Effectiveness of mind-body exercises in chronic respiratory diseases: an overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses.

PURPOSE: To gather evidence on the effectiveness and safety of qigong, tai chi, and yoga to modulate symptoms associated with chronic respiratory diseases. METHODS: A search of systematic reviews was conducted in CINHAL, Embase, PubMed, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, and the Cochrane Library from inception to November 2022. Systematic reviews with meta-analyses investigating physical and psychological measures were eligible. The methodological quality of systematic reviews (AMSTAR-2), the spin of information in abstracts, and the overlap of primary studies were explored. RESULTS: Twenty-seven systematic reviews involving 37 000 participants, 146 studies, and 150 meta-analyses were included. Reviews investigated asthma (n = 4) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n = 23). Most reviews discussed their findings without considering the risk of bias of primary studies. The overlap ranged between slight (5%) and very high (35%). Yoga was better than control interventions to improve symptoms related with asthma. In adults with COPD, qigong improved dyspnoea, exercise endurance, lung function, and quality of life, while tai chi and yoga increased exercise endurance. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of yoga on symptoms associated with asthma varied depending on the lung function parameter and the control group. Qigong, tai chi, and yoga could be effective to improve COPD-related symptoms, especially exercise endurance.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONQigong, tai chi, and yoga could be effective to improve symptoms associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Mind-body exercises promote self-care management and can be individually tailored.Due to no adverse effects, these interventions can be endorsed for rehabilitation as they appear to yield benefits.

Effects of music-based interventions on cancer-related pain, fatigue, and distress: an overview of systematic reviews.

PURPOSE: To summarize the available evidence from systematic reviews with meta-analysis on the effects of music-based interventions in adults diagnosed with cancer. METHODS: An overview of systematic reviews was conducted. CINHAL, Embase, PEDro, PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched from inception until November 2022. Systematic reviews with meta-analysis in individuals with cancer (any type), any comparator, and outcomes of cancer-related pain, fatigue, and psychosocial symptoms were eligible. The methodological quality of systematic reviews and the amount of spin of information in the abstract were assessed. The Graphical Representation of Overlap for OVErviews tool (GROOVE) was used to explore the overlap of primary studies among systematic reviews. RESULTS: Thirteen systematic reviews, with over 9000 participants, containing 119 randomized trials and 34 meta-analyses of interest, were included. Music-based interventions involved passive music listening or patients' active engagement. Most systematic reviews lacked a comprehensive search strategy, did not assess the certainty in the evidence and discussed their findings without considering the risk of bias of primary studies. The degree of overlap was moderate (5.81%). Overall, combining music-based interventions and standard care seems to be more effective than standard care to reduce cancer-related pain, fatigue, and distress. Mixed findings were found for other psychosocial measures. CONCLUSION: Music-based interventions could be an interesting approach to modulate cancer-related pain, fatigue, and distress in adults with cancer. The variability among interventions, together with important methodological biases, detract from the clinical relevance of these findings.

Age related changes in the Q angle of non-professional football players.

Background: Football practice involves a great muscular demand, leading to the development of the lower limbs that, on occasions, can cause deviations from the normal anthropometric values. The quadriceps angle (Q angle) is a value often taken as a reference for the alignment of the lower limbs. Objective: To observe the changes of the Q angle in young football players, because of muscular effort, analyzing the differences between four groups of different ages and to determine whether the playing position might influence these variations. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out with 104 male subjects divided into four groups according to age: under 8 years-old, 8-17 years-old, 17-21 years-old and over 21 years-old. A photograph was taken in standing position and the Q angle was plotted with KINOVEA® software. As for the reliability of the measurements, intraclass intra and interobserver coefficient were 0.958 and 0.860 respectively. The study was conducted in mid-season. Results: Q angle value is greater in those under 8 years of age and decreases gradually and significantly (p < 0.005) until 17-21 years of age, where it stabilizes at values of 5.73° ± 2.78 for right Q angle and 5.88° ± 2.55 for left Q angle. Two way ANOVA demonstrated a significant group*position interaction for goalkeepers with a medium effect size in both angles (p < 0.001) with a medium effect (η2 Right Q angle = 0.31; η2 Left Q angle = 0.37). The values remain unchanged in subjects over 21 years of age (p > 0.005), except for goalkeepers, who suffered a difference in the evolution of the angle within their age category (p < 0.005) and with a high effect size with the other positions (value > 0.8) except forward (value < 0.5). Conclusion: This study determines that the Q angle in football players decreases with growth, reaching values below 15° at the end of development. Playing positions only influence players over the age of 21, and the Q-angle of goalkeepers is greater than that of other players.

Characterization of the Structural and Mechanical Changes of the Biceps Brachii and Gastrocnemius Muscles in the Subacute and Chronic Stage after Stroke.

