ABSTRACT

Introduction: Chronic neck pain is a major challenge of modern society and is one of the common musculoskeletal disorders that can lead to chronic disability and impair the emotional state of the individual.

Aim: To determine the connection between the disability and emotional state in individuals with chronic neck pain.

Materials and methods: The sample of participants in the research was 50, both sexes, aged 18 to 65 years with a diagnosis of chronic neck pain. The questionnaire used to measure the level of disability was Neck Disability Index, while the DASS 21 scale was used to assess the emotional state of the subjects and Pain level was mesuerd with the Visual Analogue Scale.

Results: The results of this research indicate statistical significance between disability and depression (p=0.017), disability and anxiety (p=0.005), disability and stress (p=0.033). There is statistical significance between gender and disability (p=0.001), specifically for men in the category of mild disability compared to other categories, while for women there is statistical significance in the category of moderate disability. A positive correlation was detected between all the observed variables. The highest positive correlations were recorded between disability and anxiety (ρ=0.555), level of chronic pain and disability (ρ=0.599) and disability and depression (ρ=0.486).

Conclusion: The results indicate the need for a biopsychosocial approach in the treatment of chronic neck pain.

Key words: emotional state, chronic pain, disability, cervical spine

ABSTRACT

Introduction: In today’s modern lifestyle, lumbar pain syndrome is quite widespread in all age groups, which creates a serious not only health problem, but also a socio-economic problem.

Aim: To examine the incidence of LBS among physiotherapists working in the Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation in Varaždinske Toplice.

Materials and methods: The research was conducted using a questionnaire created for this research and an International Physical Activity Questionnaire on the occasion of physiotherapists working in the Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation in Varaždinska Toplica. Question about low back pain consists of three parts. The first part includes socio-demographic data. In the 2nd part, the occurrence of LBS is examined, while in the 3rd part, it is examined in which department they work and if they engage in physical activity and how they spend their free time. International Physical Activity Questionnaire consists of 7 questions, which obtained data on the amount of time spent in a certain type of physical activity.

Results: 81 respondents took part in the research, which is 62% out of the total number of employed physiotherapists. Of these, 60 (74.1%) were female and 21 (25.9%) were male. The average age of the respondents is a median of 43 years, with a minimum age range of 24 to a maximum of 63 years. More than half of the respondents (70.4%) reported the incidence of LBS. A greater number of male physiotherapists (81.0%) suffer from LBS, while female colleagues have the same percentage (66.7%). Respondents engaged in physical activity (58.3%) did not experience LBS. In addition to the classical method of treatment, physiotherapists often resort to other forms of treatment when LBS occurs, so 14.8% of them practice the use of massage. Furthermore, 12.3% of them go to acupuncture, while 12.3% take natural products such as vitamins and minerals to prevent LBS.

Conclusion: Physiotherapists have reported the incidence of LBS, more than half of the respondents are engaged in physical activity and are interested in other forms of treatment besides classical.

Key words: low back pain syndrome, physiotherapy, degenerative changes, rehabilitation

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Tennis, as one of the most popular sports in the world brings together a lot of players. A lot of players also means a lot of injuries. Many of those players are recreational players, so we need to further the research and find out the incidence of injuries in those players.

Aim: To determine the incidence of injuries of recreational players localisation, and risk factors of injuries in recreational players.

Materials and methods: 244 participants took part in this research, 85,6% of which were male, and 14,4% were female. The research was conducted via an online questionnaire.

Results: Results have shown that 79,5% of participants have sustained some type of injury playing tennis. Lower extremites were the ones more injured, specifically the ankle joint, while in upper extremites the most injured joint was the elbow joint. Most injured structure was the ligament, followed by tenedon injuries, muscle injuries and ankle distortions.

Conclusion: Large number of injuries in recreational players are of great concern, but with specific prevention measures, education and quality research, the incidence of injuries can be greatly diminished.

