Sports Therapy Research Articles

Adaptive Sport and Recreational Therapy: A Scoping Review to Explore Practices for the Profession

Adaptive sports provide athletes with disabilities with independent engagement while increasing their physical health and skill-building abilities. Recreational therapy prides itself as the primary discipline implementing adaptive sports for individuals with disabilities, yet efficacy needs to be determined. A scoping review was conducted using recreational therapy/therapeutic recreation online journals, and standardized checklists with predefined criteria to extract details on study design, procedures, outcomes, and study quality. Data were analyzed by three researchers using a structured, blinded review. Four themes emerged about recreational therapy services and adaptive sports: Fostering positive athlete outcomes, the importance of including both components of physical health and skill competency, social benefits for athletes, and facilitation considerations for adaptive sports within recreational therapy services. Findings warrant additional research on adaptive sports and recreational therapy services and recommendations for practice are discussed, such as establishing best practice guidelines for this specialty area.

Development of an artificial intelligence-enabled non-invasive digital stethoscope for monitoring the heart condition of athletes in real-time

This study investigates the efficacy of AI-enabled digital stethoscopes in enhancing physical performance, increasing student engagement and motivation, and improving psychological well-being among physical culture students. The experimental design involved two groups of 40 students each: the experimental group used AI-enabled stethoscopes for real-time cardiovascular monitoring, while the control group relied on traditional heart rate monitoring methods. The results indicated significant improvements in physical performance, engagement, and psychological well-being for the experimental group. Real-time monitoring facilitated personalized training adjustments, optimizing training loads and preventing overexertion, leading to superior performance outcomes. Additionally, the use of innovative monitoring tools significantly increased student motivation and engagement in physical culture classes, as reflected in higher attendance rates and more enthusiastic participation. Psychological assessments revealed that continuous health monitoring reduced anxiety levels and enhanced overall mental well-being, providing students with a sense of security and proactive health management. These findings underscore the transformative potential of integrating advanced monitoring technologies into physical education and rehabilitation programs, offering precise, real-time data that supports individualized and responsive interventions. The study concludes with a call for further research to explore the long-term impacts and broader applications of AI-enabled health monitoring tools in diverse educational and clinical settings, aiming to maximize their benefits and improve overall student and patient outcomes. Keywords: Sports therapy, Physical culture education, Health monitoring technology, Personalized training, Student engagement, Real-time cardiovascular monitoring, AI-enabled stethoscope.

Smart analysis of sandwich foldable cylinders as gymnastic accessories

A novel smart analysis of sandwich composite cylindrical shell is presented in this article. It is assumed that the sandwich shell is manufactured from the graphene origami reinforced copper core between two intelligent layers. The proposed structure in this article can be used as an idealized model for cylinder shapes in gymnastic sport and physical therapy units. The virtual work principle in the piezo elasticity framework and the cylindrical coordinate system is extended to derive governing equations. To arrive at more accurate results, a third order shear deformable model is extended for kinematic relations. The electro elastic responses are explored using the analytical method to seek impact of main parameters of the composite structure such as foldability parameter, graphene content percent, and applied electric potential on the electro elastic strain, deformation and stress results.

Effects of a structured exercise therapy on health-related quality of life in pediatric stem cell transplantation

IntroductionThis randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of exercise therapy on cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and its association with health-related quality of life. The effect of exercise therapy on the quality of life of children after stem cell transplantation has not been extensively studied to date.MethodsSeventy-two children and adolescents after stem cell transplantation were randomly assigned to either an exercise therapy intervention group (IG) or a control group (CG). The children in IG received sports therapy, while the children in the CG engaged in concentration tasks, memory games, and quizzes.ResultsSignificant improvements in CRF were found in IG only after discharge from the hospital. The improved CRF correlated significantly with increased health-related quality of life. However, during the inpatient phase, there was a rapid increase in CRF initially, which was accompanied by a significant reduction in health-related quality of life.ConclusionsExercise therapy can help reduce CRF and, therefore, increase health-related quality of life after the inpatient phase.

