Osteoporotic related fractures (OF) are associated with functional impairments and declined quali... more Osteoporotic related fractures (OF) are associated with functional impairments and declined quality of life. Low bone mineral density is one of the main risk factor for OF. However, there is limited information regarding the association of spinal morphology, muscle strength and physical performance with OF. The aim of the study was to examine association between risk of osteoporotic fractures with spinal morphology (thoracolumbar curvature and back extensors muscle strength), muscle strength and physical performance. 105 adults aged 50 years and above (69.3+ 8.5 years) were recruited for this cross-sectional study from a spine orthopaedic clinic. Thoracolumbar curvature, back extensors (BEMS) and handgrip (HGS) muscle strength were measured using an electromagnetic tracking system, a load-cell system and hand-held dynamometer respectively. Physical performance was assessed using Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Participants were categorised for major osteoporotic fracture ...
Introduction: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) refers to the rupture of the fibrous annulus of the in... more Introduction: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) refers to the rupture of the fibrous annulus of the intervertebral discs. Lumbar curvature may lead to the occurrence of lumbar disc degeneration. Fear of movement may worsen their disc herniation and cause further pain and injury. LDH conditions impact the individuals' quality of life, to explore the relationship between lumbar curve, muscle strength, fear of movement and functional disability among patients with LDH. Methods: An electronic search was conducted on PubMed, Medline, Science Direct, Springerlink, Google Scholar and a hand search from reference lists was reviewed. Publications were included in human studies, patients 25-85 years of age, original studies and published in English language journals from January 2002 to December 2023. Result: In total, 64 articles were researched through the online search engines, and 9 papers were found through manual searches of reference lists. As a result, a total of 11 articles were included for the purpose of this review. The comprehensive analysis revealed the presence of eight cross-sectional studies, two retrospective studies and one experimental study. A minimum of 25 participants and a maximum of 360 participants were included. Ten studies included both genders, only one studies included healthy adults and patients with LDH but these studies didn't mention gender. Results showed that the factors influencing LDH can be categorized into non-modifiable factors, such as gender, age, height or others. Modifiable factors included increased BMI, DM, smoking, alcohol, employment status, lifestyle and health problems or psychology. Conclusion: Females with greater VASC may be at risk of LDH. The lumbar extensor muscles indicated a localized disc herniation or nerve root pathology in patients with LDH.
Manual therapy (MT) is a well-known physiotherapy approach for low back pain (LBP). Yet, evidence... more Manual therapy (MT) is a well-known physiotherapy approach for low back pain (LBP). Yet, evidence of its effectiveness for elders is hesitant. Objectives To determine the effects of MT on pain, physical function, disability, QOL, and psychological aspects among the elderly with chronic LBP. Methods Articles between the years 2012-2022 were retrieved using electronic searching. The quality assessment used McMaster Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies. Findings Three articles were reviewed. Implications MT effectively improves pain, physical function, disability, QOL, and psychology among the elderly with LBP. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to gain robust evidence for clinical practice.
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, Oct 10, 2022
Aim: To investigate risk factors of fragility fractures among older people. Data Sources: The ele... more Aim: To investigate risk factors of fragility fractures among older people. Data Sources: The electronic databases employed were PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar from 2016 to December 2021. Review Method: The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional study. Two independent reviewers screened total 147 articles. Results: Twelve studies were finally included in this review that consisted of 7 cross sectional, 2 longitudinal and 3 cohort studies. Six studies were of good quality and six were fair. Studies that were of good quality showed that physical performance, muscle strength, and falls due to balance impairment were associated with an increased of fragility fractures. While the results for sarcopenia status were uncertain. Conclusion: This review suggests that physical functional related factors were main contributors to the risk of fragility fracture among older people. Lack of research in this area warrants more studies to be carried out in the future.
Introduction: Menopause associated symptoms may interrupt daily activities and wellbeing among po... more Introduction: Menopause associated symptoms may interrupt daily activities and wellbeing among postmenopausal women. Decline in muscle strength and bone mineral density may lead to bone fragility, increase osteoporotic fracture risk, decrease functional performance and quality of life (QOL) among postmenopausal women. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of 8-weeks physiotherapeutic education (an education session and home-based exercise) on back extensor muscle (BEM) strength, physical performance, balance and QOL in postmenopausal women. Methods: A single blinded, two-arm pilot randomize clinical trial consisting of 30 postmenopausal women with mean age of 68.90 (SD = 8.44) years were randomly assigned to the experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. Experimental group received a group education and performed 8-weeks of home-based exercises. Participants in experimental group recorded exercises performed in their exercise diaries and a physiotherapist mo...
