Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical therapists have had to adopt a set of specific protection measures, which have had an impact on their clinical activity and economy. The objective was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work of Spanish physical therapists, as well as their attitudes and predisposition to vaccination. An online questionnaire was divided into five sections: (1) demographic and professional data; (2) labor impact; (3) precautions and infection-control measures; (4) economic impact; and (5) vaccine acceptance and adverse effects. Of the 666 participants, 62.1% showed a reduction in their working hours motivated by: fear of infection (p = 0.007), financial issues (p = 0.002) and being in quarantine or isolation (p < 0.001). Of these, 36.4% were forced to close the clinic, 62.7% requested help from the government, but only 12.04% mentioned that it was adequate. The main prevention measures adopted were the use of gels and masks and, in the private sector, disinfection with ozone or ultraviolet light (p < 0.05). The acceptance of the vaccine was high, 87.5%, being lower among the group over 40 years of age, self-employed, widowed or separated. More adverse effects were mentioned after receiving the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, compared to Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. In conclusion, this study assessed for the first time that the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain had a negative impact on work and finances of physical therapists. The vaccine was widely accepted, in part by the economic impact that an infection in the work setting could signify.

Objectives: To evaluate the changes in pain pressure threshold (PPT) and active cervical range of motion (ACROM) after the application of superficial dry needling (DN) or deep DN in myofascial trigger point (MTrP) 1 of the upper trapezius versus a simulated DN technique in the gastrocnemius muscle (control group). Design: Double-blind, randomized controlled trial with 7-day follow-up. Participants: Asymptomatic volunteers (n = 180; 76 men, 104 women) with a latent MTrP 1 in the upper trapezius were randomly divided into three groups: G1, receiving superficial DN in the upper trapezius; G2, receiving deep DN in the upper trapezius; and G3, control group, receiving simulated DN technique in the gastrocnemius muscle. Main outcome measures: While sitting in a chair, each subject underwent measurements of PPT and ACROM (ipsilateral and contralateral side flexion and rotation, flexion and extension) preintervention, (immediately) postintervention, and at 24 h, 72 h and 7 days. Results: Superficial and deep DN produced an increase in PPT at 7 days with respect to preintervention levels. Furthermore, superficial and deep DN produced a decrease in cervical flexion at 24 h and an increase in ipsilateral rotation until 72 h, increasing to 7 days in the case of deep DN. On the contrary, superficial DN produced an increase in ipsilateral and contralateral side flexion after intervention, unlike deep DN that produced a decrease at 24 h. Furthermore, superficial DN produced an increase in contralateral rotation at 24 h and deep DN decreased extension at 72 h. Conclusion: A single intervention of superficial or deep DN did not produce statistically significant changes in PPT or goniometry measurements.

(1) To assess the efficacy of a specific rehabilitation protocol for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS), patients who underwent hip arthroscopy (HA) were compared with a control group. (2) Patients with symptomatic FAIS who were scheduled for HA were randomized either to a control group (n = 45, 66.6% men, 41.8 12.4 years) following a general post-surgical treatment protocol or to an experimental group (n = 45, 71.2% men, 40.9 7.6 years) following a specific rehabilitation protocol supervised by a physiotherapist. Range of motion (ROM), orthopedic tests and pain were assessed immediately before surgery and at 4 and 14 weeks after surgery. The hip functional status was assessed by the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) before surgery and at the end of follow-up. (3) At 14 weeks after surgery and compared with the control group, the experimental group showed a lower percentage of positives for hip provocation tests (15.6% vs. 46.6% on Faber test; 15.6% vs. 77.8% on Fadir test; 2.2% vs. 20% on Ober test, experimental vs. control group, p < 0.001), a greater improvement in mHHS (27.2 vs. 10.7 points, p < 0.001) and higher ROM for all the movements evaluated: flexion (99.6 12.2 vs. 89.6 4.5, p < 0.001), extension (20.6 5.8 vs. 13.3 2.6, p < 0.001), adduction (30.6 5.7 vs. 23.4 8.4, p < 0.001), abduction (43.4 10.7 vs. 32.8 8.4, p < 0.001) and both internal (28.2 8.5 vs. 18.7 6.1, p < 0.001) and external hip rotation (36.8 9.3 vs. 27.4 5.6. p < 0.001). The pain decreased after surgery for both groups, although the reduction was greater in the experimental group at the end of intervention (13.8 16.1 vs. 34.9 16.3 mm, experimental vs. control group, p < 0.001). (4) The specific and supervised rehabilitation program in patients with FAIS undergoing HA showed better benefits at 14 weeks of treatment than the benefits achieved by a care protocol in terms of pain reduction and recovery of hip motion.