Effects of a Motivational Intervention on the Effectiveness and Sustainability of Sports and Exercise Therapy in Inpatient Psychiatric Care

Reinforcement and sustainability of sports and exercise therapy in inpatient depression treatment. Randomized controlled study with 3 measurement times: t0 admission to the study, t1 after four weeks, t2 two months after discharge. 96 inpatients with depressive disorders (ICD-10 F32, F33) were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG) or a control group (KG). In addition to sports and exercise therapy (KG), the IG received an educational and motivational session on the importance of sports and exercise, as well as a motivational final discussion. Endurance performance and physical fitness improved more significantly in the IG than in the CG over the 3 measurement times. The motivational final discussion was rated as more helpful. The intervention was well accepted by the patients and partially increased the effects of sports and exercise therapy. Not only psychological aspects of depression treatment were influenced, but also measurable physical effects. The practical and time-efficient motivational intervention in inpatient psychiatric care can complement sports and exercise therapy for depressive patients.

Sports preferences in children and adolescents in psychiatric care—evaluation of a new questionnaire

IntroductionAs part of an exploratory and hypothesis-generating study, we developed the Sports Preference Questionnaire (SPOQ) to survey the athletic behavior of mentally ill children and adolescents, subjectively assessed physical fitness and perceived psychological effects of physical activity.MethodsIn a department of child and adolescent psychiatry, we classified 313 patients (6–18 years) according to their primary psychiatric diagnosis. The patients or—in the parental version of the questionnaire—their parents reported their sport preferences on the SPOQ. As possibly influential factors, we also assessed the frequency of physical activity, the importance of a trainer, coping with everyday life through physical activity, and subjectively perceived physical fitness.ResultsOne in 3 patients (32.4%) stated that they were not physically active. Patients diagnosed with eating disorders reported, on average, a notably high frequency (median of 3 h/week) and degree of coping with daily life through physical activity (median of 5 on a 6-point Likert scale). Patients with anxiety disorders and depression had the lowest self-perception of physical fitness (mean value of 3.1 or 3.7 on an interval scala from 0 to 9). The presence of a trainer was generally considered not important, except for ADHD patients (median of 3 on a 6-point Likert scale).ConclusionThe SPOQ is sensitive for differential effects of core child and adolescent disorders as well as for main covariates influencing the complex association between physical activity and emotional and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents. Based on this pilot study, we discussed the need for an efficacy study to measure the effects of sports therapy.

Impact Of Inclusive Sports and Games on The Independent Life Skills of The Intellectually Challenged Individuals

The major goal of the study is to determine how inclusive sports help people with intellectual disabilities develop their fine and gross motor skills, cognitive abilities, and independent living skills. The sample was collected from 100 special students from 5 special schools in Karachi. The students were engaged in inclusive sports and games for 24 weeks, with a 40-minute session taken 5 days a week. The distribution size of questionnaire was 120, divided into two parts first for 20 trainers and second half for 100 parents. Their learning, memory, and gross and fine motor skills were evaluated. There were pre- and post-evaluations done. The results demonstrated that, in comparison to children before they participated in the inclusive sports program, 88% showed improvement socially, emotionally and with improved cognitive and fine/gross motor skill development proving that inclusive sports therapy has a positive impact on the development of different aspects of disabilities.

The Retos journal is in the second quartile of Scopus: a bibliometric analysis from 2016 to 2023

