Background: Low Back pain (LBP) in both developed and developing countries is the most prevalent occupation-related problem. 60%-80% of the general population at some time in their lives suffers from LBP. The existing evidence on Allied Health professions suggests that prosthetists/orthotists are likely to be at risk of low back pain development which has not been explored. Feet disorders and deformities are among the possible causes of LBP that have been introduced. It seems that there is a link between foot deformity and spinal performance in terms of the principles of biomechanics. Proper treatment with customized foot orthosis is more effective for improving low back pain symptoms than treatment with standard treatment methods. Aims and Objectives: The present study evaluates the effect of customized foot insoles in reducing the pain and energy expenditure among prosthetics and orthotics professionals with mechanical low back pain. Methodology: 30 prosthetics and orthotics professionals of age 25-35 years with mechanical low back pain and flat feet participated in the study which was a pre-test post-test experimental study design. LBP was evaluated by a Visual Analog Scale. The energy expenditure was evaluated using physiological cost index. Pre-test data of pain and energy expenditure was recorded without intervention. Then the customized foot insoles were given to the subjects for the duration of 4 weeks and post-test data of pain and energy was collected. Results: The results showed a significant improvement in low back pain (mean ± SD =6.16 ± 0.94 to 5.03 ± 0.76, p= .000), and in the energy expenditure (mean ± SD = 0.08 ±0.02 to 0.06 ±0.02, p= 0.000). Conclusion: This study provides evidence that customized foot insoles reduce pain and energy consumption among prosthetics and orthotics professionals with low back pain and flat feet. Key words: Mechanical low back pain, flat feet, energy consumption, prosthetics and orthotics professionals, customized foot insoles.

Cerebral Palsy is a non-progressive neurological disorder in which children may experience similar physical limitations, including those related to upper limb skills that affect the child's ability to participate in age-specific activities. The use of hand-splints in children with neurological conditions is little reported, they continue to be widely used to improve upper limb skills and functional activities. This review was done to investigate the use and effects of hand splints in Cerebral Palsy patient as orthotic treatment found to be very positive result in correcting and maintaining the achieved results. Electronic database search was conducted using Google scholar, Science direct, Pub Med, Cochrane Library and reference lists from all retrieved articles. Common problems in upper limb due to CP are flexion contractures of the fingers and wrist due to spasticity, pronation deformity of the forearm, thumb-in-palm deformity and hand-related disabilities, all lead to decrease in grip and muscle strength. Hand splints are often used to help a weak or ineffective joint or muscle to enhance a person's arm or hand posture, mobility, quality of motion, and function. The findings suggest that children with CP experience increased grip strength and fine motor dexterity when using different hand splints. This review summarizes the present state of understanding the extent to which orthotic management in CP can improve in the patient’s skills and functional activities by improving the muscle strength and hand function, also offers clinical suggestions for prescribing orthosis in order to optimize efficacy.

Introduction: To examine foot and ankle positions, subtalar joint (STJ) measurements are frequently performed in the clinics because of the high prevalence of lower extremity dysfunctions. The STJN position is also used in casting and orthosis fabrication. Unfortunately, current methods of measuring the STJN position are ambiguous or lack the theoretical rigour required for reliable and clinically useful measurements. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any differences in subtalar joint range of motion (ROM) when using OKC and CKC measurement methods, as well as to assess the internal consistency of an inclinometer used in a clinical setting. Methods: The study included ten healthy subjects. The measurements were taken with the subjects prone (open kinetic chain) and standing (closed kinetic chain). Cronbach's alpha was used to calculate the internal consistency of an inclinometer in the subtalar joint's close and open kinematic chains. Results: The result indicates that the inclinometer is a good reliable tool for assessing subtalar joint motion in OKC and CKC measurements, as the value for Cronbach’s alpha is 0.889, indicating good reliability. Discussion & Conclusion: As a result, it is concluded that this inclinometer will be useful in measuring the open and closed kinematic chain measurements of the subtalar joint. This technique should be viewed as an adjunct to an overall lower extremity biomechanical evaluation. This study provides an optional technique for determining the position or movement of the STJ for clinicians who perform lower extremity biomechanical evaluation. Key words: Internal consistency, Open kinematic chain, Closed kinematic chain, Inclinometer.

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes structural damage that causes joint deformity including metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint ulnar drift (UD), thus hindering the pinch strength and the functional ability of the hand. Orthosis or splints are designed to maintain the hand’s function, improve joint alignment, restore biomechanical balance, and reduce tissue stress. Limited studies have been done on the effects of dynamic splint on pinch strength and functional ability. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate and quantify the effects of dynamic MCP splint in treatment of ulnar deviation of RA on pinch strength and functional ability in women. Methods Twenty women with RA were recruited and completed a 4-week intervention period with dynamic MCP splint. Pinch strength and functional ability score were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks. Results The results showed a significant improvement in pinch strength (mean ± SD, 11.68 ± 2.14 to 13.53 ± 2.14; P = 0.000) and functional ability score (mean ± SD, 22.70 ± 9.12 to 19.70 ± 8.14; P = 0.000). Conclusion The results of this study show that the dynamic MCP splint had a positive impact on rheumatoid hands that align the joints in their functional position. The dynamic MCP splint improved the mechanical stability of the hand, thus reducing pain and stress on joints, which in turn improves the pinch strength and functional ability of rheumatoid hand. Clinical Relevance To increase patient acceptance and use of the splint, the splint designed and used in this study was compact and only covered the affected areas and joints of the hand. Because there was no involvement of the wrist joint and the fingertips were free, the splint was lightweight and allowed the patient to perform activity while wearing it.