Anna Christakou

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Verified

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• BSc Physiotherapy., BSc Sports Science and Physical Education., MSc., PhD.
• Assistant Professor at University of Peloponnese

Background: Urinary incontinence and low back pain are often present during pregnancy and after childbirth. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the number of children with the occurrence of urinary incontinence and low back pain after pregnancy in the Greek population. Materials and Methods: Seventy-one Greek women (M = 35...

The present review describes the use and effectiveness of mental imagery in Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia. Six databases were thoroughly searched from January 2010 to December 2024. Different types of studies were retrieved and reviewed for imagery of the motor, cognitive, and emotional states and quality of life of the elderly with dementia...

Background: Non-specific low back pain is the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. The present study investigates non-specific low back pain, pain perceptions and disability due to pain among Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and Boxing athletes. Methods: The study included 90 amateur athletes (aged 18-45 years; M = 28.97, SD = 5.88...

Background: Rotator cuff-related shoulder pain (RCRSP) is a prevalent musculoskeletal issue, encompassing various shoulder conditions. While exercise typically forms the foundation of conservative treatment, there exists ongoing discourse regarding the effectiveness and role of passive treatments. International guidelines recommend initial conserva...

Ankle sprains are considered to be the most common musculoskeletal lower limb injury, accounting for a high percentage of all sport injuries in football. Motor imagery (MI) has been widely used for sports performance optimization purposes, suggesting that athletes’ ability to reenact a motor action can improve sports performance and rehabilitation....

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the leading cause of lifelong physical disability, affecting approximately 17 million individuals worldwide. Upper extremity dysfunction, alongside spasticity and coordination challenges, significantly impacts independence in daily activities. Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) has been proposed as a therapeutic modality to improve f...

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neuromotor disorder affecting movement, muscle tone, and posture, leading to difficulties in motor coordination, balance, and strength. Virtual reality (VR) games offer an interactive method to engage children in a non-real environment, potentially improving balance and motor function. This study aimed to explore the impact...

Background/Objectives: Dementia is a syndrome which involves cognitive and motor problems such as memory and motor control that impacts the individuals' quality of life. In mental imagery (MI) technique, motor acts are mentally rehearsed without any overt body movements. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of MI on the qualit...

The psychological readiness of athletes and its connection to their functional status in returning to sport after a musculoskeletal injury has been previously studied. The “Psychological Readiness of Injured Athlete to Return to Sport” (PRIA-RS) questionnaire is a widely used tool designed to assess an athlete’s psychological readiness to return to...

Objectives: The focus of patients’ attention during the physiotherapy program has been reported to affect the rehabilitation goals. The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an external focus of attention (EFA) on static balance and functional ability in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Methods: Fourteen subjects with CAI...

Background/Objectives: Dementia involves the loss of cognitive abilities and impairs functional abilities in daily life. In motor imagery (MI) techniques, motor acts are mentally rehearsed without any overt body movements. The purpose of the randomized controlled trial was to examine the effects of MI on the motor function of older adults with deme...

Progressive supranuclear palsy is a form of atypical Parkinsonism. People living with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy have various symptoms, such as movement and cognitive disorders, which mainly affect balance and functional ability with an increased risk of falls, dexterity, and dementia. The role of exercise at the early stage of progressive supr...

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between re-injury worry, confidence, and attention and athletes' functional status upon returning to sport after an injury. The sample consisted of 28 amateur-level male football players, aged 18 to 35 years, with a previous lower-limb injury. The athletes followed a physiotherapy...

Performing dual-task (DT) activities is essential for independent living among elderly people. No study has investigated motor performance in various cognitive-motor DT activities, utilizing the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. This study aimed to compare motor performance between four cognitive-motor DT tests in community-dwelling older adults. The sam...

Introduction: A sport injury is an unfortunate event that can significantly impact the injured athletes’ psychology. There have been no studies examining gender differences in the psychological state after a sport-related musculoskeletal injury. Τhe aims of the current study were to (a) investigate the relationship between re-injury worry levels, c...

Background: Dementia involves the loss of cognitive abilities and represents a decline from the prior level of function, which impairs functional abilities in day-to-day life. The purpose of the present study is to examine the effectiveness of an exercise program on the muscle strength and range of motion of the upper limbs, the functional status,...

Introduction: To reduce the risk of injuries and boost performance in overhead athletes, coaches introduce arm care programs that emphasize on strength, stability, and range of motion (Frisch et al 2017; Paraskevopoulos et al. 2023). However, these programs lack precision, making it difficult to pinpoint specific factors that increase the risk of inju...

