Amélia Pasqual Marques

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at University of São Paulo

Introduction Leprosy is a chronic, slowly developing infectious disease that affects the peripheral nerves, specifically Schwann cells. Individuals with the multibacillary type exhibit a propensity for developing chronic pain and a decrease in sensitivity in the plantar region, which directly interferes with balance maintenance. The evaluation of s...

Anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) involve a complex coordination of sensorimotor information that can be impaired in diseases that affect nerve conduction. Assessing APAs typically requires costly video recording technology, posing a challenge to the study of postural changes. This hurdle is compounded in impoverished communities affected by...

The Timed-Up and Go (TUG) test is widely utilized by healthcare professionals for assessing fall risk and mobility due to its practicality. Currently, test results are based solely on execution time, but integrating technological devices into the test can provide additional information to enhance result accuracy. This study aimed to assess the reli...

Objective To estimate the current and last 12-month prevalence of cervical pain (CP) in adults in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. Method Cross-sectional study with 242 adults aged between 18 and 59 living in urban areas. Sociodemographic data, one-time and 12-month CD prevalence, pain intensity assessed using the Numerical Pain Scale, and functional lim...

Background: Virtual reality (VR) has been suggested as a new therapeutic approach in various sectors of rehabilitation, including the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and one of its treatment goals is to improve the gait pattern and walking ability of patients. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate if VR, along with convention...

Background Health education is one of the main items to enable health promotion to patients with fibromyalgia. The objective of the study “Amigos de Fibro (Fibro Friends)” is to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention associated with physical exercise based on the web in promoting health and quality of life of patients with fibromyalgia...

Background Neck pain is the fourth worldwide leading cause of disability and represents 22% of musculoskeletal disorders. Conservative intervention has been strongly recommended to treat chronic neck pain and Telerehabilitation is the alternative for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. There is a lack of high-quality research on the effect...

Older adults with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis (KOA) exhibit adaptive strategy for initiating walking, known as anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs). While video motion kinematics has been the traditional way of measuring APAs, it can be difficult to transport and install, making it impractical for medical settings. Inertial sensors h...

The degree of knowledge, comfort, motivation, and involvement of elementary school teachers in promoting sex education (SE) in schools must be evaluated by considering their age, initial academic foundation in SE, and religious beliefs. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 396 teachers in Brazil, most of whom were women (77.53%) and Catholic...

Abstract Background Muscle stretching exercises preserve corporal flexibility and decrease the retraction and shortening of myofascial and articular structures. These exercises are recommended for the treatment of fibromyalgia (FM). The purpose of the study was to verify and compare the effect of muscle stretching exercises on FM patients based on...

Background: Educational strategies are necessary for the care of patients with fibromyalgia. The objective was to develop and validate an e-book to promote the health of individuals with fibromyalgia. Methods: Methodological research in which, initially, through a bibliographic survey, the available publications on the subject were analyzed. The...

Background “Amigos de Fibro” (Fibro Friends), is a recent and innovative program created from the joint action of patients and health professionals, which can be an effective educational tool to be implemented in primary health care centers, promoting self-care, quality of life and health promotion in individuals with fibromyalgia in Brazil. Objec...

Background The recommendations reviewed by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) for the management of fibromyalgia indicate the importance of combining pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. In addition, these guidelines highlight that the initial non-pharmacological strategy should be patient education centered on the pro...

Background In patients with fibromyalgia, the physiotherapist is essential in the treatment. He will act throughout the patient’s rehabilitation process, from the application of initial assessment instruments to full recovery. Objectives Check the performance and benefits of physiotherapy resources in the current scientific literature for patients...

Background Fibromyalgia is present in women with FMR1 gene premutation. (Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1). Few studies have evaluated the impact of fibromyalgia on the sleep and on the quality of life in premutation women. Objectives The aim of the present study was to compare the impact of fibromyalgia on sleep and quality of life in wome...

Background Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disease, multisystemic, of unknown cause, autoimmune, with periods of exacerbations and remissions, which may generate limitations in functional and occupational capacity. Brazil has high prevalence rates of SLE (20 to 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants). The survival rate of th...

Objective We investigated the impact of socioeconomic inequalities on chronic pain of older adults according to sex. Materials and methods This population-based cross-sectional study used survey data from the 2015 cohort of the SABE Study (Saúde, Bem-estar e Envelhecimento), Brazil. Socioeconomic status was examined at individual level (educationa...

