Ten-Item Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS-10): Instrument Reduction Based on Brazilian Patients With Lower Limb Dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: To propose a short version of the lower extremity functional scale (LEFS), to compare our short version with the different structures proposed for the LEFS by the specialized literature, and to verify the criterion validity of the best structure of the LEFS identified in our study. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: Physiotherapy clinics. PARTICIPANTS: We included 140 patients with lower limb dysfunction (N=140). INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), χ2/degree of freedom (DF), comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), standardized root mean squared residual (SRMR), Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). The method of reducing the number of items of the LEFS considered the modification indices and factor loadings. RESULTS: The body site most affected by pain was the knee (71.4%), and the most common diagnoses were knee osteoarthritis (55%) and anterior knee pain (11.4%). LEFS reduction generated a 1-dimensional structure of the LEFS with 10 items (LEFS-10). When compared with other structures, the LEFS-10 presented the best fit indices (χ2/DF=1.88, CFI=0.975, TLI=0.968, RMSEA=0.079, and SRMR=0.058) and the lowest values of AIC (3287.063) and BIC (3345.896). LEFS-10 presents a high correlation (Spearman's correlation coefficient [ρ]=0.911, P<.001) with the 20-item LEFS. CONCLUSION: LEFS-10 is the proposal for a short version of the instrument with the most adequate internal structure, in addition to being satisfactorily correlated with the longer version of the instrument.

Program of therapeutic exercises associated with electrotherapy in patients with chronic neck pain: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Conservative treatment is the most common clinical management for the proper rehabilitation of patients with chronic neck pain, and there is a trend towards the use of therapeutic exercise. However, some uncertainty about the efficacy of therapeutic exercises remains, and it is necessary to conduct more studies with high methodological rigor, especially in regard to multimodal treatment, as in the combination of therapeutic exercises with electrotherapy. Thus, the objective of this study will be to evaluate the clinical effects of adding high- and low-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in a program of specific therapeutic exercises for the treatment of patients with chronic neck pain. Sixty participants will be randomized into three groups: therapeutic exercise + placebo TENS group (n = 20), therapeutic exercise + high-frequency TENS group (n = 20), and therapeutic exercise + low-frequency TENS group (n = 20). Eight treatment sessions will be performed, and participants will be evaluated before and after the eight sessions and four weeks after the end of treatment. The Numerical Rating Pain Scale, Neck Disability Index, Pain-Related Catastrophizing Thoughts Scale, and Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia will be used for participant evaluations. In the statistical analysis, a linear mixed model will be applied considering interaction between time and group factors. The addition of this electrotherapeutic modality to a therapeutic exercise program is expected to generate clinical improvements for patients with chronic neck pain, and if the results demonstrate benefits in the treatment group, this form of care could be used.