Chronic low back pain that lasts more than 12 weeks causes mental and physical distress. This study investigated the effects of pain neuroscience education combined with lumbar stabilization exercises on strength, pain, flexibility, and activity disorder index in female patients with chronic low back pain. Thirty-five female patients with chronic low back pain were randomly divided into two groups: the pain neuroscience education (PNE) combined with lumbar stabilization exercises (LSEs) group (n = 18, experimental group) and the lumbar stabilization exercises alone group (n = 17, control group). The experimental group underwent PNE combined with LSEs for 30 min per session, twice per week for 8 weeks, and the control group underwent LSEs only. The primary outcomes were strength (sit-up and back-up movements), Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Korean Pain Catastrophizing Scale (K-PCS), and Tampa Scale of Kinesio-phobia-11 (TSK-11) for pain. The secondary outcomes were modified–modified Schober’s test (MMST) and finger to floor test (FFT) for flexibility and activity disorder (Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire index). A significant difference was observed in the primary outcomes after intervention in the abdominal muscle strength (group difference, mean, −7.50; 95% CI, −9.111 to –5.889, F = 9.598; ANCOVA p = 0.005), the back muscle strength (group difference, mean, −9.722; 95% CI, −10.877 to –8.568, F = 7.102; ANCOVA p = 0.014), the NPRS (group difference, mean, 1.89; 95% CI,1.65 to 2.12, F = 24.286; ANCOVA p < 0.001), K-PCS (group difference, mean, 7.89; 95% CI, 7.02 to 8.76, F = 11.558; ANCOVA p = 0.003), and TSK-11 (group difference, mean, 16.79; 95% CI, 13.99 to 19.59, F = 13.179; ANCOVA p = 0.014) for pain. In the secondary outcomes, there was a significant difference in the FFT (group difference, mean, −0.66; 95%CI, −0.99 to −0.33, F = 4.327; ANCOVA p = 0.049), whereas the difference in flexibility (MMST) and activity disorder index of the secondary outcomes did not reach significance. Therefore, this study confirmed that PNE combined with LSEs is an effective intervention compared to LSE alone in improving muscle strength and pain in female patients with chronic low back pain.

This study aimed to determine the mediating effect of sports confidence on competitive state anxiety and perceived performance basketball game. This study was conducted on 219 Korean basketball players, including 101 men and 118 women who were either high school students (42), university students (96), or professional basketball players (81). The Sources of Sport Confidence Questionnaire (SSCQ), Revised Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2R), and the perceived performance questionnaire was used to measure sports confidence, competitive state anxiety, and perceived performance, respectively. The results showed that self-confidence (β = z 0.552, p < 0.001) and the coaches’ leadership (β = 0.552, p < 0.001) were found to be factors that influenced perceived performance. The perceived performance showed a positive correlation with all the sports confidence subscales and self-confidence of the competitive state anxiety subscales (p < 0.01). However, it showed a negative correlation with cognitive and somatic anxiety (p < 0.01). Sports confidence had a statistically significant mediating effect between somatic anxiety and perceived performance and a statistically significant mediating effect between self-confidence and perceived performance (p < 0.05). It appeared that sports confidence and competitive state anxiety had a statistically significant effect on perceived.

Objective:To investigate the effect of performing three different bridge exercise conditions on the activities of four different muscles using surface electromyography (sEMG) in healthy young adults. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 20 healthy young adults (10 males, 10 females) voluntarily participated in this study. All subjects randomly performed three different bridge conditions as follows: general bridge exercise, isometric hip abduction (IHAB) with a blue Theraband (Hygenic Corp., USA), and isometric hip adduction (IHAD) with a Swiss ball (Hygenic Corp.). The muscle activities of bilateral erector spinae (ES), gluteus maximus (GM), biceps femoris (BF), and external oblique (EO) muscles during the bridge exercises were measured using sEMG. Subjects performed each of the three bridge conditions three times in random order and mean values were obtained. Results: For bilateral ES and BF, there was a significant increase in muscle activity in the IHAD condition compared to the general bridge and IHAB condition (p<0.05). For bilateral GM, there was a significant increase in muscle activity in the IHAB condition compared to the general bridge condition (p<0.05) and there was a significant increase in muscle activity in the IHAB condition compared to IHAD condition (p<0.05). For left EO, a significant increase was observed in the IHAD condition compared to the general bridge condition (p<0.05). Conclusions: ES and BF muscle activity increases were observed with hip adduction and increased GM activity was observed with hip abduction. These findings may be applicable within the clinical field for selective trunk and lower extremity muscle activation and advanced rehabilitation purposes.