Efficacy of neck stabilization and Pilates exercises on pain, sleep disturbance and kinesiophobia in patients with non-specific chronic neck pain: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Neck pain poses a huge medical challenge in terms of pain and disability on patient. Therapeutic exercise has been reported to be an effective intervention for the treatment of patients with chronic neck pain. OBJECTIVES: This study therefore determined the effects of neck stabilization and Pilates exercises on pain, sleep disturbance, neck disability and kinesiophobia in patients with non-specific chronic neck pain. METHODS: Forty five patients with non-specific chronic neck pain (NSCNP) participated in this study. They were randomly assigned into 3 different groups; Neck stabilization exercise, Pilates exercise and Neck dynamic isometric exercise using computer generated number. Pain intensity, sleep disturbance, neck disability, kinesiophobia were assessed using numerical pain rating scale, insomnia severity index, neck disability index, tampas scale of kinesiophobia respectively at baseline, 4th week (mid-intervention) and 8th week (post intervention). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at alpha level of less than or equal to 0.05. RESULTS: Findings from this study revealed an improvement in all outcome parameters (pain intensity, quality of sleep, neck disability and kinesiophobia) in the three groups post-intervention (p < 0.05). However, there was statistically significant difference between neck stabilization and Pilates exercises on pain intensity (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The two groups (neck stabilization and Pilates) showed similar effect in the entire clinical outcomes aside pain intensity therefore both exercises are efficacious in the treatment of patients with NSCNP. However, neck stabilization exercises demonstrated a more superior effect than Pilates exercises in reducing pain intensity in patients with NSCNP.

A three year review of sciatic nerve injection palsy in the Physiotherapy Department of a Nigerian Specialist Hospital.

Sciatic Nerve palsy associated with intramuscular injection is a major cause of disability among children under 6-years-old in the developing Countries. A retrospective study was conducted with an objective to review cases of all patients with Injection induced sciatic nerve palsy managed at the Physiotherapy Department, State Specialist Hospital, Akure Ondo State over a period of 3 years (January 2004 and December 2006). The case notes of these patients were reviewed and the details of the patients' sex, age and presentations were obtained. Records of 160 patients presenting with Sciatic Nerve Injection Palsy were studied. Males accounted for 60% while 40% were females. They were aged from 3 months to 70 years with paediatric cases accounting for 90% of cases. All of the patients had intramuscular injections following febrile illness. Muscle paralysis with foot drop accounted for 41% cases while 59% had varying degrees of muscle paresis, without foot drop, and 4% had equinovarus deformity as a complication of the paralytic foot drop. Sciatic Nerve Injection Palsy especially in children is a common referral to the Physiotherapy Clinic. There is therefore need for caution in the administration of gluteal intramuscular injections particularly in children.