Objectives. Chronic nonspecific low back pain (chronic nsLBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders leading to disabilities and physical inactivity. Laser therapy was used in chronic nsLBP treatment; however, no previous studies have assessed the impacts of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) versus low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on chronic nsLBP. This study compared the effects of HILT versus LLLT on individuals suffering from chronic nsLBP. Methods. The study was a randomized control trial. Sixty individuals with chronic nsLBP were enrolled in this study between May and November 2019. All participants were clinically diagnosed with chronic nsLBP. They were assigned randomly into three groups, 20 in each group. The first group received a program of LLLT, the second group received a program of HILT, and the third did not receive laser therapy (control group). Pain severity, disability, lumbar mobility, and quality of life were assessed before and after 12-week intervention. Results. Both LLLT and HILT groups showed a significant improvement of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analogue scale (VAS), lumbar range of motion (ROM), and European Quality of Life (EuroQol) scores ( p > 0.05 ), while the control group did not show significant changes ( p > 0.05 ). Comparison among the three study groups postintervention showed significant differences in the outcome measures ( p > 0.05 ), while comparison between the LLLT and HILT groups showed nonsignificant differences ( p > 0.05 ). Conclusion. There are no different influences of LLLT versus HILT on chronic nsLBP patients. Both LLLT and HILT reduce pain and disability and improve lumbar mobility and quality of life in chronic nsLBP patients.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the latest technologies in rehabilitation for reducing pain and altering serum stress hormones in low back pain (LBP) was lacking. OBJECTIVE: To find the clinical and hormonal effects of virtual reality training (VRT) and isokinetic training (IKT) in chronic LBP patients. METHODS: Through the simple random sampling method, 60 university football players with chronic LBP were allocated into three groups: NVRT= 20, NIKT= 20 and NCONTROL= 20. The three groups underwent different exercises for 4 weeks. Clinical (pain intensity and kinesiophobia) and hormonal (glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, growth hormone, prolactin, ACTH and cortisol) values were measured at baseline, after 4 weeks and 6 months. RESULTS: Four weeks following training, the VRT and IKT groups showed significant changes in pain intensity and kinesiophobia in comparison to the control group (p< 0.05). Hormonal measures also showed significant improvement in the VRT group in comparison to the other two groups (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Training through virtual reality and isokinetic exercise is an effective approach in terms of pain and kinesiophobia. In terms of hormonal analysis, virtual reality shows slightly more improvements than isokinetic training in subjects with chronic LBP.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of incorporating vibrotactile sensory augmentation (SA) on balance performance among people with unilateral vestibular disorders (UVD). METHODS: Eight participants with UVD were recruited. Participants completed 18 balance training sessions across six weeks in a clinical setting. Four participants (68.1 ± 7.5 yrs) were randomized to the experimental group (EG) and received trunk-based vibrotactile SA while performing the balance exercises, and four participants (63.1 ± 11.3 yrs) were assigned to the control group (CG); CG participants completed the balance training without SA. Clinical and kinematic balance performance measures were collected before training; midway through training; and one week, one month, and six months after training. RESULTS: All participants, regardless of group, demonstrated improvements in a subset of the clinical or balance metrics immediately following completion of the balance training protocol. The EG showed significantly greater improvements than the CG for the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale and postural stability during the two standing balance exercises with head movements. The EG also had larger improvements than the CG for the Sensory Organization Test (SOT), Mini Balance Evaluations Systems Test, Gait Speed Test, Dynamic Gait Index, Functional Gait Assessment, and vestibular reliance metric calculated based on the SOT. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating vibrotactile SA into vestibular rehabilitation programs may lead to additional benefits that may be retained up to six months after training compared to training without vibrotactile SA. A larger study is warranted to demonstrate statistical significance between the groups.

BackgroundIt has been documented that aerobic exercise may increase pulmonary functions and aerobic capacity, but limited data has evaluated a child’s satisfaction and pediatric quality of life (PQoL) with exercise training.ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the effects of moderate-intensity exercise training on asthmatic school-aged children.Subjects and methodsThis study included 38 school-aged children with asthma (23 males and 15 females) aged between 8–12 years. They were randomly assigned to two groups, aerobic exercise (AE) and conventional treatment (Con ttt) groups. The AE group received a program of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for 10 weeks with asthma medications and the Con ttt group received only asthma medications without exercise intervention. A home respiratory exercise was recommended for the two groups. Aerobic capacity was investigated using maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and fatigue index. PQoL was evaluated using Pediatric Quality of Life Questionnaire (PQoLQ). Also, pulmonary function tests were performed, and the results recorded.ResultsThe findings of this study showed significant improvements in pulmonary functions and VO2max in the two groups; however, this improvement was significantly higher in the AE group than in the Con ttt group (p<0.05). The 6MWT and fatigue index improved in the AE group (p<0.05) but not in the Con ttt group (p>0.05). All dimensions of PQoL significantly improved in the AE group (p<0.05), but there was no significant improvement in the Con ttt group after the 10-week intervention period (p>0.05).ConclusionTen weeks of physical exercise had beneficial effects on pulmonary functions, aerobic capacity, and PQoL in school-aged children with asthma. Effort and awareness should be dedicated to encouraging the active lifestyle among different populations, especially asthmatic children.