Vaccine hesitancy has increased in the past few years, influenced by the socio-cultural differences, political populism, or concerns related to the effectiveness and safety of some vaccines, resulting a feeling of distrust. This feeling can become a barrier against the achievement of the immunity necessary to stop the expansion of COVID-19. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptance of the vaccine against COVID-19 in Spain, as well as to identify the factors that have an influence on the concerns and attitudes of people against accepting the vaccine in the months prior to the start of vaccination on December 2020. An online questionnaire was created to obtain information about (1) sociodemographic characteristics; (2) concerns and sources of information about vaccines; and (3) attitudes about vaccination and state of health. A multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the influencing factors. Of the 2501 participants, 1207 (48.3%) would accept the COVID-19 vaccine, 623 (24.9%) were hesitant, and 671 (26.8%) would reject it. The logistic regression showed that being male, older than 60, married, retired, with a high level of education, or with a leftist political inclination, could increase the probability of accepting the COVID-19 vaccine. Disinformation and the lack of political consensus were the main sources of distrust. The patients with hypertension, immunodepression, hypercholesterolemia, or respiratory disease, or were overweight, showed a greater acceptance to the vaccine, while those with cancer took the longest to accept it. A low acceptance of the vaccine against COVID-19 was observed among the Spanish population in the phase prior to its availability, and the main fears of the population were identified. It is necessary to offer correct and transparent information about these vaccines to reduce the concerns and increase the trust of the population, to thereby guarantee the success of the vaccination campaigns.

Objective To determine the psychometric properties of the Person-Centered Therapeutic Relationship in Physiotherapy Scale (PCTR-PT) in order to find the most appropriate fit for the tool. Methods Patients who had received treatment at the physiotherapy service of nine hospitals in Spain were invited to complete the 31 items of the PCTR-PT scale. To select the most appropriate items of the PCTR-PT, an exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) was performed using the maximum likelihood and oblique rotation (promin) methods. Factor validity, goodness-of-fit and psychometric properties were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Convergent (CFA) and discriminant validity were calculated. Internal consistency was verified using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to examine temporal stability. Results 366 patients over 18 years old who had received, at least, 15 physiotherapy treatment sessions completed the questionnaire. The results of the exploratory factor analysis revealed a tool with 15 items in four factors [Relational Bond (N items = 4); Individualized Partnership (N items = 4); Professional Empowerment (N items = 3) and Therapeutic Communication (N items = 4)], explaining 78.4% of the variance of the total variables of this tool. The confirmatory factor analysis further confirmed the four-structure model. Reliability of the tool was approved by Cronbach’s alpha in all four dimensions, as all were above .70, ranging from .84 (Individualized Partnership) to .91 (Professional Empowerment). = 0.94. Test-retest was performed with two-week intervals, indicating an appropriate stability for the scale (ICC = 0.900). Conclusion The Person-Centered Therapeutic Relationship in Physiotherapy Scale (PCTR-PT) is a useful, valid and applicable instrument to evaluate the person-centered therapeutic relationship during physiotherapy interventions. It would be interesting to investigate the predictive capacity (sensitivity and specificity) of the PCTR-PT scale.

Objectives This study sought to develop a tool for evaluating person-centered therapeutic relationships within physiotherapy services, and to examine the content validity of the same. Methods A mixed qualitative and quantitative study was performed in three distinct phases: 1) the items were generated based on a literature review and a content analysis of focus groups of patients and physiotherapists; 2) an e-Delphi survey process was performed based on three rounds to select and refine the proposed questionnaire; 3) two rounds of cognitive interviews were conducted to evaluate the comprehension of items, the clarity of language and the appropriateness and relevance of content. Results Thirty-one items were generated based on the seven domains identified after the analysis of four focus groups of physiotherapists and four patient focus groups. Nine experts participated in the e-Delphi survey. Fifty-five patients participated in the two rounds of the cognitive pre-tests. Participating patients were from public and private physical therapy services. Based on the participants’ suggestions, four items were removed, and four were added, whereas 16 were reworded. Conclusions The final tool comprised 31 items divided into seven domains. The response format was based on a 5-point Likert frequency scale. The response options ranged from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”.

Background: In December 2019, 27 cases of pneumonia, of unknown cause, were identified in the province of Hubei (China). The WHO declared the situation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and it was finally declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. The Spanish Government obliges the entire population to remain confined to their homes, with the exception of essential basic services, to stop the spread of COVID-19. Home isolation implies a notable physical deconditioning. Telerehabilitation methods have reported positive experiences, and we propose to study in affected patients of COVID-19, due to the general house confinement of the entire Spanish population. Methods: Patients will be recruited in the regions of Andalusia, Murcia, and Valencia (Spain). Patients will remain confined to their homes, and there, they will carry out their assigned exercise program, which will be controlled telematically. Evaluators will attend to carry out all measurements at the beginning, during, and end of the study, telematically controlled. The patients will be randomly divided into three groups, two of them will perform a home exercise program (breathing exercises or non-specific exercises for muscle toning) and the third group will perform sedentary activities, using mental activation techniques, and will act as a sham group. We will evaluate respiratory variables and other variables of the physical state through physical tests, effort, and perceived fatigue. The data will be statistically analyzed, and the hypotheses will be tested between the groups, using the SPSS software, v.24, considering a 95% confidence interval. Discussion: We will analyze the results, in terms of the level of fatigue and perceived exertion, physical health, and maintenance of respiratory activity of two types of exercise programs, toning and respiratory, applied in patients affected by COVID-19 during the period of home confinement. We intend to investigate a field not previously studied, such as the repercussion of carrying out a toning and respiratory exercise program in these patients, in historical circumstances that no one had previously observed in Spain, since the general population has never been forced to remain confined in their homes, due to a pandemic infection, by a coronavirus (COVID-19). Observing the effects that these two home exercise programs could produce in patients infected with COVID-19, we will try to better analyze and understand the mechanisms that are associated with the worsening of breathing in this type of patient.