The Journal of Retos has been selected to be included in Scopus' second quartile in the fields of education, orthopaedics and sports medicine, physiotherapy, sports therapy, and rehabilitation starting from January 25, 2024. Although it is worth mentioning that this accomplishment came almost ten years after the magazine Retos was included in Scopus in 2016, it has now risen to the second quartile. The objective of the study is to present a graphical representation of the scientific patterns observed in the journal Retos from 2016 to 2023. Bibliometric analysis facilitates the identification and examination of scientific trends, as well as the assessment of research structure, patterns, and trends. Hence, bibliometric analysis is a pertinent and crucial approach for attaining the goals of this study. We conducted an analysis on a dataset consisting of 2334 entries obtained from the Scopus data center. This study employed the software VOSviewer and Rstudio for doing bibliometric analysis. The findings suggest that the topics of physical education and physical activity are prevailing. The growing specialized topics are BAPNE techniques and neuromotricity. Journal Retos has made significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge in various areas, including education, orthopaedics, sports medicine, physiotherapy, sports therapy, and rehabilitation, on a global scale. Keywords: Bibliometric; Retos Journal; Scientific Journals; Second Quartile of Scopus.

“Research on the construction of internet based aerobics competitive ability assessment model”

A vast field that focuses on restoring motor abilities through exercise is known as sports rehabilitation training, which is also sometimes referred to as recovery athletic exercise. A background in sporting recovery can assist competitors in getting back into peak physical condition, recovering from injuries, preventing additional damage, and better coping with the demands of regular practice. The importance of sports rehabilitation teaching for physical activity is analyzed and discussed at length throughout this research. The definition of sports therapy is presented first, followed by an examination of how it might be used to fitness. Make use of this information as a reference to discover how to include physical therapy in the workout plan you use for sports conditioning. Many tried-and-true algorithms for monitoring patients' vitals over time have emerged as a result of widespread use and advancements in IHM technology, which has led to an increase in the number of such algorithms. The purpose of this research is to investigate the ways in which intelligent health monitoring systems can be applied to the process of developing rehab methods for athletes. It not only provides the structure for a smart wellness terminal, but it also offers the usual ways for monitoring a moving object. Methods such as this include the optical flow strategy, the frame contrast technique, and the background difference method, to name just a few examples. The process of rehabilitation that an athlete went through in X city is presented as an example to show the processes that are included in an ideal study. According to the findings of the study, 92.6 percent of the athletes with injuries were able to make a full recovery with the support of rehabilitative physical exercise. The researchers were able to determine this by keeping close track on the athletes' vital signs in real time using sophisticated health monitoring equipment.

Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of prehabilitation for elderly frail patients prior to elective surgery: a qualitative study with healthcare professionals

BackgroundPrehabilitation aims to enhance functional capacity before surgery, minimise complications and achieve a better postoperative outcome. This can be particularly useful for older, frail patients to better tolerate surgery. The aim of this study was to identify what barriers and facilitators healthcare professionals in Germany experienced in the implementation and delivery of the multimodal prehabilitation programme “PRAEP-GO” for (pre-)frail adults aged 70 years and older to inform the implementation of prehabilitation into standard care.MethodsA nested descriptive qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with healthcare professionals involved in the PRAEP-GO trial from the Berlin and Brandenburg region in Germany. Transcripts were analysed using Kuckartz’ qualitative content analysis. Results were interpreted and synthesised using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, a theoretical framework to allow their application to a more general context.ResultsA total of 14 interviews were conducted. Seven therapists (physio-, ergo-, sports therapy), five physicians and two employees from other professions with mainly administrative and organisational tasks in the project. All identified barriers and facilitating factors could be assigned to the themes of organisation, prehabilitation, cooperation and communication between healthcare professionals and with patients. Much optimisation potential was found regarding organisational aspects, e.g. addressing perceived staff shortages and optimising the patient pathway. Furthermore, it became apparent that communication and cooperation between professionals but also with patients need to be improved. More evidence regarding prehabilitation should be provided to convince professionals more. Prehabilitation should be multimodal and individualised, including the programme duration. Officially introducing prehabilitation into standard care would facilitate its delivery.DiscussionThese findings underscore the fact that successful implementation of prehabilitation programmes, such as PRAEP-GO, requires sufficient organisational infrastructure, human resources, access to knowledge, an adaptable and individualised programme design as well as good communication among professionals and with patients. The transferability of the findings is limited by the absence of nutritionists and resulting overrepresentation of other therapists in the sample. To further convince professionals and patients of the concept of prehabilitation, more research is needed to build a solid evidence base that will ensure greater awareness and, thus, more motivation and cooperation among professionals and patients.Trial registrationOpen Science Framework (osf.io/ksfgj).