Background Nowadays, manual therapy (MT) is used in treating LBP. However, the evidence of its ef... more Background Nowadays, manual therapy (MT) is used in treating LBP. However, the evidence of its effectiveness is inconclusive. Objectives To identify the effect of MT on pain, physical function, disability, QOL, and psychological aspects for the elderly with chronic LBP. Methods Electronic searching between the years 2012-2022 was used to retrieve articles. The assessment for quality used McMaster Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies. Findings Only 3 articles met the inclusion criteria. Implications MT effectively improves pain, physical function, disability, QOL, and psychology among the elderly with LBP. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to gain robust evidence for clinical practice.
Background Online learning is an attractive option for educators, especially as means of overcomi... more Background Online learning is an attractive option for educators, especially as means of overcoming the challenges posed by the global pandemic. Although it is best to evaluate student readiness prior to commencement of an online course, to ensure successful development and delivery of student-centric teaching and learning strategies, readiness towards online learning among physiotherapy undergraduates is unknown. The main aim of this study was to examine physiotherapy undergraduates’ readiness towards online learning. Methods In this cross-sectional study, participants were selected through a combination of total population and convenience sampling. The Student Online Learning Readiness questionnaire was distributed among physiotherapy undergraduates from two public and two private universities in Malaysia to investigate their technical, social and communication competencies. Information about device characteristics were obtained to evaluate their equipment readiness. Descriptive a...
Penurunan kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup memberi impak tinggi ke atas dewasa yang berisiko keret... more Penurunan kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup memberi impak tinggi ke atas dewasa yang berisiko keretakan osteoporotic. Walaubagaimanapun, kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup dalam kalangan dewasa Malaysia yang berisiko keretakan osteoporotic tidak diketahui. Tujuan kajian kami adalah untuk mengkaji kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup serta perkaitannya dalam kalangan dewasa berisiko keretakan osteoporotic rendah dan sederhana hingga tinggi. Kajian keratan-rentas ini melibatkan 27 lelaki dan 78 wanita (purata usia 69.3 ± 85 tahun) dari klinik Ortopedik, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Kebarangkalian 10 tahun untuk keretakan osteoporotic dikira berdasarkan penilaian risiko keretakan osteoporotic (FRAX) dengan ketumpatan mineral tulang femoral (femoral neck). Peserta kajian telah dikategorikan sebagai rendah dan sederhana hingga tinggi risiko keretakan osteoporotic berdasarkan keputusan FRAX titik potong 10%. Kekuatan otot extensor belakang dan kekuatan genggaman t...
Poor posture in sitting and standing exerts stress on the spine muscle leading to non-specific lo... more Poor posture in sitting and standing exerts stress on the spine muscle leading to non-specific low back pain (LBP). Myofascial release (MFR) on the back and leg muscles may reduce fascial tension in an individual with LBP is unclear. This review describes the effects of MFR on flexibility, pain, disability, and stress level among non-specific LBP individuals. The findings showed that the direct or indirect apply MFR on the back or lower limbs improve flexibility, pain, and disability. However, insufficient information on stress levels. The MFR therapy is recommended to enhance low back pain rehabilitation.
Aims: To explores the short-term effects of a self-management myofascial approach in managing LBP... more Aims: To explores the short-term effects of a self-management myofascial approach in managing LBP. Objective: Firstly; To compare self-MFR and static hamstring stretching intervention on pain and flexibility. Secondly: To determine the effect of self-MFR on pain and flexibility. Methods: Seventy participants were randomly assigned equally into intervention and control groups. The intervention participants performed self-MFR on the plantar using a tennis ball. The control group performed static hamstring stretching. Findings: There was a significant difference in flexibility between both groups (p<0.05). There was a significant effect of self-MFR on pain (t:6.21;p<0.05) and flexibility (t: -5.65 p<0.05) among LBP adults.