Abstract: The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) and the range of cervical motion, disability, pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and quality of life in patients with chronic, non-specific neck pain. Thirty-five patients, aged 20–48 years, with chronic non-specific ne...

Background: Patients who were infected with COVID-19 may experience Long COVID syndrome. We examined the effectiveness of physiotherapy on dyspnea, muscle strength, and functional status in Long COVID syndrome. Methods: The exercise group underwent an 8-week supervised physiotherapeutic program consisting of interval aerobic exercise and strengthen...

Throwing performance is a critical aspect of sports, particularly in overhead activities, necessitating reliable assessment methods. This study explores the test-retest reliability of throwing performance metrics measured by the 1080 Sprint, a robotic device integrating linear position technology and an electric motor. Specifically focusing on prof...

The validity and reliability of the Lower Extremity Motor Coordination Test (LEMOCOT) were assessed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study involved 60 participants diagnosed with MS (mean age: 48.13 years, range: 24–80 years). Intra-rater reliability was assessed within-day (n = 12), and inter-rater reliability was assessed within-day...

Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is characterized by muscle weakness and impaired neuromuscular control. This study aimed (a) to assess the impact of external verbal feedback on the dynamic balance of athletes with CAI and (b) to examine the maintenance of dynamic balance ability after the end of the completion of the intervention balance program. T...

Athletes engaging in overhead activities often face injury risks, emphasising the need for reliable assessment tools. This study focused on the translation and psychometric evaluation of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (KJOC) Shoulder and Elbow Score into Greek (Gr-KJOC) for assessing upper limb function in Greek-speaking overhead athletes. The...

Objectives Motor imagery is widely used to enhance patients’ response to treatment via cognitive and neurophysiological processes. As a result, cross-cultural validation of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3) in the Greek population was deemed necessary. Methods The cross-cultural adaptation method in Greek was followed for the MIQ-3. It...

Background: The Arm Care Screen was developed to detect musculoskeletal limitations that could affect performance or even increase the risk for shoulder injuries in overhead athletes. This study aimed to assess the discriminant validity of the modified Arm Care Screen in overhead athletes. Methods: Sixty-two overhead athletes (mean age: 24.5 ± 4...

This critical review describes the use and effectiveness of digital health approaches adopted for the care of people with chronic respiratory diseases during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. A thorough search was conducted in the PubMed database from January 2020 up to December 2022. A total of thirty studies were retrieved and reviewed for the ut...

The coronovarious disease 2019 pandemic increased the need for alternative disease monitoring, medication management, and rehabilitation approaches. During this period, significant adjustments were made to integrate telemedicine into various aspects of healthcare. This critical review describes the use and effectiveness of digital health approache...

The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of synchronous music on functional laterality of the lower limbs in either the preferred or non-preferred leg in healthy amateur male football players.

Dementia involves the loss of cognitive abilities and represents a decline from the prior level of function which impairs functional abilities in day-to-day life. No previous experimental research has been done to assess mental imagery (MI) effectiveness in the motor, cognitive and emotional status of individuals with early-stage dementia. One hund...

Purpose The Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) has been administered to patients with arthritis in order to assess their self-efficacy. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and the responsiveness of the Greek version of ASES (ASES-GR). Materials and methods A sample of 100 patients with arthritis (11 men, 89 women with a mean...

Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome characterized by reduced systolic capacity of the myocardium, resulting in the supply to peripheral tissues of an insufficient amount of blood to meet their metabolic needs. HF is a condition in which the heart is unable to perform its role as a blood pump, because of various structural or functional abnorm...

INTRODUCTION In the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, even though vaccines have been rolled out and the vaccination campaigns in some countries have already been followed by a decline in number and severity of cases, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) are still playing an important role on COVID-19 management (e.g. social di...

Background and Objectives: According to recent physiotherapy recommendations (WHO, WCPT, 2020) for patients with COVID-19, after discharge from an ICU, they are expected to experience respiratory, physical, cognitive, and psychological problems due to the duration and nature of the immobilization and sedation, ventilation duration, and underlying m...

Background/aims The Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory has been used widely to evaluate pain perceptions and beliefs of patients with chronic pain. This is a cross-cultural adaptation of the instrument into Greek. The purpose of the study was to investigate: the face and content validity; the factor structure; the concurrent validity; the discr...

Background: Catastrophizing is an important psychological construct in mediating the behavioral response toward pain. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) in Greek clinical population. Methods: The scale was administered in 376 patients with chronic cervical and lumba...

