Fuzail Ahmad

Background and Objectives: Analyzing the cardiac autonomic function in COVID-19 patients can provide insights into the impact of the virus on the heart’s regulatory mechanisms and its recovery. The autonomic nervous system plays a crucial role in regulating the heart’s functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on heart rate variability (HRV) during a 6-min walk test (6MWT). Materials and Methods: The study included 74 participants, consisting of 37 individuals who had recovered from mild to moderate COVID-19 and 37 healthy controls. The study assessed heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure both before and after a 6-min walk test (6MWT). Results: The study found significant differences in a few time domains (SDNN and pNN50) and all frequency domain measures, whereas there were no significant differences in demographic characteristics or blood pressure between COVID-19-recovered individuals and healthy controls at rest. There were significant 6MWT effects on average HR, time-domain (SDNN and pNN50) measures of HRV, and all frequency domain measures of HRV. A significant group × 6MWT interaction was found for SDNN, pNN50, total power, Ln total power, LF, HF, Ln LF, Ln HF, and LF nu. Conclusions: Cardiac Autonomic analysis through HRV is essential to ensure the continued health and well-being of COVID-19 survivors and to minimize the potential long-term impacts of the disease on their cardiovascular system. This suggests that HRV analysis during the recovery phase following exercise could serve as a valuable tool for evaluating the physiological effects of COVID-19 and monitoring the recovery process.

Diseases of the oral cavity and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common occurrences. They are commonly linked with partial mobility, resulting in limited visits to dentists for routine oral care, causing poor periodontal condition, bleeding, gingival inflammation, and increased depth of periodontal pockets. The present study was conducted to measure joint movements, hand grip strength, and pain in joints and their association with oral health. Materials and methods: The study included 200 subjects, half suffering from back, neck, shoulder, elbow, and wrist problems, belonging to different age groups and professions; 100 had joint pain, and 100 were without joint pain. The study assessed individuals exposed to oral health issues by measuring the strength of hand grip, flexibility, and pain score of the back, neck, shoulder, elbow, and wrist. The strength of the hand grip and the angle of the elbow and shoulder were measured in addition to a questionnaire to assess the relationship between back pain and oral health. To evaluate dental health status and oral hygiene, the total number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMF/T) and Oral Hygiene Index—Simplified (OHI-S) indices were used. Results: The difference between all demographic parameters was statistically significant (p < 0.05). It was observed that there was a significant difference in calculus, debris, and dental caries scores in both groups, with significantly lower scores and better oral hygiene in patients without joint pain. Concerning pain score and joint movements, the group without joint pain showed a significantly better range of movements and less pain than patients suffering from joint pain, and statistically a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed between both groups. Conclusion: The present study revealed that musculoskeletal disorders, pain in the neck and hand, and restricted movements were common among professionals. We observed that pain in joints, neck, and hands, with restricted movements, caused a serious impact on the maintenance of oral hygiene practices among subjects of different professions.

Background. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the symptomatic compression neuropathy of the median nerve at the wrist level that may become a reason for upper limb disability, in the women and men population. Objective. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of the neurodynamic technique (NT) and carpal bone mobilization technique (CBMT) incorporated with tendon gliding exercises (TGE) as an effect-enhancing adjunct while managing the participants with chronic CTS. Methods. The study followed a two-arm parallel-group randomized comparative design. Thirty participants (aged 30–59 years) with chronic CTS were recruited randomly to both the NT and CBMT groups. In addition to the TGE (a common adjunct), NT and CBMT were performed in the NT and CBMT groups, respectively, for three weeks. The primary outcome measures including pain intensity, functional status, grip strength, and motor nerve conduction study were assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS), Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ), hand-held dynamometer, and electromyograph, respectively, at baseline, 3 weeks postintervention, and follow-up at one week post end of the intervention. Paired and unpaired t-test were used to calculate the differences in intervention effects within and between the groups with keeping the level of significance α at 0.05. Results. The data analysis revealed a significant (95% CI, p < 0.05 ) difference for all outcomes within each group compared across different time intervals. Similarly, a significant difference was found for all outcomes except pain and grip strength compared between groups at 3 weeks postintervention and follow-up at one week post end of the intervention. Conclusions. The NT revealed more effectiveness than the CBMT when incorporated with TGE to improve nerve conduction velocity and functional status of the hand. However, both NT and CBMT were equally effective in improving pain and grip strength while managing the participants with chronic CTS. In addition, the TGE contributed as a beneficial, effect-enhancing adjunct to the NT and CBMT differently. Significance. The study will guide the physiotherapist in applying either of the combination techniques suitable for achieving treatment objectives while managing the participants with chronic CTS.