Background: Acupuncture is one of the most widely used therapies to treat chronic low back pain, whose analgesic effect seems to be potentiated by the addition of electric current (electroacupuncture). However, we are not aware of any clinical trial that has evaluated the effectiveness of this technique in adults > 65 years. Objective: To evalua...

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition characterized by generalized musculoskeletal pain, hyperalgesia and allodynia, commonly associated with other symptoms such as fatigue, poor sleep quality, anxiety and depression. The clinical manifestations of this rheumatic disease have significant psychosocial and economic repercussions, with a substantia...

Background Educational practices are indicated to promote the health of people with fibromyalgia in primary health care. We aimed to develop an educative interdisciplinary program intended at the health promotion of individuals with fibromyalgia. Methods It is a study protocol that was developed following three phases in the city of São Paulo city...

Objectives To investigate the effect of prolonged low-level laser therapy application combined with exercise on pain and disability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Design A randomized controlled trial. Setting Special rehabilitation services. Subjects Forty-three participants with knee osteoarthritis. Intervention Following initial...

Purpose: To explore the evidence of the internal structure validity of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire in older adults with low back pain. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of psychometric testing involving 528 older adults with low back pain. Internal structure validity was explored by exploratory factor analysis and semi-con...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify social and clinical factors associated with levels of functional disability (FD) in older adults with low back pain (LBP) in the city of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 557 adults with LBP aged ≥60 years was completed. Sociodemographic and clinical features, pain...

Background In the optimal treatment of fibromyalgia, international recommendations highlight non-pharmacological treatment as the key to success. Health education is one of the main tools to promote the health of patients with fibromyalgia. Educational strategies are essential for the care of patients with fibromyalgia. Objectives Develop and vali...

Background Health education is a very important tool in the treatment of people with fibromyalgia. Health education acts as an excellent non-pharmacological treatment to promote health in fibromyalgia. Objectives To validate a multidisciplinary educational program to promote the health of people with fibromyalgia in Brazil, called Amigos de Fibro....

Background Fibromyalgia is a rheumatologic syndrome characterized by chronic pain and symptoms such as fatigue, morning stiffness, sleep disturbances and depression. Health perception is a global assessment of health based on an analysis of the objective and also subjective aspects of each person. Health self-assessment is increasingly researched a...

Background Low back pain is the second most common health condition in Brazilian elderly, after arterial hypertension, and can be defined as any pain between the last ribs and the lower gluteal folds, with or without pain in the lower limbs, manifesting itself acutely, subacutely or chronically. Objectives To analyze the effect of segmental stabil...

Background Hip adductors and abductors are weak in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, most studies have not investigated selective adductor strengthening. Objective To compare the effects of adding selective hip abductors versus adductors strengthening to lower limb multimodal exercise program for pain, self-reported function, knee-...

Health education is one of the main items to enable the promotion of health for individuals with fibromyalgia (FM) in Primary Health Care (PHC) in Brazil. The purpose of this study was to validate a multidisciplinary educational health promotion program called Amigos de Fibro (Fibro Friends) for individuals with FM. Methodological research involvin...

Purpose: To carry out the translation, cultural adaptation, and validation in the Brazilian Portuguese version of Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS-BR) in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods: Patients with KOA (n = 136) answered KOOS-BR, Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Numerical Pain Scale (NPS) to access construct val...

Sleep bruxism is defined as a stereotyped movement disorder related to sleep, characterized by grinding and/or squeezing of the teeth and night awakening. The nature of sleep bruxism is multifactorial, and there is currently no curative treatment, but rather several treatment strategies and management, which involve an interdisciplinary team compos...

Background: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in the elderly population living in Belém-Pará and to assess the spectrum of problems related to these diseases including the demographic, socioeconomic, occupational characteristics and disability in this population. Methods: Three structured questio...

Objectives To investigate the laser effect associated with stretching exercise on pain and functionality in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Design A randomised controlled trial Setting Special Rehabilitation Services. Subjects We enrolled 215 knee osteoarthritis patients (430 knees were treated). Intervention Group Laser + Stretch (n = 43),...

