Effect of adding short foot exercise to hip and knee focused exercises in treatment of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral pain syndrome is considered a common cause of anterior knee pain that could disturb function and limit daily activities. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of adding short foot exercise on pain, function, balance, and hip abductors, and quadriceps muscles strength in the treatment of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. METHODS: Twenty-eight male and female patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome with age ranged from 18 to 35 years old participated in this study. They were equally and randomly assigned into two groups; the study group which received short foot exercise in addition to hip and knee exercises (n = 14) and thecontrol group which received hip and knee exercises only (n = 14). Participants received their interventions during 6 consecutive weeks (12 sessions). Pain intensity, function, abductors quadriceps muscle strength, and balance were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale, anterior knee pain scale (AKPS), hand-held dynamometer, and the Biodex Balance System respectively. All measurements were taken before and after 6 weeks of intervention in both groups. Multivariate analysis of variance was performed to compare the within and between groups effects for measured variables. RESULTS: The within-group comparison showed significant improvement in pain severity, function, balance, and hip abductors, and quadriceps muscles strength in both groups post-treatment compared with pre-treatment. Between groups analysis, however, showed no significant statistical difference between both groups in all variables, except in pain, function, and mediolateral stability which showed better improvement compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Adding short foot exercise to hip and knee exercises improved pain, function, and mediolateral stability in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov. NO: NCT05383781. Date 19/ 5/2022.

Autonomic functions, tinnitus annoyance and loudness, and quality of life: Randomized-controlled responses to bee-humming (vibrational) respiratory training in tinnitus elderly.

BACKGROUND: In chronic subjective tinnitus (CST) studies, the effect of bee-humming respiratory training (BHRT), a type of pranayama breathing technique, on autonomic cardiovascular/respiratory physiological functions (systolic pressure, rates of breathing and pulse, and diastolic pressure), tinnitus annoyance (TA), tinnitus loudness (TL), and quality of life measures as tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) did not receive significant attention. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of BHRT on TL, THI, TA, and cardiovascular/respiratory autonomic functions in bilateral CST elderly (aged ≥65 years old). THE DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, AND INTERVENTION: The current study employs a prospective, single-blind design; it is a randomized-controlled for-tinnitus behavioral intervention. Forty-six CST elderly subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the BHRT group (23 patients) or the control group (23 patients). The 4-week BHRT intervention was applied 30 min daily. OUTCOME MEASURES: TL, THI, TA, and cardiovascular/respiratory autonomic functions were evaluated. RESULTS: Significant BHRT-induced reductions of all measures were detected in the BHRT group, whereas no significant changes were observed in the controlled elderly group. CONCLUSION: The complementary choice for BHRT is considered an effective method to improve TL, TA, THI, and cardiovascular/respiratory autonomic functions in CST elderly.