Evaluation of deep oscillation therapy for the treatment of lumbar pain syndrome using motion capture systems: A systematic review

Low back pain is a painful disorder that prevents normal mobilization, increases muscle tension and whose first-line treatment is usually non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, together with non-invasive manual therapies, such as deep oscillation therapy. This systematic review aims to investigate and examine the scientific evidence of the effectiveness of deep oscillation therapy in reducing pain and clinical symptomatology in patients with low back pain, through the use of motion capture technology. To carry out this systematic review, the guidelines of the PRISMA guide were followed. A literature search was performed from 2013 to March 2022 in the PubMed, Elsevier, Science Director, Cochrane Library, and Springer Link databases to collect information on low back pain, deep oscillation, and motion capture. The risk of bias of the articles was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Finally, they were included 16 articles and 5 clinical trials which met the eligibility criteria. These articles discussed the effectiveness of deep oscillation therapy in reducing pain, eliminating inflammation, and increasing lumbar range of motion, as well as analyzing the use of motion capture systems in the analysis, diagnosis, and evaluation of a patient with low back pain before, during and after medical treatment. There is no strong scientific evidence that demonstrates the high effectiveness of deep oscillation therapy in patients with low back pain, using motion capture systems. This review outlines the background for future research directed at the use of deep oscillation therapy as a treatment for other types of musculoskeletal injuries.

Knee flexor strength, rate of torque development and flexibility in women and men with patellofemoral pain: Relationship with pain and the performance in the single leg bridge test

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the relationship between: (1) knee flexor strength, rate of torque development (RTD), and flexibility with pain level; (2) knee flexor strength and RTD with the performance in the single leg bridge test (SLBT) in women and men with patellofemoral pain (PFP).

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

Laboratory-based study.

PARTICIPANTS

39 women and 36 men with PFP.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Knee flexor strength, RTD, and flexibility; performance in the SLBT, current, and worst pain level.

RESULTS

Moderate to strong significant negative relationships were identified between the current pain level with knee flexor strength (r = -0.57 to -0.34) and flexibility (r = -0.44 to -0.35); and between knee flexor strength and RTD with the performance in the SLBT (r = 0.34 to 0.57) in women and men with PFP. Knee flexor RTD was not related to any pain level and no significant relationships were identified between the worst pain level with knee flexor strength and flexibility in women and men with PFP.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support the potential value of assessing knee flexor strength and flexibility in women and men with PFP. The SLBT may be a useful tool to assess knee flexor muscle capacity in individuals with PFP in a clinical setting.