Background Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and the burden of LBP is expected to increase in coming decades, particularly in middle-income countries. There is a lack of large and high-quality studies investigating the prevalence of LBP in Brazil. Objective To estimate the point, one-year, and lifetime prevalence of...

Background Health education is pointed out as the front line in non-pharmacological approaches in fibromyalgia. Objectives To develop an interdisciplinary educational program to promote the health of individuals with fibromyalgia in Brazil. Methods This is a qualitative study, through a focus group, carried out in a Basic Health Unit in the city...

Background Fibromyalgia is defined as a chronic non-articular rheumatic disease, characterized by generalized, diffuse bilateral pain and the presence of tender points in specific anatomical regions. Its symptoms are characterized by a very varied picture and the etiology is considered multifactorial. Today, with difficult treatment, fibromyalgia h...

To investigate the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and associated factors in the older adult Amazonia Brazilian community, a cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate 700 participants that were ≥60 years old. Pain intensity and functional disability were assessed using the Numerical Pain Scale and the Roland Morris Questionnaire, respective...

Sexuality is embedded in a social and cultural origin and its approach must go beyond biological aspects. Questionnaire on Sex Education in Schools (QUSES) assesses the knowledge, comfort, motivation and involvement of teachers in relation to sex education. Objective: To culturally adapt and verify the reliability of QUSES. Method: The Experts Comm...

Objective To investigate the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) combined with exercise on shoulder pain and disability in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS). Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting Pontifical Catholic University. Subjects We enrolled 120 subacromial impingement syndrome patients Intervention Groups I...

Background The ProFibro application (app) was developed as a Mobile Health resource to promote self-care in fibromyalgia management. Objective This study aimed to assess the effects of the use of the ProFibro app for six weeks compared to the use of a traditional paper book of similar content to improve health-related quality of life, symptoms, an...

The Health, Well-being and Aging (SABE - Saúde, Bem-estar e Envelhecimento) study was developed by the Pan American Health Organization (OPAS/OMS) to provide information on the living conditions of the elderly. The multi-center survey on health and well-being of the elderly was carried out in seven urban areas in Latin America and the Caribbean. Th...

This study aimed to compare body posture and equilibrium between the elderly who practice and who do not practice physical activities. This is a cross-sectional and analytical study, with a convenience sample of 245 elderly people, divided into practicing group of physical activity (PG) (n=169) and non-practicing group of physical activity (NPG) (n...

RESUMO A fibromialgia (FM) é uma condição de alta prevalência e que causa desconforto físico, sofrimento mental e comprometimento nas relações sociais. Assim, o autocuidado pode ser um aspecto determinante para melhorar a qualidade de vida de indivíduos com FM, pois está relacionado ao ato de se investir de poder. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo...

Background Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain often associated with fatigue, unrefreshed sleep and cognitive problems with an increasing prevalence. Aquatic therapy has already been used for managing the symptoms of this syndrome. However, it is not clear whether there is a superiority of aquatic therapy o...

Background Low back pain is an important health condition with major socioeconomic consequences and is associated with high costs for the health system, absenteeism at work and reduced functional performance. It is one of the most relevant health problems in the elderly, with point prevalence estimates higher than other musculoskeletal conditions....

Este estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar os atropelamentos de idosos nas vias públicas de Maringá (PR), no período de 2007 a 2017. Trata-se de um estudo de abordagem quantitativa do tipo transversal descritivo. Foram pesquisados dados de natureza secundária nos Relatórios de Atendimento do Socorrista - RAS, do 5º Grupamento de Bombeiros de Marin...

Background: Low back pain is a common condition that can be effectively treated by acupuncture. However, several treatment point prescriptions and further electrical needle stimulation (i.e., local acupoints, distal acupoints, and sensitized acupoints) may be used. There is an implicit yet unexplored assumption about the evidence on manual and elec...

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is the most frequent complaint in clinical practice. Electroacupuncture treatment may be effective; however, the supporting evidence is still limited, especially in older adults. Objective: The current study is a randomized controlled trial that aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture in older a...

Objective: To compare the short-term effects of pulsed laser and pulsed and continuous ultrasound on pain and functional disability in women with chronic non-specific low back pain. Methods: The sample was composed of 100 volunteers randomly allocated into four groups: The Pulsed Laser Group (n = 26) was treated with 3 J/cm2; the Pulsed Ultrasou...