Key words: tennis injuries, frequency, physiotherapy, recreational players

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Menopause is a natural biological process during the reproductive life of women that most often occurs between the ages of 41 and 58. The symptoms of menopause are diverse, and the most common are cycle changes, night sweats, sleep disturbances and other

Aim: Investigate the connection between physical activity and the mental health of women during postmenopausal stage.

Materials and methods: Fifty-five participants aged 60 to 70 years participated in this study. The participants were divided into two groups: the group of physically active (N = 38) and physically inactive women (N = 17). All participants completed a questionnaire on physical activity and menopausal symptoms.

Results: The results of the study showed statistically significant differences in the feeling of fatigue and exhaustion between the two examined groups (p = 0.0332). For the questions on the assessment of mental and physical health, sleep disorders, difficulty concentrating and memory and the assessment of socialization, no statistically significant difference was found between the two investigated groups (p> 0.05).

Conclusion: Physical activity leads to a reduction of fatigue, exhaustion, restlessness and tension in the group of physically active women. Moreover, physically active women showed greater self-satisfaction compared to the group of physically inactive women.

Key words: postmenopause, mental health, physical activity, symptoms

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Family-centered care is the foundation of pediatric physical therapy. The concept implies that the family plays a crucial role in preserving its members’ health and well-being. The family is empowered to fully participate in the assessment, planning, and delivery of healthcare services. The physiotherapist’s services are being provided to not only a disabled child, but also to his parents and extended family. The family’s presence during the procedure decreases the level of anxiety in both the child and parents, which enhances the effectiveness of the therapy itself. In addition, the parents’ self-assurance in their parenting improves the family climate.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine how parents of children with neurorisk and developmental difficulties perceive pediatric physiotherapy. Furthermore, the goal is to determine the differences in attitudes and opinions between parents according to their age.

Materials and methods: The research included 321 parents, and the data was collected through a questionnaire.

Results: The study revealed that parents share the belief that physiotherapy procedures have a positive impact on their child’s motor development. The obtained results indicate that there is no statistically significant difference in the attitudes and opinions of parents regarding their age (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Parents of children with neurodevelopmental difficulties generally have positive attitudes towards pediatric physiotherapy, as shown by the research results. According to respondents, physiotherapy procedures have a beneficial effect on their child’s motor development and quality of life. The results mentioned are consistent regardless of the age of the parents. The results obtained indicate an opportunity for investing in this field of physiotherapy, but also a need to enhance the role of physiotherapists in the pediatric population.

Key words: Child Development Disorders, Developmental Disabilities, Motor Skills, Neurophysiotherapy, Risk Factors

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Maintaining an optimal level of physical activity is beneficial for daily functioning.

Aim: To compare the physical activity and satisfaction with physical activity of physiotherapists and nurses/ technicians and to examine whether there are gender differences and whether behaviours such as smoking, alcohol and fruit consumption are correlated with the level of physical activity.

Materials and methods: The research was conducted in Croatia, in the Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation of Varaždinska Toplice. It was conducted in May 2023, on a sample of 202 respondents. The instrument used was the Questionnaire of Physical Activity and Physical Activity Satisfaction, created by the author of the study, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Results: 115 physiotherapists and 87 nurses/ technicians, mostly women (N=160, 79.2%) participated in the research. Physiotherapists and nurses/technicians have a relatively high level of physical activity, currently 101 (50%) respondents engage in physical activity occasionally, and 35 (17.3%) regularly. But they, answer that they are not completely satisfied with their overall physical activity. No significant difference was found with regard to gender and occupation in the level of physical activity. Also, no significant correlation was found between total physical activity and smoking, fruit and alcohol consumption.

Conclusion: The level of physical activity in physiotherapists and nurses / technicians is high and both groups of examiners are equally satisfied with the same. There was no statistically significant difference in physical activity between physiotherapists and nurses, as well as an association between alcoholic beverage consumption, fruit and smoking with physical activity levels. In order to increase physical activity satisfaction, emphasis should be placed on better nutrition, healthier shift meals and a higher level of free time activities.

Key words: exercise, health promotion, nurses, physiotherapists, quality of life