Penurunan kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup memberi impak tinggi ke atas dewasa yang berisiko keret... more Penurunan kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup memberi impak tinggi ke atas dewasa yang berisiko keretakan osteoporotic. Walaubagaimanapun, kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup dalam kalangan dewasa Malaysia yang berisiko keretakan osteoporotic tidak diketahui. Tujuan kajian kami adalah untuk mengkaji kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup serta perkaitannya dalam kalangan dewasa berisiko keretakan osteoporotic rendah dan sederhana hingga tinggi. Kajian keratan-rentas ini melibatkan 27 lelaki dan 78 wanita (purata usia 69.3 ± 85 tahun) dari klinik Ortopedik, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Kebarangkalian 10 tahun untuk keretakan osteoporotic dikira berdasarkan penilaian risiko keretakan osteoporotic (FRAX) dengan ketumpatan mineral tulang femoral (femoral neck). Peserta kajian telah dikategorikan sebagai rendah dan sederhana hingga tinggi risiko keretakan osteoporotic berdasarkan keputusan FRAX titik potong 10%. Kekuatan otot extensor belakang dan kekuatan genggaman tangan dominan telah diukur dengan menggunakan masing-masing sistem sel beban (load cell system) dan dynamometer tangan (hand dynamometer). Borang soal selidik kualiti hidup Eropah (EQ5Dvas) telah digunakan untuk mengukur kualiti hidup. Regresi linear berganda dilakukan dengan kualiti hidup sebagai pembolehubah bergantung dan kekuatan otot extensor belakang dan kekuatan genggaman tangan sebagai pembolehubah bebas. Anggaran sebanyak 40% orang dewasa telah dikategorikan ke dalam kumpulan sederhana hingga tinggi risiko keretakan osteoporotic.
Low back pain is a serious threat to human health and the illness jeopardizes the human workforce... more Low back pain is a serious threat to human health and the illness jeopardizes the human workforce and pressurizes the health system in the community. Low back pain might be related to piriformis syndrome (PS), which is a disorder presented as muscular spasm and hypertrophy that is strongly associated with piriformis thickness. Nevertheless, the relationship between piriformis thickness and morphological and functional changes of the gluteal muscles in PS remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between the thickness, strength, and activation of piriformis and gluteus muscles (maximus and medius) among low back pain (LBP) patients with and without PS. This is a case-control study conducted at HSNZ and UiTM from 2019–2020. A total number of 91 participants (LBP + PS (n = 36), LBP − PS (n = 24), and healthy (n = 31)) were recruited in this study. Negative radiography, specific symptoms, and a positive PS test were applied for PS diagnoses. The thickness, strengt...
Background. This study determines the effects of a behavioral program on exercise adherence (step... more Background. This study determines the effects of a behavioral program on exercise adherence (step counts) and level of exercise self-efficacy (ESE) in community-dwelling older persons. Methods. Sixty-three participants (age = 63.8 ± 4.5 years) were enrolled in this controlled quasi-experimental study. They were divided into 3 groups: (1) EBG performed a 6-week exercise intervention followed by a 5-week behavioral program, (2) EG performed exercise intervention similar to EBG, and (3) control group (CG) did not receive any interventions. Step counts were measured based on the scores recorded by a pedometer while ESE was measured by a self-reported ESE scale. Results. Data analysis showed significant differences due to time effect ( (1, 2) = 39.884, < 0.01, and = .399); time and group interactions ( (2, 60) = 112.683, < 0.01, and = .790); and between-group effect ( (2, 60) = 12.524, < 0.01, and = .295) for step counts. As for ESE, significant differences were also found for t...
Background. This study determines the effects of a behavioral program on exercise adherence (step... more Background. This study determines the effects of a behavioral program on exercise adherence (step counts) and level of exercise self-efficacy (ESE) in community-dwelling older persons. Methods. Sixty-three participants (age = 63.8 ± 4.5 years) were enrolled in this controlled quasi-experimental study. They were divided into 3 groups: (1) EBG performed a 6-week exercise intervention followed by a 5-week behavioral program, (2) EG performed exercise intervention similar to EBG, and (3) control group (CG) did not receive any interventions. Step counts were measured based on the scores recorded by a pedometer while ESE was measured by a self-reported ESE scale. Results. Data analysis showed significant differences due to time effect ((1, 2) = 39.884, < 0.01, and = .399); time and group interactions ((2, 60) = 112.683, < 0.01, and = .790); and between-group effect ((2, 60) = 12.524, < 0.01, and = .295) for step counts. As for ESE, significant differences were also found for time effect ((2, 4) = 66.628, < 0.05, and = .526); time and group interactions ((2, 60) = 4.562, = 0.014, and = .132); and between-group effect ((2, 60) = 13.632, < 0.05, and = .312). EBG presented with significantly higher mean changes for both step counts and ESE compared to other groups (all < 0.05). Conclusion. This study suggests that the addition of a behavioral program is superior as compared to exercising alone on increasing exercise adherence and level of self-efficacy in older persons.