Science. The descriptors were low-back pain, back pain, lower-back pain, prevalence, and elderly in Portuguese and English. Two independent reviewers conducted a search for studies and evaluated their methodological quality. The search strategy returned 2186 titles, and 35 were included in this review. The studies evaluated 135,059 elderly individu...

The objective of our study was to compare pain and health-related quality of life among patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP) and fibromyalgia (FM). This cross-sectional study included 87 subjects, who were divided into three groups according to their diagnosis: knee OA (n=29), CNLBP (n=29) and FM (n=29),...

Sexuality is embedded in a social and cultural origin and its approach must go beyond biological aspects. Questionnaire on Sex Education in Schools (QUSES) assesses the knowledge, comfort, motivation and involvement of teachers in relation to sex education. This article aims to culturally adapt and verify the reliability of QUSES. The Experts Commi...

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disease in the elderly. The signs and symptoms are degeneration of joint surface, pain, stiffness, swelling and decrease in physical function. Knee OA is the most common joint disease and more prevalent among older adults. Tai Chi Chuan is a safe exercise modality of Chinese origin, which m...

Background Fibromyalgia is a condition of high prevalence, which causes physical discomfort, mental distress and impairment of social relationships. Self-care may be a relevant factor to improve the quality of life in individuals with fibromyalgia, since it is related to the act of empowerment, leading individuals to have dominion over their own li...

Background Patients with fibromyalgia frequently present physical and mental symptoms associated with typical pain such as generalized fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment. Moderate physical exercise is an alternative to promote health benefits of fibromyalgia patients, through the obstacles imposed by the sympt...

Background The aging of the population has repercussions in several social sectors, among them health, with a view to increasing the frequency of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases. It is worth highlighting Osteoporosis, since it is associated with increased mortality and dependencies, becoming a growing public health problem. As a form of maintenan...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to propose a quantitative evaluation for mandibular opening-closing movement asymmetries and to verify the intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability using photogrammetry in individuals with and without myogenic temporomandibular disorders. Methods: Forty-nine female participants between ages 18 and 40 w...

Introduction and hypothesis Fibromyalgia (FM) studies have focused on pain, but a 2010 review of the diagnostic criteria pointed to other symptoms including urinary incontinence (UI). Women with FM present pain, fatigue, and reduced muscle strength; the research hypothesis was that pelvic floor (PF) muscles would be weaker; therefore, FM could be a...

Objective: In people with chronic stroke, we investigated the transfer of gains obtained after balance training with virtual reality (VR) to an untrained task with similar balance demands. Materials and Methods: This study included 29 people with chronic stroke randomized into two groups: experimental (EG, n = 16) and control (CG, n = 13). The EG...

BACKGROUND Low back pain is the most frequent complaint in the clinical practice. Electroacupuncture treatment may be effective, however, the evidence supporting this possibility is still limited, especially in older adults. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effect of different frequencies of electroacupuncture for chronic low...

Respiratory diseases affect millions of people, especially the elderly, and climate change is among the predisposing factors interfering with the health of this population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the peak expiratory flow of institutionalized and non-institutionalized elderly during the four seasons of the year. Sixty-seven elde...

Background Low back pain is a significant health problem condition due to high prevalence among the general population. Emotions and physical factors are believed to play a role in chronic low back pain. Kinesiophobia is one of the most extreme forms of fear of pain due to movement or re-injury.The purpose of this study was to investigate the assoc...

Background: Exercise therapy is an effective component of fibromyalgia (FM) treatment. However, it is important to know the effects and specificities of the different types of exercise: muscle stretching and resistance training. Aim: To verify and compare the effectiveness of muscle stretching exercise and resistance training for symptoms and quali...

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of motor control training(MCT)and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in relieving pain, reducing functional disability, and improving transversus abdominis (TrA) activation in patients with lumbar disc herniation(LDH) with associated radiculopathy. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Meth...

ProFibro is the first free mobile Android application in Brazilian Portuguese for fibromyalgia (FM). It was developed as a complementary Mobile Health resource in FM management for the promotion of self-care. Objectives: to assess the effectiveness of ProFibro in the improvement of healthrelated quality of life, symptoms and self-care agency of pat...

Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic syndrome characterised by chronic widespread pain, often associated with fatigue, unrefreshed sleep and cognitive problems. Effective management of fibromyalgia requires a proactive approach in which the patient takes responsibility for self-care. The purpose of this research was to develop an application (app) for promo...

Objective: The aim of this literature review was to examine the effect of physical therapy in bruxism treatment. Methods: The data sources used were Medline, Excerpta Medica Database, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, SPORTDiscus, Scientific Electronic Library Online, Web of Science, Cochr...

Background Low back pain (LBP) is an important health problem around the world associated with disability, high costs for the health system and work absenteeism. A recent systematic review estimated that in Brazil, the point prevalence of LPB in the elderly is 25%, superior to knee osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, being considered one of th...

Background Low back pain (LBP) is the primary cause of disability and absenteeism in the workplace, it is a complex multidimensional phenomenon with staggering social costs. These symptoms reduce functional capacity and limit both physical and psychosocial aspects of elderly life. Objectives To identify the influence of LBP on the functional disab...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and stabilization exercises in an attempt to prevent fatigue and improve muscle activation in patients with lumbar disk herniation associated with low back pain. Methods: This study involved 29 patients (age range 25-58 years) randomized into 2...

Introduction: After the regulation of Physical Therapy (PT) in 1969, there were only six undergraduate courses in Brazil. In the 90s, higher education underwent major expansion in all professions and the same occurred to PT, with consequent increase in the number of professionals in the labor market and privatization of education. Objective: To de...

Background: Exercise therapy is an effective component of fibromyalgia (FM) treatment. However, it is important to know the effects and specificities of the different types of exercise: muscle stretching and resistance training. Aim: To verify and compare the effectiveness of muscle stretching exercise and resistance training for symptoms and qu...

Background: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a major health problem, related to persistent disability and high socioeconomic burden. Psychological factors, such as kinesiophobia are known to impact the course of LBP, altering movement patterns, reducing physical activity and contribute to maintain persistent pain and disability. This evidence has led...

Objectives To assess the long-term effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT), in combination with strengthening exercises in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Design Follow-up results at three and six months in a previously published randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Setting Specialist Rehabilitation Services. Subjects...

The present study aimed to update the literature review on the prevalence of fibromyalgia published in 2006. A bibliographical survey was carried out from 2005 to 2014 in the MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, LILACS and SciELO databases and 3274 records were identified. Five researchers selected the studies, following the inclusion criteria: studies...

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a major health and economic problem worldwide. Graded activity and physiotherapy are commonly used interventions for nonspecific low back pain. However, there is currently little evidence to support the use of one intervention over the other in the medium-term. Objective: To compare the effectiveness of graded...

Background Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by the American College of Rheumatology as chronic widespread pain referred for at least 3 months. In 2010, a new diagnostic criteria was proposed and includes symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disorder and memory. Currently, pelvic floor dysfunctions and urinary incontinence (UI) are considered public he...

The universal goniometer (UG) is the most frequently used tool for measuring range of motion (ROM), with demonstrated reliability. Computerized photogrammetry (CP) is widely used for postural assessment, but its role in the measurement of ROM of hip flexion and abduction has not yet been fully explored. This study aimed to test inter- and intra-rat...

Background: Fibromyalgia is a disease with an increasing incidence. It impairs the quality of life of patients and decreases their functional capacity. Aquatic therapy has already been used for managing the symptoms of this syndrome. However, aquatic therapy has only recently been introduced as a treatment modality for improving proprioception in...

The present study aimed to update the literature review on the prevalence of fibromyalgia (FM) published in 2006. A bibliographical survey was carried out from 2005 to 2014 in the MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, LILACS and SciELO databases and 3274 records were identified. Five researchers selected the studies, following the inclusion criteria: st...

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate symptoms of the muscle pain, sleep quality, oral health, anxiety, stress and depression in individuals with different severity degrees of bruxism. Methods: Seventy-two individuals with bruxism were enrolled in the study, classified into: moderate (n=25) and severe (n=47) bruxism. Pain intensi...

Variables studied: pain intensity assessed by visual analog scale (VAS), degree of flexion of the affected hip measured by the universal goniometer and functional capacity assessed by the Oswestry Disability Index. The three groups had statistically significant improvement in lumbar and radicular pain, in hip mobility, and in the functional disabi...