due to the limitations of the studies, this research area requires more substantial evidence.
Purpose: This study examined how low-dye tape and navicular sling kinesiotape impacts athletic performance in fatigue conditions in basketball athletes with flat feet. Methods: The current research was conducted on 12 professional basketball players aged 18 to 25 years with flat feet. The Staheli Index, Y Balance test, 20-meter speed test, modified t-test, and Sargent test were employed to assess flat feet, dynamic balance, speed, agility, and power. A basketball-specific performance fatigue protocol was used to induce performance fatigue, and treatments included low-dye taping and navicular sling kinesiotape. Results: Statistical analysis indicated that low-dye taping significantly improved dynamic balance in both fatigued (P=0.01) and non-fatigued (P=0.01) conditions (F=18.33). Additionally, performance fatigue negatively affected dynamic balance in both low-dye taping and non-taping conditions (P=0.01). It also led to impaired performance in the 20-meter speed test in the low-dye and Kinesiotape conditions (0.49 and 0.60), as well as a 3.75 cm reduction in the Sargent test in the non-taping condition. Additionally, the low-dye taping condition led to a 0.68-second decrease in agility performance. Conclusion: While fatigue did have an impact on performance, low-dye taping, and Navicular Sling Kinesiotape resulted in a smaller performance decline compared to non-taping conditions. In addition, low-dye taping had a greater effect on performance and flat foot than Navicular Sling Kinesiotape. It is recommended that basketball players with flat feet use low-dye taping and Navicular Sling Kinesiotape.
Purpose: The present study aimed to compare the effect of wobble board and TRX training on static and dynamic balance in athletes with functional ankle instability. Methods: A total of 35 athletes with functional ankle instability were randomly divided into three groups: wobble board training, TRX training, and control. The anthropometric variables and the static and dynamic balance indices of subjects were evaluated using the Biodex balance assessment tool in three stages: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up (6 weeks after post-test). Subsequently, the training groups performed their relevant exercises for 6 weeks. The repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc test were used for the statistical analyses. The significance level was considered <0.05. Results: The repeated-measures ANOVA results showed that the static and dynamic balance indices of the subjects in the training groups significantly improved from the pre-test to the post-test (P≤0.05). Additionally, the results indicated that 6 weeks after the post-test stage, the positive effects of wobble board and TRX training did not diminish in either training group (P≤0.05). However, the balance indices evaluated in the control group did not show any significant difference at any of the measurement points (P≥0.05). Conclusion: Athletes with functional ankle instability often struggle with deficiencies in both static and dynamic balance, which increases their vulnerability to re-injury during dynamic movements. Our findings suggest that incorporating functional-based approaches, such as wobble-board and TRX exercises, can serve as effective strategies for enhancing balance in athletes with functional ankle instability.
