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Objective: To investigate the effect of the Feldenkrais method versus core stability exercises on pain, disability, quality of life and interoceptive awareness in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain. Design: A single-blinded, randomised, controlled trial. Setting: Outpatient, sports medicine clinic of Mazandaran medical university. Participants: Sixty patients with chronic non-specific low back pain randomised equally into the Feldenkrais method versus core stability exercises groups. Intervention: Intervention group received Feldenkrais method consisting of training theoretical content and supervised exercise therapy two sessions per week for five weeks. Control group received educational programme and home-based core stability exercises for five weeks. Outcome measures: All patients were examined by World Health Organization’s Quality of life Questionnaire, McGill Pain Questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Questionnaire and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness Questionnaire. All outcomes were measured at baseline and the end of the intervention Results: There were statistically significant differences between groups for quality of life ( P = 0.006, from 45.51 to 60.49), interoceptive awareness ( P > 0.001, from 2.74 to 4.06) and disability ( P = 0.021, from 27.17 to 14.5) in favour of the Feldenkrais method. McGill pain score significantly decreased in both the Feldenkrais (from 15.33 to 3.63) and control groups (from 13.17 to 4.17), but there were no between-groups differences ( P = 0.16). Conclusion: Feldenkrais method intervention gave increased benefits in improving quality of life, improving interoceptive awareness and reducing disability index.

Purpose Disturbance to physical and psychological characteristics among COVID-19 survivors are not uncommon complications. In the current systematic review, we aimed to investigate the role of exercise rehabilitation programs, either in acute or post-acute phase, on COVID-19 patients’ outcomes. Methods A systematic search was conducted in November 2021 of Web of Sciences, PubMed-Medline, Google Scholar, and Scopus. Observational and intervention studies on COVID-19-infected patients undergoing a rehabilitation program including any type of exercise were included if they reported physical or psychological factors as outcomes. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized controlled trials and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist were used by two independent reviewers. Results A total number of 469, and 957 patients were included in 9 intervention studies, and 14 observational studies, respectively. Most factors reported by studies as outcomes fell in the categories of exercise capacity, respiratory function, as well as psychological aspects. The reported outcomes in almost all studies, disclosed the overall beneficial role of exercise rehabilitation in improving the outcomes. Conclusion The current review demonstrated that exercise rehabilitation generally could have a beneficial role in improvement of both physical and psychological related outcomes. As the best onset time, and FITT components are not yet completely clear, further large, well-designed RCTs are suggested to provide details of exercise rehabilitation program.

Background: Excessive competitive anxiety induces adverse effects on athletic performance and planning efficient management methods is crucial. Objectives: We aimed to assess the effects of acupuncture on competitive anxiety. Methods: In this cross-over study, 20 male soccer players under 21 years (U-21) were randomized equally into acupuncture or control groups. The acupuncture group received acupuncture on fifteen anxiety-related points and the control group received acupuncture on fifteen points unrelated to anxiety for thirty minutes. We measured the participants' resting heart rate and galvanic skin conduction and asked them to answer the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) questionnaire at baseline and the end of the intervention. Results: We detected a significant treatment effect in the cognitive anxiety level (-1.05 ± 0.91; p = 0.02) but not in the somatic anxiety level (-0.46 ± 1.68; p = 0.43), Sport Self-Confidence (-1.06 ± 2.21; p = 0.11), heart rate (0.20 ± 2.2; p = 0.93), and skin conductance (-0.50 ± 0.77; p = 0.19). Conclusion:Based on these results, acupuncture might decrease cognitive anxiety but might not affect somatic anxiety.

Background: Considering the well-established benefits of physical activity in the health domain, the economy, and environment, physical activity programs should be considered as an important agenda in public health policymaking. Objectives: The objective of this qualitative study was to identify “Why the prevalence of physical inactivity has increased during the past decade in Iran, despite having various national physical activity documents? "using a Delphi technique. Methods: The “Delphi technique” process in this study consisted of literature review, selecting the research question, selection and recruitment of panel members, pilot study and conduction of round one (using an open question), round 2 (using a 5-point Likert scale), and round three (final ranking). Results: Statements with the highest scores in round three were recognized as the most important causes of the decreased level of physical activity based on the experts’ responses in Iran. Conclusions: The absence of executive support, coordination mechanisms, and appropriate infrastructure for conducting physical activity were the top challenges in improving the physical activity level in Iran.