Earticle

Virtual reality (VR)-based rehabilitation is rapidly gaining interest and has been shown to be an intervention to facilitate motor learning in bal-ance and gait rehabilitation. A review of the current literature is needed to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge of VR-based gait physiotherapy for stroke patients. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed and Scopus. Search terms included: “virtual reality,” “stroke,” “gait,” and “physical therapy.” Articles published in a peer-reviewed journal between 2017 and 2021 were considered. The in-tervention was mainly related to the use of VR as a therapeutic modali-ty, and the outcome was gait performance. The initial search identified 329 articles. After an eligibility review, 13 articles that met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Most of participants were in a chronic stage and were between 14 and 85 years old. The VR-based gait training ranged from nonimmersive to immersive, was mostly per-formed on a treadmill, and was usually combined with conventional physiotherapy. The duration of the program varied from 10 to 60 min, and there were about 9 to 30 sessions. VR-based gait rehabilitation has a positive effect on gait ability. The existing literature suggests that VR-based rehabilitation combined with conventional physiotherapy could improve gait ability of people with stroke, especially in the chronic stage. However, the duration of VR-based programs should be customized to suit individuals to avoid stimulation sickness. Further research is need-ed to investigate the long-term effects of this approach.

This study aimed to determine the effects of progressive resistive exercise (PRE), including complex decongestive physical therapy (CDPT), on edema volume, hand-grip strength, upper extremity function, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Twenty patients were randomized between the progressive resistance exercise group (PREG) and the self-home resistance exercise group (SREG). Two patients in each group dropped out of the study, leaving 16 patients: n= 8 in the exercise group and n= 8 in the SREG. First, the PREG and the SREG received CDPT. Subsequently, the patients in the PREG performed PRE, whereas the patients in the SREG performed selfhome resistance exercises. Interventions were performed for 50 min, 3 times a week, for 6 weeks. The results showed that, for the edema volume, a significant intergroup variation was absent, whereas the intragroup variation was significant. The inter- and intragroup variations were significant for both hand-grip strength and upper extremity function. Regarding QoL, a significant difference was observed in global health status/QoL and role function between the groups. Furthermore, significant differences were observed within the PREG in global health status/QoL; physical, role, and cognitive function; and dyspnea. No significant differences were observed within the SREG. The results collectively suggest that the exercise program was an intervention with a greater potential contribution to reducing edema and enhancing physical function in patients with BCRL.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the combi-nation of elastic band resistance exercise (EBRE) with modified Thai yoga on the alleviation of blood glucose and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Forty-two patients with T2DM were enrolled and allocated to an exercise or control group (n=21/group). The exer-cise group participated in EBRE combination with modified Thai yoga for 40 min, 5 days/wk, for 12 consecutive weeks. Blood glucose, oxida-tive stress markers, antioxidants, pulmonary function, respiratory mus-cle strength, and airway inflammation were measured before and after the 12 weeks. The results showed that the exercise group had a signifi-cant reduction in fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin. More-over, T2DM patients in the exercise group showed a significant reduc-tion in plasma malondialdehyde, while superoxide dismutase and cata-lase were significantly increased. The exercise group also observed a significant improvement in pulmonary function; forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, peak ex-piratory flow, and forced midexpiratory flow as well as respiratory mus-cle strength. Interestingly, the combination of EBRE with modified Thai yoga markedly improved airway inflammation through the reduction in fractional exhaled nitric oxide. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the combination of EBRE with modified Thai yoga improves blood glu-cose, oxidative stress, antioxidants, pulmonary function, respiratory mus-cle strength, and airway inflammation in T2DM patients. Hence, it could be considered as a possible exercise program for T2DM patients.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of the combined re-covery method of cold water immersion (CWI) and protein supplement intake after eccentric exercise that causes muscle fatigue in elite soc-cer players. Eleven semiprofessional soccer players participated in this study. Participants were divided into CWI group, combined protein and CWI group (PCWI), and passive resting group (CON). The participants completed the eccentric exercise for one hour and performed one of three recovery methods. The muscle strength of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles significantly decreased at 48-hr postexercise com-pared to before exercise in all recovery groups (P<0.05), with no signifi-cantly different between the recovery groups. The time required to sprint 40 m was significantly longer in all groups at 24 hr and 48 hr after exercise than before exercise (P<0.05). The vertical jump height was significantly decreased at 48 hr after exercise compared to before ex-ercise in the CON and CWI groups (P<0.05). The muscle soreness val-ues were higher at 6 hr, 24 hr, and 48 hr after exercise than before exer-cise in all groups (P<0.001). The perceived recovery quality was re-duced after exercise in the PCWI (P<0.01) and CON groups (P<0.001) compared to before exercise; it was unchanged in the CWI group. The recovery quality decreased at 6 hr, 24 hr, and 48 hr after exercise in all recovery groups (P<0.01). In conclusion, the combined recovery meth-od was less effective than CWI alone for the recovery of exercise per-formance.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of golf-re-lated musculoskeletal injuries. Golfers were retrospectively surveyed through a 50-item questionnaire. Golfers were divided into injured and noninjured groups according to the presence or absence of musculo-skeletal injuries. Of the 208 respondents, 64.0% suffered golf-related in-juries, most of which were minor injuries caused by overuse in the early 9.9 weeks. According to the anatomical distribution, the most injured parts were upper limbs, spine, trunk, and lower limbs in that order. As for the distribution by part, the hand and wrist were the most vulnera-ble, and the lateral elbow damage was 3 times more common than the inner elbow. Self-management for injuries was the most common treat-ment, and regular preventive exercise accounted for 30% of the injured. Overall, more than half of the respondents suffered from musculoskele-tal injuries, self-management was the most common, and less than one-third did regular exercise to prevent injuries. Therefore, active manage-ment to prevent golf-related musculoskeletal injuries may be necessary.