Osteoporotic related fractures (OF) are associated with functional impairments and declined quali... more Osteoporotic related fractures (OF) are associated with functional impairments and declined quality of life. Low bone mineral density is one of the main risk factor for OF. However, there is limited information regarding the association of spinal morphology, muscle strength and physical performance with OF. The aim of the study was to examine association between risk of osteoporotic fractures with spinal morphology (thoracolumbar curvature and back extensors muscle strength), muscle strength and physical performance. 105 adults aged 50 years and above (69.3+ 8.5 years) were recruited for this cross-sectional study from a spine orthopaedic clinic. Thoracolumbar curvature, back extensors (BEMS) and handgrip (HGS) muscle strength were measured using an electromagnetic tracking system, a load-cell system and hand-held dynamometer respectively. Physical performance was assessed using Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Participants were categorised for major osteoporotic fracture ...
Introduction: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) refers to the rupture of the fibrous annulus of the in... more Introduction: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) refers to the rupture of the fibrous annulus of the intervertebral discs. Lumbar curvature may lead to the occurrence of lumbar disc degeneration. Fear of movement may worsen their disc herniation and cause further pain and injury. LDH conditions impact the individuals' quality of life, to explore the relationship between lumbar curve, muscle strength, fear of movement and functional disability among patients with LDH. Methods: An electronic search was conducted on PubMed, Medline, Science Direct, Springerlink, Google Scholar and a hand search from reference lists was reviewed. Publications were included in human studies, patients 25-85 years of age, original studies and published in English language journals from January 2002 to December 2023. Result: In total, 64 articles were researched through the online search engines, and 9 papers were found through manual searches of reference lists. As a result, a total of 11 articles were included for the purpose of this review. The comprehensive analysis revealed the presence of eight cross-sectional studies, two retrospective studies and one experimental study. A minimum of 25 participants and a maximum of 360 participants were included. Ten studies included both genders, only one studies included healthy adults and patients with LDH but these studies didn't mention gender. Results showed that the factors influencing LDH can be categorized into non-modifiable factors, such as gender, age, height or others. Modifiable factors included increased BMI, DM, smoking, alcohol, employment status, lifestyle and health problems or psychology. Conclusion: Females with greater VASC may be at risk of LDH. The lumbar extensor muscles indicated a localized disc herniation or nerve root pathology in patients with LDH.
Manual therapy (MT) is a well-known physiotherapy approach for low back pain (LBP). Yet, evidence... more Manual therapy (MT) is a well-known physiotherapy approach for low back pain (LBP). Yet, evidence of its effectiveness for elders is hesitant. Objectives To determine the effects of MT on pain, physical function, disability, QOL, and psychological aspects among the elderly with chronic LBP. Methods Articles between the years 2012-2022 were retrieved using electronic searching. The quality assessment used McMaster Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies. Findings Three articles were reviewed. Implications MT effectively improves pain, physical function, disability, QOL, and psychology among the elderly with LBP. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to gain robust evidence for clinical practice.
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, Oct 10, 2022
Aim: To investigate risk factors of fragility fractures among older people. Data Sources: The ele... more Aim: To investigate risk factors of fragility fractures among older people. Data Sources: The electronic databases employed were PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar from 2016 to December 2021. Review Method: The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional study. Two independent reviewers screened total 147 articles. Results: Twelve studies were finally included in this review that consisted of 7 cross sectional, 2 longitudinal and 3 cohort studies. Six studies were of good quality and six were fair. Studies that were of good quality showed that physical performance, muscle strength, and falls due to balance impairment were associated with an increased of fragility fractures. While the results for sarcopenia status were uncertain. Conclusion: This review suggests that physical functional related factors were main contributors to the risk of fragility fracture among older people. Lack of research in this area warrants more studies to be carried out in the future.
Introduction: Menopause associated symptoms may interrupt daily activities and wellbeing among po... more Introduction: Menopause associated symptoms may interrupt daily activities and wellbeing among postmenopausal women. Decline in muscle strength and bone mineral density may lead to bone fragility, increase osteoporotic fracture risk, decrease functional performance and quality of life (QOL) among postmenopausal women. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of 8-weeks physiotherapeutic education (an education session and home-based exercise) on back extensor muscle (BEM) strength, physical performance, balance and QOL in postmenopausal women. Methods: A single blinded, two-arm pilot randomize clinical trial consisting of 30 postmenopausal women with mean age of 68.90 (SD = 8.44) years were randomly assigned to the experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. Experimental group received a group education and performed 8-weeks of home-based exercises. Participants in experimental group recorded exercises performed in their exercise diaries and a physiotherapist mo...
