Ayşe Kayalı Vatansever

Objective: Spinal pathologies are common musculoskeletal disorders in industrialized societies, often leading to impaired thoracic rotation, which is crucial for spinal stability and weight transfer during movement. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a physiotherapy program on thoracic rotation in individuals with spinal pathologies. Method: The study group consisted of 56 patients with spinal pathologies, including 32 with lumbar and 24 with cervical involvement, while the control group comprised 34 healthy individuals without spinal pathologies. Pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale and the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire; disability was evaluated with the Oswestry Disability Index and the Neck Disability Index; physical performance was measured using the Five-Repetition Sit-to-Stand Test; and quality of life was assessed with the Short-Form 36 Health Survey. Thoracic rotation degree was measured using a goniometer. The physiotherapy program, prescribed by a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, was implemented by a physiotherapist for the study group. It consisted of 15 sessions, conducted five days per week, with each session lasting 45-60 minutes. The entire program spanned three weeks. Assessments were performed once for the control group and both before and after physiotherapy for the study group. Results: The baseline assessments revealed that the study group had significantly lower thoracic rotation degrees and higher disability levels compared to the control group (pConclusion: Physiotherapy effectively reduces pain and improves quality of life in individuals with spinal pathologies. However, despite improvements, thoracic rotation remains lower than in healthy individuals. Incorporating targeted exercises for thoracic rotation into physiotherapy programs may enhance clinical outcomes in this population.

Objectives: Altered body biomechanics during pregnancy can lead to balance impairments and an increased risk of falls. Clinical exercise interventions can help regulate these biomechanical changes. Methods: A total of 101 pregnant participants (exercise group: n = 50; control group: n = 51) were retrospectively analyzed over an 8-week follow-up period. Single-leg balance parameters, including AP sway, ML sway, total body sway, OSD, and center of pressure velocity and acceleration, were assessed considering limb dominance. Measurements were taken at baseline and week 8. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze time–group interactions, with significance set at p < 0.001. The biomechanical impacts of participant height and body mass on center of pressure dynamics were also considered. Results: The exercise group (EG) demonstrated significant improvements in all balance parameters compared to the control group (CG) (p < 0.001), except for non-dominant anterior-posterior (AP) sway (p = 0.512). In the EG, medio-lateral (ML) and AP sway of the non-dominant limb were minimized, whereas these parameters were significantly increased in the CG. Although both groups exhibited an increased one-leg stance duration (OSD), the improvement was more pronounced in the EG. The controlled improvements observed in the EG suggest a protective effect of exercise on balance, particularly in the dominant limb. Conclusions: Clinical exercise interventions during pregnancy enhance balance parameters, reduce fall risk, and improve functional mobility. These findings suggest that structured exercise programs not only support maternal well-being but also improve reactive balance control. Given the biomechanical changes throughout pregnancy, future studies should examine the center of pressure velocity, acceleration, and the influence of maternal anthropometrics on postural stability to refine exercise recommendations.

Background/Objectives: This study aims to examine the effects of clinical exercise training on foot plantar pressure, the subtalar joint, and the gait cycle during pregnancy. Methods: The study was planned as a randomized, controlled, and single-blind study. Participants’ demographic information, obstetric evaluation, physical activity level, fall history, and pain evaluation were recorded. Foot plantar pressure, the subtalar joint, and the gait cycle were measured through pedobarography at Gait Laboratory. The control group was recommended walking. Clinical exercise training was given to the study group 2 days a week for eight weeks. Evaluations were made on day 0 and the day corresponding to the end of week 8. Results: The study was completed with 50 people in the study group (age: 29.7 ± 3.8 years) and 51 in the control group (age: 29.1 ± 6.1 years). As a result of the parametric and non-parametric tests performed before and after the exercise, it was observed that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in weight, BMI, pain score, static plantar pressure, dynamic plantar pressure, subtalar joint flexibility, duration of the walking period, and multistep walking speed (p < 0.01). The two groups had a significant difference only in the dominant midfoot plantar pressure (p > 0.05). Conclusions: According to our research, weight control and pain relief are observed in women who engage in clinical exercise in the second trimester of pregnancy; plantar pressure and subtalar joint flexibility are preserved, the walking period does not increase, and the multistep walking speed can be maintained after eight weeks.

Obesity is a disease that affects quality of life. This study was planned to evaluate the Turkish validity and reliability of the LAVAL quality of life questionnaire. The study was conducted in Izmir Bayraklı District Health Directorate Healthy Life Center No. 1 (October 1, 2021-November 15, 2021) and Gaziemir Municipality (November 15, 2021-March 15, 2022). Dokuz Eylul University Ethics Committee accepted the study on 22.12.2021, with the decision number 2021/38-08. People with a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 and who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria were included in the study. In addition to the Laval Questionnaire, the SF-12 general health quality of life questionnaire and the Obese Specific Quality of Life Scale were used. For the adaptation of the Turkish version of the questionnaire, language validity was first ensured by the back translation method. The mean age of the 235 volunteer participants was 49.11 ± 13.1 years. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin coefficient for exploratory factor analysis was calculated as 0.92. RMSEA was 0.61 (RMESA<0.80). Cronbach's alpha value, which is an indicator of the internal consistency coefficient of the Laval Questionnaire in obese individuals, was calculated as 0.95. Obesity Specific Quality of Life and SF-12 Quality of Life Scale scores were found to have a statistically significant effect on the Laval Questionnaire score (p<0.05). The Laval Questionnaire is a valid and reliable questionnaire to measure the quality of life of individuals with obesity in the Turkish population.

Objective: The aim of our study is to examine the injury profiles of ballet dancers. Materials and Methods: Dancers of The State Opera and Ballet Directorate who volunteered for the study applied to Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Sports Medicine. Age, gender, height, body weight, education level and physical activities other than dance were recorded. Body fat ratio analysis was performed with the with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) (iDXA, GE Lunar, Madison, Wisconsin, USA). All the training program of the dancers was questioned in detail. The number of dance injuries diagnosed in the last year was recorded. The relationship between injury incidence and other physical parameters was examined. Results: Forty-four dancers who met the inclusion criteria were evaluated. Thirty-five participants reported being injured at least once in the past 12 months. The most injured areas were reported as lumbar, ankle, neck, shoulder and knee. Nearly 60% of the participants reported that they train more than two hours a day. There was a statistically significant relationship between pain, fatigue, and previous injury with injury profile (p0.05). Conclusion: While pain, fatigue, and incomplete healing of the previous injury are related with the injury profile, strengthening exercise, running and participating other sports activities do not have any impact.