Improving marking effectiveness and feedback provision in an OSCE assessment using Microsoft Forms: A pilot study in Sport and Exercise Therapy

An objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has been recognised as a reliable but workload-intensive assessment method across health sciences studies. Though a variety of digital marking tools have been employed to improve marking and feedback provision for OSCEs, many of these require specialist software or maintenance. This pilot study examines the development and trialling of Microsoft Forms as a marking and feedback instrument for an OSCE within a Sport and Exercise Therapy module. This study aims to assess whether the use of a non-specialist digital tool, such as Microsoft Forms, might be able overcome limitations in current assessment procedures and ultimately provide a more effective method for marking and feedback provision for an OSCE. Results from OSCE examiners (N = 8) and students (N = 30) who participated in the pilot indicate that Microsoft Forms does have the potential to provide a more effective experience for examiners and ultimately improve upon feedback provision for students when compared with a paper-based marking tool. However, concerns around the form’s ease-of-use may ultimately influence its adoption as a marking instrument above current paper-based methods.

Sports and Exercise Therapy in Holistic Strategy for Treating Chronic Diseases – literature review

Sports and Exercise Therapy in Holistic Strategy for Treating Chronic Diseases – literature review

Effects of sports therapy on improvement of menopausal symptoms, psychological status, and body morphology in perimenopausal women.

The aim of this study was to increase the treatment rate of perimenopausal women by providing evidence-based nonpharmaceutical treatments through developing scientific evidence-based sports therapy and verifying its effectiveness. In a cross-over design, a total of 33 women were assigned to two different sequences of intervention: sports therapy and telephone intervention (n = 17) or telephone intervention and sports therapy (n = 16). A self-reported clinical symptom survey was conducted before and after the experimental and control periods using the following measures: the Menopause Rating Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire 9, and Patient Health Questionnaire 15. There were significant differences in the changes in the scores for Menopause Rating Scale total (exercise phase, 17.8 ± 5.5 at baseline [B] and 13.5 ± 4.2 at follow-up [F]; control phase, 15.9 ± 6.0 [B] and 15.4 ± 5.3 [F]; P < 0.01), somatic symptoms (exercise phase, 9.5 ± 2.6 [B] and 6.6 ± 2.0 [F]; control phase, 8.5 ± 2.8 [B] and 8.0 ± 1.3 [F], P < 0.01), and urogenital symptoms (exercise phase, 4.9 ± 1.7 [B] and 4.1 ± 1.4 [F]; control phase, 4.3 ± 1.6 [B] and 4.4 ± 1.5 [F]; P < 0.01) between the exercise and control phases. There were also significant differences in the changes in the scores for PHQ-9 (exercise phase, 4.6 ± 4.4 [B] and 3.6 ± 3.3 [F]; control phase, 4.5 ± 3.8 [B] and 5.5 ± 4.6 [F]; P = 0.008) and PHQ-15 (exercise phase, 7.2 ± 4.4 [B] and 5.5 ± 3.5 [F]; control phase, 6.8 ± 4.4 [B] and 7.2 ± 4.9 [F]; P = 0.009) between the two phases. Sports therapy would improve menopause symptoms, especially somatic and urogenital symptoms. In addition, sports therapy would improve depressive moods in perimenopausal women.

Muscular Strategies for Correcting the Pelvic Position to Improve Posture-An Exploratory Study.

