Background: Due to the variety of etiological factors in chronic low back pain (CLBP), there is significant variability in functional measurements. Objects: This study aimed to determine if using metrics in addition to inferential statistics could change how the impact of poor prognosis risk for pain among volunteers with CLBP is interpreted. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, 74 adult volunteers were allocated to four groups: a pain-free control group (CG) and three CLBP groups stratified by the STarT Back Screening Tool into low (LR), medium (MR) and high risk (HR). Spatiotemporal gait parameters outcomes were self-selected walking speed (SWS), optimum walking speed (OWS) and the locomotor rehabilitation index (LRI). Data were analyzed using a generalized estimating equation model. Reproducibility, responsiveness (minimum detectable change [MDC]) and effect sizes were also computed. Results: No differences were found for OWS. SWS and LRI were significantly higher in CG than in all CLBP groups, but observed differences did not exceed MDC, indicating they are likely to reflect measurement error. Nevertheless, large effect sizes suggest these reductions in SWS and LRI are clinically meaningful. Comparisons among the LR, MR, and HR groups revealed no significant differences or meaningful effect sizes. Conclusion: Combining complementary metrics with inferential statistics confirms that individuals with CLBP walk more slowly and exhibit lower LRI than pain-free controls, while prognostic risk strata do not influence these spatiotemporal gait parameters.
Background: Electrophototherapeutic resources are widely used in the treatment of shoulder injuries, despite some contradictory results. Objects: This scoping review aims to evaluate the existing electrophysical resources associated or not with physical exercise (EX), propose a dosage and to evaluate the methodological quality, for managing pain, range, and muscle strength in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS). Methods: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs), non-RCTs (NRCTs) and systematic reviews of electrophototherapeutic interventions in people with SIS were included, with no restrictions on age, sex, year or language. The outcomes were pain intensity, range of motion, and muscle strength. The databases searched were PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, LILACS, PEDro, Google Scholar, Open Grey, LIVIVO, CAPES Catalogue of Theses and Dissertations, and citation search. The search was carried out on January 26, 2023 and updated on March 5, 2024. The risk of bias of the included studies was assessed individually using the Cochrane risk of bias tools for randomized trials (RoB 2) and for non-randomized trials (ROBINS-I) and the AMSTAR-2 tools for systematic review studies. Results: Twenty studies were included (14 RCTs, one NRCT, and 5 review studies). The electrophototherapeutic resources used were photobiomodulation, high-intensity laser therapy (HILT), laser associated with light-emitting diode, Multiwave Locked System laser, extracorporeal shockwaves (ESWs), low-frequency electrical current stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound and radiotherapy. Ten clinical studies applied EX in their intervention, in addition to electrophototherapeutic resources. Conclusion: Photobiomodulation, HILT and ESWs have been shown to be effective in treating SIS, however, there was great heterogeneity in the quality of the studies included, with some risks of bias. The additional effects of electrophototherapeutic resources to EX for patients at different stages of SIS are still uncertain, and the dosimetric parameters were presented in tables in the text.