Evaluation of Wearable Technologies in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

Abstract

W earable technologies are defined as electronic devices which can be carried on clothes and accessories and provide psychological monitoring and biological feedback as well. Rings, bracelets, watches, jewelry such as lenses or spectacles, headbands, e-textile goods, and hearing aids are all types of wearable devices. [1] Wearable devices are considered one of the important applications of devices that can send and receive data over the internet, now called objects of the internet. Due to the widespread use of the Internet of Things, users' opportunities to take control of their health and make healthy life choices have increased thanks to devices that can be connected through the internet. [2] Wearable technologies can be used for different purposes, including health monitoring, management of chronic diseases, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, Wearable technologies are defined as electronic devices which can be carried on clothes and accessories and provide psychological monitoring and biological feedback as well. Rings, bracelets, watches, jewelry such as lenses or spectacles, headbands, e-textile goods, and hearing aids are all types of wearable devices. In this study, "wearable technologies," "physiotherapy," "physical activity," "sleep," and "smart textiles" keywords have been searched in PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane, and Scopus databases between 2001 and 2023. Wearable devices used in central nervous system diseases, athletes, sleep, physical activity, and weight control as well as smart textiles used in rehabilitation have been included in our study. Wearable technology makes it possible to expand the database of health-related information in addition to helping to monitor, improve, and maintain health. These technologies are commonly used in many diseases' diagnoses such as epilepsy and sleep disorders, in the follow-up of parameters related to physical activity and athlete's health, treatment, and rehabilitation processes of central nervous system diseases like Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's. In addition, smart textile products are used for sensory processing problems of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and figure out the risk of diabetic foot ulcers. By examining wearable technologies used for different purposes in physiotherapy and rehabilitation, this study contributes to the use of these technologies in new scientific studies.