The correction of postural weaknesses through the better positioning of the pelvis is an important approach in sports therapy and physiotherapy. The pelvic position in the sagittal plane is largely dependent on the muscular balance of the ventral and dorsal muscle groups. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine whether healthy persons use similar muscular activation patterns to correct their pelvic position or whether there are different motor strategies. The following muscles were recorded in 41 persons using surface electromyography (EMG): M. trapezius pars ascendens, M. erector spinae pars lumbalis, M. gluteus maximus, M. biceps femoris, M. rectus abdominis, and M. obliquus externus. The participants performed 10 voluntary pelvic movements (retroversion of the pelvis). The anterior pelvic tilt was measured videographically via marker points on the anterior and posterior superior iliac spine. The EMG data were further processed and normalized to the maximum voluntary contraction. A linear regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between changes in the pelvic tilt and muscle activities. Subsequently, a Ward clustering analysis was applied to detect potential muscle activation patterns. The differences between the clusters and the pelvic tilt were examined using ANOVA. Cluster analysis revealed the presence of four clusters with different muscle activation patterns in which the abdominal muscles and dorsal muscle groups were differently involved. However, the gluteus maximus muscle was involved in every activation pattern. It also had the strongest correlation with the changes in pelvic tilt. Different individual muscle patterns are used by different persons to correct pelvic posture, with the gluteus maximus muscle apparently playing the most important role. This can be important for therapy, as different muscle strategies should be trained depending on the individually preferred motor patterns.

Sports and Physical Exercise Therapy in the Treatment of Mental Health Issues in Children and Adolescents

Sports and Physical Exercise Therapy in the Treatment of Mental Health Issues in Children and Adolescents Abstract: Mental disorders are among the most common chronic diseases in childhood and adolescence in Germany and worldwide. The health benefits of a physically active lifestyle during adolescence are well documented. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence suggests a positive impact of physical activity on mental health and emotional well-being. Longitudinal studies also show an association between physical activity and reduced risk of developing a mental disorder. Therefore, therapeutic exercise plays an important role in child and adolescent psychiatry. High-quality randomized-controlled trials are needed to substantiate the described effects.

Gender Differences Regarding Self-Perceived Physical and Mental Health in Spanish University Sports and Physical Therapy Students after Termination of the COVID-19 Lockdown Period.

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented situation that raised concerns about the physical and mental health of adolescents. Several surveys demonstrated that post-lockdown, women reported more complaints and lower perceived quality of life compared to men. The aim of this study was to analyze gender differences in self-reported physical and mental health immediately after the second lock-down restrictions (July 2020 to December 2020) were suspended and physical exercise classes resumed after a break of several months. This was achieved using a comparative cross-sectional survey of over-18-year-old students from the faculties of Sports Science and Physical Therapy at the University of Cadiz (UCA) in Spain. Quality of life was assessed using two types of questionnaires. The first covered quality of nutrition (PREDIMED), and the second assessed emotional impact (SF12). Physical activity level was estimated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Of the 166 participants in this study, about two-thirds were men. Men had a better perception of their overall health quality than women. In addition, men had significantly fewer limitations in performing activities of daily living than their female counterparts. In contrast, female university students had better coping strategies, that is, they were better able to handle the problems of daily life and did so with more composure, attention, and concentration. These findings highlight the differences in post-release recovery between men and women and can be used to develop programs to promote better living standards and services to reduce gender disparities, which can ultimately improve quality of life.

Strength-Based Therapy: Empowering Athletes' Self-Efficacy and Life Satisfaction

While it is known that focusing on positive attributes and capabilities can enhance psychological resilience, the specific effectiveness of strength-based therapy in improving self-efficacy and life satisfaction among athletes remains unexplored. By emphasizing positive attributes and capabilities, strength-based therapy aims to enhance athletes' psychological resilience and overall well-being, which are crucial in the highly competitive and physically demanding world of sports. Therefore, this study investigates the effectiveness of strength-based therapy in enhancing the self-efficacy and life satisfaction of athletes. The study used a quasi-experimental design with 50 competitive athletes aged 18-35. The methodology included an 8-week intervention focusing on leveraging individual strengths, goal setting, and resilience building. Outcomes were measured using the General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. To examine these differences, an analysis of variance with repeated measures, coupled with Bonferroni’s post-hoc test, was conducted using SPSS-26. Results indicated significant improvements in both self-efficacy and life satisfaction in the experimental group compared to the control group. The study concludes that strength-based therapy positively impacts athletes' psychological well-being, suggesting its potential for broader application in sports therapy.

