Background:Osteoporosis is commonly encountered by postmenopausal women. There is an increased need for a low cost and efficient treatment alternative to address this population.Aims:To study the effects of integrated yoga on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.Settings and Designs:Experimental pre-post study conducted in a community setting.Materials and Methods:30 females in the age group of 45–62 years suffering from postmenopausal osteoporosis with a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) score of ≤−2.5 underwent a 6 months fully supervised yoga session. All the participants completed the study. Pretraining and posttraining BMD was calculated. Outcome measure: DEXA score at the lumbar spine.Statistical Analysis:The study was statistically analyzed using paired t-test to see the significance of pretraining and posttraining effects of a yoga session.Results:Improvement in T-score of DEXA scan of −2.55 ± 0.25 at posttraining as compared to a pretraining score of −2.69 ± 0.17.Conclusions:Integrated yoga is a safe mode of physical activity which includes weight bearing as well as not weight bearing asanas, Pranayama, and suryanamaskar, all of which helps induce improvement in BMD in postmenopausal osteoporotic females.

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Purpose: Our study aimed to find the location and pattern of musculoskeletal injuries in participants enrolled in Zumba-based training and to analyze the contributing risk factors for injuries through a self-administered questionnaire. Methods: A total of 50 participants were recruited in an offline and online-based study using a self-administered questionnaire based on seven demographic-based questions, eight injury-related questions and five questions based on the risk factors related to Zumba-based training. Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to predict the odds-ratio and factors contributing to the risk of injuries. Results: Twenty-nine out of 50 participants (58%) had single or multiple musculoskeletal injuries with the most common sites of injury being in the order of: leg (23%), knee (18%) and ankle, foot and the lower back (15%). Amongst the injured subjects, 10 (34.4%) had sought medical help and 11 (37.9%) had resorted to self-management. The binomial regression analysis showed the presence of recurrent injuries and the flooring of the class to be significantly associated with the risk of injuries. Conclusion: There was a 58% prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in the subjects enrolled in Zumba-based training. The factors which are found to be an increased risk for musculoskeletal injuries were recurrent injuries and flooring of the class.

Purpose: To find if guitarists had more neural tissue tightness as compared to non-guitarists. Methods: In this observational analytical study, 40 guitarists (18 to 38 yrs) playing for [Formula: see text]5 years, were recruited and compared with age, gender and BMI matched controls. A questionnaire, physical examination, and four upper limb tension test (ULTT’s) were used to screen the subjects. Results: The guitarists had increased neural tissue tightness as compared to the corresponding sides of non-guitarists ([Formula: see text]). The within-group comparison of guitarist’s indicated that ULTT1 of the left (fretboard limb) was more involved than the right (strumming limb) ([Formula: see text]). The Pearson chi-square correlation and point biserial association between ULTT2 and ULTT4 with symptomatic guitarists were significant. Similarly, years of experience, practice hours, and age had a significant correlation with symptoms. Conclusion: The guitarists had more neural tissue tightness as compared to non-guitarists (left limb[Formula: see text]right limb). Symptomatic guitarists were found to have more neural tissue tightness in ULTT2 and ULTT4 of both the limbs. The number of years of experience, practice hours, and age were also associated with symptomatic guitarists.

BACKGROUND: Foot postures are integral to the biomechanical alignment and the dynamic function of the lower extremity. This study compared foot postures in people with primary medial compartment osteoarthritis (OA) and age-, gender-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls using various foot measures. Grade-wise variations were also assessed. AIM: The aim of the study was to assess the foot postures in people with primary medial compartment knee OA. METHODS: This was an observational, analytical study and the subjects were recruited by convenient sampling from tertiary hospitals in Pune. The target population were primary knee OA who were clinically and radiologically diagnosed for their severity based on the Kellgren–Lawrence grading, a severity classification based on radiographic evidence. The Centre of Rheumatic Diseases version of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Foot Function Index (FFI) which are both self-report questionnaires were duly filled by the knee OA subjects for the pain and dysfunction of the knee and foot, respectively. The control group consisted of age-, gender-, and BMI-matched asymptomatic healthy subjects. Foot postures of all subjects namely, the OA (n=48) and controls (n = 33) were assessed using the foot posture index (FPI), arch index, and navicular drop test. The FPI as well as the navicular drop test categorized the subjects into 3 groups: pronated, neutral, and supinated. The arch index was calculated from the inked imprint of the foot of the affected limb where higher values indicated dropped arch. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND RESULTS: Independent samples Mann–Whitney U-test and unpaired t-test were used to investigate the differences between the two groups in the foot characteristics. The Spearman's rho was used to analyze the correlation of FPI with the grades of OA and of WOMAC with the FFI within the OA group. The study included 48 medial knee OA subjects (48 knees and the corresponding foot) and 33 age-, gender-, and BMI-matched healthy controls. The percentages of foot postures (neutral, pronated and highly pronated) of both groups were 71%, 25% and 4% respectively in the OA group and 92%, 2% and 6% respectively in the control group. Comparative study of foot postures between the two groups showed more pronated feet in the OA group (P < 0.001). Correlation of the FPI scores with the grades of OA showed no association (β = −0.005; P = 0.97) and between WOMAC and the FFI in the knee OA group showed weak association. (β = 0.0349; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The foot postures were altered in the knee OA group as compared to healthy controls, with the OA group showing more pronated foot type.