The objective of this study was to characterize the changes of muscle tone, stiffness, and thickness of upper and lower limb muscles in stroke survivors. Forty patients with subacute or chronic stroke and 31 controls were included and measured using myotonometry (MyotonPRO), with multiple site assessments at muscle belly (MB) and musculotendinous (MT) locations of the biceps brachii and gastrocnemius muscles. Muscle thickness (ultrasonography) was obtained for each muscle. Upper and lower limb motor performance was evaluated with the Fugl−Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity and the Functional Ambulance Category. Overall, muscle tone and stiffness were significantly higher at MT than at MB sites. Among stroke patients, differences between the paretic and nonparetic limb were found for the biceps brachii, with lower muscle tone, stiffness, and thickness of the paretic side (all, p < 0.05). There were weak to moderate correlations between mechanical (myotonometry) and structural (ultrasound) muscular changes, regardless of the post-stroke stage. This suggests that myotonometry and ultrasonography assess similar, although different, constructs and can be combined in the clinical setting. Their discriminative ability between the paretic and nonparetic sides and between participants with and without stroke differs depending on the muscle, the functional level, and the stroke stage.

Are movement-based mindful exercises (QIGONG, TAI CHI, AND YOGA) beneficial for stroke and Parkinson's disease? A scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize evidence from systematic reviews on the effects of qigong, tai chi, and yoga in people with neurological diseases. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane Library until September 2022. Methodological quality was assessed using the AMSTAR 2 tool. A qualitative synthesis of included reviews and meta-analyses was performed. Citation matrices and the corrected covered area were used to explore the overlap of randomized controlled trials among reviews. RESULTS: Nineteen systematic reviews (containing 74 trials and 80 meta-analyses) in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) or stroke were included. The critical domains of the AMSTAR 2 were not satisfied in more than half of the reviews, and only 4 evaluated the certainty of the evidence. The overlap was very high (21.7%) and high (11%) for tai chi studies in PD and stroke, respectively. In people with PD, qigong, yoga, and tai chi can improve balance, with tai chi being beneficial to increase functional mobility. For stroke patients, tai chi was better than controls to enhance motor function and independence, but not for health-related quality of life and quality of sleep. Findings on balance, walking ability and depression were inconclusive in stroke population. CONCLUSIONS: Qigong, tai chi, and yoga appear to be effective to improve balance performance in people with PD. Tai chi practice enhances motor function and independency in stroke patients.

Mind-body practices for cancer-related symptoms management: an overview of systematic reviews including one hundred twenty-nine meta-analyses.

PURPOSE: Mind-body practices such as qigong, tai chi, or yoga combine physical movements, deep breathing, and meditation techniques aiming to improve how people self-care. Our purpose was to develop an overview of systematic reviews to summarize the available evidence on the effectiveness of mind-body practices for cancer-related symptoms management. METHODS: CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were used to search systematic reviews with meta-analysis from inception until March 2022. Cancer-related symptoms such as fatigue, pain, psychological measures, and overall quality of life were chosen as outcomes of interest. The methodological quality of each systematic review was assessed using AMSTAR 2. Citation matrices were developed, and the corrected covered area was calculated to explore the potential primary study overlap. RESULTS: A total of 38 systematic reviews comprising 134 distinct primary studies and 129 separate meta-analyses were included. The items of AMSTAR 2 regarding the review protocol, the reasons to choose a specific research design, and the provision of a list of studies that justify their exclusion were scarcely performed. The primary study overlap was moderate for qigong trials and high for both tai chi and yoga trials. Mainly, we found that qigong showed promising effects to reduce fatigue. Tai chi produced positive effects in reducing anxiety. Yoga improved anxiety, depression, distress, stress, and overall quality of life. Finally, the effects of mind-body practices on pain were inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS: Qigong, tai chi, and yoga could be effective approaches to relief cancer-related symptoms in adults with different cancer diagnoses.

Measuring Mechanical Properties of Spastic Muscles After Stroke. Does Muscle Position During Assessment Really Matter?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of muscle position (relaxed vs stretched) on muscle mechanical properties and the ability of myotonometry to detect differences between sides, groups, and sites of testing in patients with stroke. We also analyzed the association between myotonometry and clinical measures of spasticity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation units including private and public centers. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-one participants (20 subacute stroke, 20 chronic stroke, 31 controls) were recruited (N=71). INTERVENTION: Muscle mechanical properties were measured bilaterally with a MyotonPRO at muscle belly and musculotendinous sites during 2 protocols (muscle relaxed or in maximal bearable stretched position). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Muscle tone and stiffness of the biceps brachii and gastrocnemius. Poststroke spasticity was evaluated with the Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS). A mixed-model analysis of variance was used to detect differences in the outcome measures. RESULTS: The analysis of variance showed a significant effect of muscle position on muscle mechanical properties (higher tone and stiffness with the muscle assessed in stretched position). Measurements with the stretched muscle could help discriminate between spastic and nonspastic sides, but only at the biceps brachii. Overall, there was a significant increase in tone and stiffness in the chronic stroke group and in myotendinous sites compared with muscle belly sites (all, P<.05). No correlations were found between myotonometry and the MTS. CONCLUSIONS: Myotonometry assessment of mechanical properties with the muscle stretched improves the ability of myotonometry to discriminate between sides in patients after stroke and between people with and without stroke.