Background Nowadays, manual therapy (MT) is used in treating LBP. However, the evidence of its ef... more Background Nowadays, manual therapy (MT) is used in treating LBP. However, the evidence of its effectiveness is inconclusive. Objectives To identify the effect of MT on pain, physical function, disability, QOL, and psychological aspects for the elderly with chronic LBP. Methods Electronic searching between the years 2012-2022 was used to retrieve articles. The assessment for quality used McMaster Critical Review Form for Quantitative Studies. Findings Only 3 articles met the inclusion criteria. Implications MT effectively improves pain, physical function, disability, QOL, and psychology among the elderly with LBP. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to gain robust evidence for clinical practice.
Background Online learning is an attractive option for educators, especially as means of overcomi... more Background Online learning is an attractive option for educators, especially as means of overcoming the challenges posed by the global pandemic. Although it is best to evaluate student readiness prior to commencement of an online course, to ensure successful development and delivery of student-centric teaching and learning strategies, readiness towards online learning among physiotherapy undergraduates is unknown. The main aim of this study was to examine physiotherapy undergraduates’ readiness towards online learning. Methods In this cross-sectional study, participants were selected through a combination of total population and convenience sampling. The Student Online Learning Readiness questionnaire was distributed among physiotherapy undergraduates from two public and two private universities in Malaysia to investigate their technical, social and communication competencies. Information about device characteristics were obtained to evaluate their equipment readiness. Descriptive a...
Penurunan kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup memberi impak tinggi ke atas dewasa yang berisiko keret... more Penurunan kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup memberi impak tinggi ke atas dewasa yang berisiko keretakan osteoporotic. Walaubagaimanapun, kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup dalam kalangan dewasa Malaysia yang berisiko keretakan osteoporotic tidak diketahui. Tujuan kajian kami adalah untuk mengkaji kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup serta perkaitannya dalam kalangan dewasa berisiko keretakan osteoporotic rendah dan sederhana hingga tinggi. Kajian keratan-rentas ini melibatkan 27 lelaki dan 78 wanita (purata usia 69.3 ± 85 tahun) dari klinik Ortopedik, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Kebarangkalian 10 tahun untuk keretakan osteoporotic dikira berdasarkan penilaian risiko keretakan osteoporotic (FRAX) dengan ketumpatan mineral tulang femoral (femoral neck). Peserta kajian telah dikategorikan sebagai rendah dan sederhana hingga tinggi risiko keretakan osteoporotic berdasarkan keputusan FRAX titik potong 10%. Kekuatan otot extensor belakang dan kekuatan genggaman t...
Poor posture in sitting and standing exerts stress on the spine muscle leading to non-specific lo... more Poor posture in sitting and standing exerts stress on the spine muscle leading to non-specific low back pain (LBP). Myofascial release (MFR) on the back and leg muscles may reduce fascial tension in an individual with LBP is unclear. This review describes the effects of MFR on flexibility, pain, disability, and stress level among non-specific LBP individuals. The findings showed that the direct or indirect apply MFR on the back or lower limbs improve flexibility, pain, and disability. However, insufficient information on stress levels. The MFR therapy is recommended to enhance low back pain rehabilitation.
Aims: To explores the short-term effects of a self-management myofascial approach in managing LBP... more Aims: To explores the short-term effects of a self-management myofascial approach in managing LBP. Objective: Firstly; To compare self-MFR and static hamstring stretching intervention on pain and flexibility. Secondly: To determine the effect of self-MFR on pain and flexibility. Methods: Seventy participants were randomly assigned equally into intervention and control groups. The intervention participants performed self-MFR on the plantar using a tennis ball. The control group performed static hamstring stretching. Findings: There was a significant difference in flexibility between both groups (p<0.05). There was a significant effect of self-MFR on pain (t:6.21;p<0.05) and flexibility (t: -5.65 p<0.05) among LBP adults.