The Teleton Integrated Care Approach to Deliver Rehabilitation Services and Promoting Inclusion for Children and Teenagers with Motor Disabilities in Chile - Implementation and lessons learned.

People with disabilities face significant barriers in order to get proper access to health care. According to the World Health Organization, they are three times more likely to be denied health care, four times more likely to be treated badly in the healthcare system and 50% more likely to suffer catastrophic health expenditure.&#x0D; In Chile, 5,8% of the children and teenagers have some form of disability. Motor disabilities are one of the most prevalent in this age group. &#x0D; Teleton is a non-profit network of 14 healthcare institutes providing rehabilitation care to 93,5% of children and teenagers with motor disabilities in Chile.&#x0D; Conditions treated by Teleton include Cerebral Palsy, amputations, central nervous system diseases, neuromuscular diseases and other congenital or acquired diseases leading to a motor impairment.&#x0D; Established in 1979 and mostly financed through a yearly national fundraising campaign, over the last 10 years Teleton has faced difficulties to provide adequate coverage and continuity of care to their patients. &#x0D; As a response to these challenges, in 2015 Teleton developed an integrated multidisciplinary model of care including interventions from several specialties such as: physiatry, orthopedics, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, education, social work, art therapy, phono audiology and adapted sports therapy. The model follows the principles of the McColl Chronic Model of care.&#x0D; As a core element, the model establishes the creation of specialized multidisciplinary teams of professionals taking care of a specific population from a diagnostic group. This feature allows the workforce to gain expertise and enhance coordination, thus improving the quality of care. &#x0D; Similarly, the model allow patients to be treated by the same professionals who know their clinic history facilitating the delivery of care and patient satisfaction.&#x0D; The aim of this paper is to explain the key components of this model including clinical processes, organization of delivery of care, clinical metrics, team coordination practices, and to present main results in terms of health coverage, health quality, administrative performance, governance and impact on patient functionality.

Research Progress on Rehabilitation of Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Spastic cerebral palsy is a classification of pediatric cerebral palsy, in China and even the world has a high incidence rate, the disease can lead to central motor injury, limited functional activity, posture development disorders and other symptoms. At present, there is no clinical treatment can be completely its root treatment, mainly by drug treatment and rehabilitation training combined methods for treatment. This paper mainly introduces the common rehabilitation techniques of spasm cerebral palsy rehabilitation, which are common in sports therapy, physical factor therapy, traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation techniques and joint comprehensive rehabilitation nursing, and the latter have robotics, vibration therapy, cord blood stem cell transplantation. In order to provide reference suggestions and research ideas for the study of the rehabilitation of children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Sports Preferences in children and adolescents in psychiatric care – evaluation of a new Questionnaire (SPOQ)

Background: As part of an exploratory and hypothesis-generating study, the Sports Preference Questionnaire (SPOQ) was developed to survey the athletic behavior of mentally ill children and adolescents, subjectively assessing physical fitness and the perceived psychological effects of physical activity. Methods: In a department of child and adolescent psychiatry, 313 patients (6 years - 18 years) were classified according to their primary psychiatric diagnosis. The patients or - in the parental version of the questionnaire - their parents reported their sports preferences on the SPOQ. As possibly influential factors, also the frequency of physical activity, the importance of a trainer, coping with everyday life through physical activity, and subjectively perceived physical fitness were assessed. Results: One in 3 patients stated that they were not physically active. Patients diagnosed with eating disorders reported, on average, a notably high frequency and degree of coping with daily life through physical activity. Patients with anxiety disorders and depression had the lowest self-perception of physical fitness. The presence of a trainer was generally considered very unimportant, but not in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patients. Conclusion: The SPOQ is sensitive to differential effects of core child and adolescent disorders as well as to main covariates influencing the complex association between physical activity and emotional and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents. Based on this pilot study, the need for an efficacy study to measure the effects of sports therapy was discussed.