Validity and reliability of myotonometry for assessing muscle viscoelastic properties in patients with stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

There is a lack of consensus about the measurement of the muscle viscoelastic features in stroke patients. Additionally, the psychometric properties of the most-commonly used clinical tools remain controversial. Our objective is to investigate the validity and reliability of myotonometry to assess viscoelastic muscle features in stroke survivors. Pubmed, PEDro, Scopus and Cinahl were systematically searched to include studies reporting the psychometric properties of myotonometric devices used in people after stroke. The QUADAS-2 and the COSMIN checklists were used to assess the methodological quality of the studies and the psychometric properties of myotonometry. Nine studies were included in the qualitative synthesis and data from five of these were pooled in a meta-analysis. Overall, low to moderate risk of bias and applicability concerns were observed. Pooled data from intra-rater reliability for muscle tone showed a mean coefficient of correlation of 0.915 (95% CI: 0.880-0.940, I 2 = 69.2%) for upper limbs, and a mean coefficient of 0.785 (95%CI: 0.708-0.844, I 2 = 4.02%) for lower limbs. Myotonometry seems to be a valid and reliable complementary tool to assess muscle viscoelastic properties in stroke survivors, although definite conclusions about concurrent validity need further research.

Concurrent Validity of Digital Vascular Auscultation for the Assessment of Blood Flow Obliteration on the Radial Artery in Healthy Subjects.

This study aimed to determine the validity of digital vascular auscultation for the assessment of changes in the radial pulse in healthy subjects, using Doppler sonography as a validated test referent. Sixty-one non-symptomatic subjects (mean age of 52.5 ± 16.1 years) were assigned and evaluated under one of the following conditions: In condition 1, blood flow of the radial artery was not modified; for condition 2, blood flow of the radial artery was modified using a pressure sleeve around the humerus. The radial pulse was then measured three times with each diagnostic tool by three different blinded evaluators. Both instruments demonstrated a high association between the identification of blood flow modifications or not and the assigned condition (p < 0.001). A strong concordance between the two devices when detecting the "changes" or "no changes" in blood flow was demonstrated (k = 0.936, p < 0.001). Stethoscope sensitivity was 95%, and specificity was 99%. In conclusion, digital vascular auscultation seems to be a valid technique to examine blood flow changes of the radial artery in non-symptomatic subjects, and it could be useful for physical therapists when combined with provocative tests for the screening of possible thoracic outlet syndrome in patients.

Immediate and short-term radiological changes after combining static stretching and transcutaneous electrical stimulation in adults with cavus foot: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cavus foot is a deformity represented by an increased and rigid medial longitudinal arch, and it is often associated with persistent pain and gait disturbances. None of the conservative conventional treatments for cavus foot have shown conclusive evidence of effectiveness, and so further is research needed to understand how to manage this condition better. This study aimed to assess the immediate and short-term radiological changes after combining static stretching and transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the plantar fascia in adults with idiopathic cavus foot. METHODS: A randomized, single-blinded clinical trial was conducted. Sixty-eight participants with idiopathic cavus foot, as determined by an internal Moreau-Costa-Bertani angle (MCBA) less than 125° in a lateral weight-bearing foot radiograph, were equally distributed into a neuromuscular stretching group (NSG) or a control group (no intervention). The NSG underwent a single session, combining transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with static stretching of the plantar fascia. Primary measurements of 3 angles were taken using a lateral weight-bearing foot radiograph: the internal MCBA; the calcaneal pitch angle (CPA); and the first metatarsal declination angle (FMDA). Outcomes were collected at baseline, immediately postintervention, and 1 week after intervention. RESULTS: Analysis of variance revealed a significant group effect for all angles (all, P < .05). NSG participants showed a significant increase in the internal MCBA (P = .03), and a significant decrease in the CPA (P = .01) and FMDA (P = .04) from baseline to immediately postintervention. These changes remained statistically significant 1 week after the intervention (all, P < .05). CONCLUSION: The combination of static stretching and transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the plantar fascia, compared with no treatment, achieved immediate and short-term changes in the internal MCBA, the CPA, and the FMDA, which resulted in flattening the medial longitudinal plantar arch in adults with idiopathic cavus foot.