Penurunan kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup memberi impak tinggi ke atas dewasa yang berisiko keret... more Penurunan kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup memberi impak tinggi ke atas dewasa yang berisiko keretakan osteoporotic. Walaubagaimanapun, kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup dalam kalangan dewasa Malaysia yang berisiko keretakan osteoporotic tidak diketahui. Tujuan kajian kami adalah untuk mengkaji kekuatan otot dan kualiti hidup serta perkaitannya dalam kalangan dewasa berisiko keretakan osteoporotic rendah dan sederhana hingga tinggi. Kajian keratan-rentas ini melibatkan 27 lelaki dan 78 wanita (purata usia 69.3 ± 85 tahun) dari klinik Ortopedik, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Kebarangkalian 10 tahun untuk keretakan osteoporotic dikira berdasarkan penilaian risiko keretakan osteoporotic (FRAX) dengan ketumpatan mineral tulang femoral (femoral neck). Peserta kajian telah dikategorikan sebagai rendah dan sederhana hingga tinggi risiko keretakan osteoporotic berdasarkan keputusan FRAX titik potong 10%. Kekuatan otot extensor belakang dan kekuatan genggaman tangan dominan telah diukur dengan menggunakan masing-masing sistem sel beban (load cell system) dan dynamometer tangan (hand dynamometer). Borang soal selidik kualiti hidup Eropah (EQ5Dvas) telah digunakan untuk mengukur kualiti hidup. Regresi linear berganda dilakukan dengan kualiti hidup sebagai pembolehubah bergantung dan kekuatan otot extensor belakang dan kekuatan genggaman tangan sebagai pembolehubah bebas. Anggaran sebanyak 40% orang dewasa telah dikategorikan ke dalam kumpulan sederhana hingga tinggi risiko keretakan osteoporotic.
Low back pain is a serious threat to human health and the illness jeopardizes the human workforce... more Low back pain is a serious threat to human health and the illness jeopardizes the human workforce and pressurizes the health system in the community. Low back pain might be related to piriformis syndrome (PS), which is a disorder presented as muscular spasm and hypertrophy that is strongly associated with piriformis thickness. Nevertheless, the relationship between piriformis thickness and morphological and functional changes of the gluteal muscles in PS remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between the thickness, strength, and activation of piriformis and gluteus muscles (maximus and medius) among low back pain (LBP) patients with and without PS. This is a case-control study conducted at HSNZ and UiTM from 2019–2020. A total number of 91 participants (LBP + PS (n = 36), LBP − PS (n = 24), and healthy (n = 31)) were recruited in this study. Negative radiography, specific symptoms, and a positive PS test were applied for PS diagnoses. The thickness, strengt...
Background. This study determines the effects of a behavioral program on exercise adherence (step... more Background. This study determines the effects of a behavioral program on exercise adherence (step counts) and level of exercise self-efficacy (ESE) in community-dwelling older persons. Methods. Sixty-three participants (age = 63.8 ± 4.5 years) were enrolled in this controlled quasi-experimental study. They were divided into 3 groups: (1) EBG performed a 6-week exercise intervention followed by a 5-week behavioral program, (2) EG performed exercise intervention similar to EBG, and (3) control group (CG) did not receive any interventions. Step counts were measured based on the scores recorded by a pedometer while ESE was measured by a self-reported ESE scale. Results. Data analysis showed significant differences due to time effect ( (1, 2) = 39.884, < 0.01, and = .399); time and group interactions ( (2, 60) = 112.683, < 0.01, and = .790); and between-group effect ( (2, 60) = 12.524, < 0.01, and = .295) for step counts. As for ESE, significant differences were also found for t...
Background. This study determines the effects of a behavioral program on exercise adherence (step... more Background. This study determines the effects of a behavioral program on exercise adherence (step counts) and level of exercise self-efficacy (ESE) in community-dwelling older persons. Methods. Sixty-three participants (age = 63.8 ± 4.5 years) were enrolled in this controlled quasi-experimental study. They were divided into 3 groups: (1) EBG performed a 6-week exercise intervention followed by a 5-week behavioral program, (2) EG performed exercise intervention similar to EBG, and (3) control group (CG) did not receive any interventions. Step counts were measured based on the scores recorded by a pedometer while ESE was measured by a self-reported ESE scale. Results. Data analysis showed significant differences due to time effect ((1, 2) = 39.884, < 0.01, and = .399); time and group interactions ((2, 60) = 112.683, < 0.01, and = .790); and between-group effect ((2, 60) = 12.524, < 0.01, and = .295) for step counts. As for ESE, significant differences were also found for time effect ((2, 4) = 66.628, < 0.05, and = .526); time and group interactions ((2, 60) = 4.562, = 0.014, and = .132); and between-group effect ((2, 60) = 13.632, < 0.05, and = .312). EBG presented with significantly higher mean changes for both step counts and ESE compared to other groups (all < 0.05). Conclusion. This study suggests that the addition of a behavioral program is superior as compared to exercising alone on increasing exercise adherence and level of self-efficacy in older persons.
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