(1) Background: Due to its frequency and possible complications, low back pain (LBP) has a high social impact, it is a common problem of the active population and the second reason for visiting a physician. In patients with lumbar disc protrusion (LDP), one of the most common causes of LBP, the nucleus pulposus bulges against the disc and then protrudes into the spinal cord, but the annulus fibrosus remains intact; (2) Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of a rehabilitation treatment (RT) comprising electrotherapy (ET), hydrotherapy (HT) and individualized physical therapy (PT) versus ET alone in patients with LDP. The second objective was to investigate whether there is a correlation between early RT and the symptomatology of patients with LDP; (3) Methods: The research was conducted between July 2021 and January 2022 at the Ceres Hotel Treatment Centre from Baile 1 Mai, Romania, and all the study subjects signed an informed consent form. For this study, the block randomization method was used to randomize subjects into groups that resulted in equal sample size, in order to maintain a reasonably good balance among groups. Therefore, the two groups had the same number of subjects (30 subjects) and the randomization was made taking into account the patient’s motivation or the subject’s willingness to receive not only electrotherapy treatment, but also the physical exercises and hydrotherapy. The eligibility criteria were: low back pain for more than three months, an MRI confirmed diagnosis of LDP (without dural compression), and ability to perform a PT program. The control group received only a classical ET program. In addition, the patients in the experimental group received a complex individualized PT program associated with HT and ET. To achieve these objectives, the study subjects were monitored for spinal mobility (lateral lumbar flexion—LLF, index fingers-ground—IFG, lumbar Schober tests for flexion—LS, Inverted Schober test for extension—ILS), trunk flexor and extensor muscle strength (LF strength, LE strength), level of pain (Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire—SF-MPQ, Visual Analogue Scale—VAS), and the degree of limitation in activities of daily living (Oswestry Disability Index—ODI); (4) Results: Comparing the evolution of the subjects, using the One-Way ANOVA between groups, we observed a significant improvement in all variables [SF-MPQ (95% CI, 7.996/11.671), VAS (95% CI, 1.965/3.169), mobility FTF (95% CI, −7.687/−3.940), LS (95% CI, 2.272/2.963), LE strength (95% CI, −5.676/−3.324), LF strength (95% CI, −5.970/−3.630), disability (95% CI, 8.026/10.441) after six months of treatment for the experimental group subjects. A clear correlation was found, using the Bravis–Pearson test, between the earliest possible initiation of RT and improvement of patients’ symptoms; (5) Conclusion: The current study proves the importance of combining ET with HT and PT. The earlier the RT is implemented, the lower the pain perception and level of disability associated with the lumbar disease.
The digital revolution has been present in our lives more and more since the beginning of the third millennium and until now, has affected the way in which cultural heritage is valued, preserved and passed on. In this context, the present study aims to use digital technologies (digital radiography and Reflectance Transformation Imaging) to contribute to assessing the conservation status of a heritage textile fabric; a traditional women’s shirt about 100 years old from Bihor County (ie). The investigations concerned both the fine details that are not visible to the naked eye, regarding the internal structure of the material and external (damaged areas, embroidery with traditional motifs, etc.). The results obtained show high suitability of the methods used for the analysis performed on historical textiles, having major importance in identifying the visual representation of the weave, the fibres and the surface of the fabric, the deterioration and also the current state of preservation and contributing to the identification of optimal restoration-conservation solutions.
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