Comparison of head posture and neck proprioceptive sense of individuals with chronic neck pain and healthy controls: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain can affect body perception at the central level by causing the somatosensory cortex to rearrange. Additionally, cervical afferent abnormalities in individuals with neck pain can impair proprioceptive sensitivity, potentially leading to alterations in body alignment and biomechanics. Nevertheless, there are insufficient studies exploring these notions. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to compare the head posture and neck proprioceptive sense of individuals with chronic neck pain and healthy controls. METHODS: Utilizing a cross-sectional study, a total of 76 volunteers comprising 38 individuals with neck pain and 38 matched healthy controls participated in the study. Head posture and cervical joint position sense were measured using a Cervical Range of Motion Deluxe (CROM) device. Firstly, the deviation angles of the head in three planes were evaluated, then the Head Repositioning Accuracy (HRA) test was performed to determine the joint position error. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to determine the severity of pain in individuals with neck pain. RESULTS: The deviation angles of the head in all three planes were significantly lower in the healthy control group (p< 0.05). Joint position error values were significantly higher in all directions (flexion-extension, right-left lateral flexion, and rotation) in the neck pain group (p< 0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings show that the proprioceptive sensation of the cervical region in individuals with neck pain was adversely affected, with changes were observed in the head posture. NOTE: The abstract of this study was presented as a verbal declaration at the International Congress of Health Sciences-ICHES-IDU 2020 that was held in Izmir on 20-21 June 2020.

The effects of aromatherapy massage in menopausal women with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)'s prevalence increases during menopause. Aromatherapy massage with different oils is applied in the treatment of knee OA. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of aromatherapy massage with Bergamot essential oil (BEO) on pain, functionality, sleep quality and menopausal symptoms in menopausal women with knee OA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 60 menopausal participants diagnosed with grade II-III OA. Participants were randomly divided into three groups: BEO (n=20), placebo (n=20) and control (n=20). The participants in the BEO group, received aromatherapy massage with BEO, in the placebo group aromatherapy massage with sweet almond oil was applied twice a week for 4 weeks. All participants underwent conventional physiotherapy. Visual Analog Scale was used to assess the severity of pain, Osteoarthritis Index to assess functionality, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep quality and Menopausal Symptoms Rating Scale to assess menopausal symptoms. All measurements were performed before and after the study. RESULTS: The results of the study showed that all three groups were effective on pain, functionality, sleep quality and menopausal symptoms (p<0.001). The results of the study showed that, aromatherapy massage with BEO was found to be more effective on functionality (p<0.001), pain (p<0.001) and menopausal symptoms (somatic and psychological symptoms) (p<0.001) compared to the control and placebo groups. It was determined that aromatherapy massage with BEO did not create a significant difference between the sleep quality scale scores in the control group and the placebo group (p=0.454). CONCLUSION: This study found that aromatherapy massage with BEO improved functionality, reduced pain and menopausal symptoms, and did not affect sleep quality. We consider that its application in addition to routine treatment may be useful to reduce symptoms.

A randomized controlled trial on pain, grip strength, and functionality in lateral elbow pain: Mulligan vs muscle energy techniques.

BACKGROUND: Lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET) is one of the most common lesions of the upper extremity. The level of evidence from studies on LET treatment protocols is insufficient. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the acute effects of mobilization with movement (MWM) and muscle energy technique (MET) on pain, grip strength, and functionality in patients diagnosed with LET. METHODS: Forty-five patients with LET aged 30-55 years were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into three groups: MWM, MET, and control group. The control group received a 4-week home exercise program. In addition to the home exercise program in the MWM group, 12 sessions of MWM and 12 sessions of MET were performed in the MET group. Participants' pain, grip strength, and functionality were assessed before and after the study. RESULTS: After the treatment period, greater improvement in pain, grip strength, finger strength, and functionality were observed in the MWM and MET groups than in the control group (p< 0.05), but no statistically significant difference was found between the MWM and MET groups (p> 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that MWM and MET, used in addition to home exercises, can be used to relieve pain and increase grip strength, finger strength, and functionality.