Physical therapists' knowledge and implementation of best practices in the outpatient physiotherapy department during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Long COVID and Physical Therapy: A Systematic Review

Prolonged COVID is a persistent condition following the initial COVID-19 infection, which is characterized by a variety of symptoms that may include fatigue, muscle pain, sleep disturbances, "brain fog", respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, neurological and dermatological symptoms. Physical therapy has been identified as a crucial aspect of the management of patients with long COVID, as it can help improve symptoms and overall physical function. The investigation of long COVID poses significant challenges due to the diversity and variability of symptoms, lack of clear diagnostic criteria, and limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review of studies conducted in patients with long COVID in conjunction with interventions targeting respiratory function, particularly involving physical activity. To this end, we conducted a systematic review to analyze studies conducted on treatment programs for long COVID based on some form of physical activity. The protocol of the review was registered in the PROSPERO website, and the databases PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and WOS were searched. Of the 62 initial articles, six were included in the review. The results obtained have positive implications for the advancement of physical activity as a therapeutic intervention for individuals with long COVID-19 and the conceptualization of evidence-based treatment protocols. Statistically significant results have been observed in studies of at least 6 weeks duration, in which inspiratory muscle training exercises are proposed. Further research is needed to better understand long COVID and develop effective treatment strategies.

Effects of elongation longitudinaux avec decoaption osteo-articulaire and post-facilitation stretching technique on pain and functional disability in mobile users with text neck syndrome during COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Adolescent smartphone users have developed a variety of musculoskeletal conditions due to their use of smartphones. ELDOA (Elongation longitudinaux avec decoaption osteo-articulaire) is based on maximizing facial and spinal stretching by assuming specific posture for 1 minute and post facilitation stretching is also a type of muscle energy technique that is used for chronically shortened or tight muscles. This aimed to compare the effects of post-facilitation stretching technique and ELDOA on neck pain and functional disability in mobile users experiencing Text neck syndrome during COVID-19.

METHODS

This single-blinded randomized control trial with a parallel group design was conducted at the Department of Physiotherapy Safi Hospital (Faisalabad, Pakistan) from September 2021 to April 2022. Forty smartphone users between the ages of 18 and 35 who had a Neck Disability Index score of >10 due to neck pain without unilateral arm symptoms participated in the study. Of the 40 participants, twenty were randomly assigned to the ELDOA group and twenty were assigned to the post facilitation stretching group, and each group received 3 weekly sessions of treatment for 6 weeks. The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) were used to measure pain intensity, functional disability, and smartphone addiction at baseline and after 18 sessions of treatment. SPSS version 22 was used to enter and analyze the data. To find comparisons between groups an independent sample t test was used, and a paired sample t test was used to find the difference within each group.

RESULTS

Post-treatment values showed statistically significant difference between groups. ELDOA group showed greater improvement in pain (P < .03) with 95% CI [-1.33, -0.068] and functional disability (P < .05) with 95% CI [-4.44, 0.143] at 6th week. There was no statistically significant difference (P = .35) with 95% CI [-28.6, 10.4] between the two groups regarding smartphone addiction. The NPRS, NDI, SAS scores were significantly different within each group with P < .05.

CONCLUSION

The study concluded that ELDOA method and post-facilitation stretching both were effective in treating neck pain and functional disability. However, ELDOA method was superior to post-facilitation stretching effects on neck pain and functional disability among patients with text neck syndrome.

Physiotherapy interventions and profile of practice for COVID-19 patients in Jordan

BACKGROUND

Physiotherapy plays an essential role in combating the complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Profiling the experiences and challenges of physiotherapy practice in a country will help in customizing the competencies needed for physiotherapy education and regulations of practice.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the experiences, knowledge, training, and barriers of practice for Jordanian physiotherapists who worked with COVID-19 cases at different work settings.

METHODS

An online survey was distributed to physiotherapists working at different Jordanian rehabilitation settings. Physiotherapists who had experience in dealing with COVID-19 cases were eligible to participate in the study.

RESULTS

The survey showed that only 38% of participants had received specialized training in dealing with COVID-19. Respiratory exercises were mostly used in the intensive care units or isolation wards (60%), and with patients having long-term complications (74%). Inadequate patients' referral to physiotherapy was reported by 88.6% of eligible participants. The majority of participants (68%) reported lack of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for physiotherapists. Challenges at the level of treatment skills, techniques, and communication were the most frequently reported by participants (44%), followed by challenges at the level of work policies (32%), then by challenges at the level of knowledge about the disease (28%).

CONCLUSION

The study showed gaps in knowledge, training, and work-related policies that all created challenges for physiotherapists dealing with COVID-19 cases in Jordan. We hope our data can help in providing a basis for developing educational and training programs, in addition to revising work-related policies, to promote physiotherapy management of COVID-19 in Jordan.