A lumbar herniation disc appears as a major cause of lumbar pain and sciatica. The purpose of the present systematic review is to examine the effectiveness of such exercise programs on pain, disability, quality of life, strength and the assessed time required to return to work/normal activities after undergoing lumbar discectomy surgery. PubMed, ME...

Rehabilitation from sport injury involves not only physical, but also psychological considerations. Re-injury worry, confidence and attention are characteristics that may affect athletes’ returning to competition after a sport injury. The study aimed to describe the predictive ability of the re-injury worry, confidence, and attention to the total o...

Background: In the early stages of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, while effective pharmaceutical approaches are pending, COVID-19 management relies primarily on non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), such as social distancing,which requirepublic's engagement and behavioral adjustment. This study aims to evaluate public's perceived...

Background According to the literature, 20–30% of intubated patients are difficult to wean off mechanical ventilation and have a prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay with detrimental effects on muscle strength, functional ability and quality of life. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) via a threshold device has been proposed as an effective exer...

Background: Neck pain is one of the main causes of disability in adult populations. The purpose of the present systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of the craniocervical flexion exercise with the use of the pressure biofeedback unit on neck pain, disability and cervical range of motion in patients. Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, Elsevier a...

Background: Sport injury is an unfortunate event which can have a major impact on the injured athletes' psychology. Athletes may experience re-injury worry and low levels of attention and confidence getting back to competition following a sport injury. The aim of the study was to examine re-injury worry, confidence and attention of previously inju...

Abstract Purpose: Low back pain is the most common musculoskeletal condition. Hydrotherapy may assist a variety of pathological conditions including low back pain. The purpose of the study is to examine the effectiveness of the hydrotherapy in chronic low back pain. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Elsevier and Google Scholar was...

Objectives: To develop a questionnaire to assess athletes’ confidence returning to competition following a musculoskeletal injury namely “Sport Confidence Questionnaire of Rehabilitated Athletes Returning to Competition” (SCQ-RARC). Design: Validity and reliability study. Method: The total sample used for examining the validity and reliability of t...

Objectives: This study’s objective was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) into the Greek language and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: CAIT was translated and adapted into Greek according to official cross-cultural adaptation guidelines of self-reported measures. The Greek version o...

Background: Heterotopic ossification is a musculoskeletal complication in patients in intensive care unit which expects to impair their mobility and quality of life after discharge. The aim of the study was to examine the incidence and the risk factors of heterotopic ossification in critically ill patients. Methods: One hundred-ninety seven consecu...

Background: Musicians suffer from upper limb playing-related musculoskeletal disorders that often oblige them to periodic inactivity. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of motor imagery as a means of practice when the physical piano practice is restricted. Methods: A 17-year-old healthy pianist participated in a single subject case study with...

Background: Heterotopic ossification is a musculoskeletal complication in patients in intensive care unit which expects to impair their mobility and quality of life after discharge. The aim of the study was to examine the incidence and the risk factors of heterotopic ossification in critically ill patients. Methods: One hundred-ninety seven consecu...

Background: The Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ) was developed and validated to evaluate the effectiveness of conservative (orthoses, taping, stretching) and surgery interventions at the foot. The instrument comprises of 4 subscales, pain (4 q), function (4 q), shoes (3 q) and general foot health (2 q). The FHSQ has been validated in some la...

Horse-related athletic, recreational and professional activities is a worldwide widespread practice involving people of all ages. This kind of activity, due to the particular risks involved, is associated with a significant number of accidents and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. Spine injuries (SI) and spinal cord injuries (SCI) are serious...

Bac kground: In-hospital physiotherapy is very important and may contribute significantly to the recovery of acute hospitalized patients. Ob ject ive: The aim of this paper is to present the case of a 67-year-old male patient who was operated for an intraparenchymal brain tumor and was admitted to the ITU due to serious postoperative complications....

Σκοπός: H εξέταση ψυχολογικών χαρακτηριστικών όπως ανησυχία επανατραυματισμού, αυτοπεποίθηση και προσοχή μετά από έναν οξύ αθλητικό μυοσκελετικό τραυματισμό, κατά τη φάση επανένταξης του αθλητή στον αγωνιστικό αθλητισμό. Μεθοδολογία: Το δείγμα της έρευνας αποτελούταν από 52 εν ενεργεία αθλητές προερχόμενοι από συγκεκριμένα αθλήματα επαφής. Οι συμμ...

Background: The purpose of the study was to investigate the responsibilities and frequency of clinical procedures that physiotherapists perform within the intensive care unit (ICU) in Greece, along with the level of education and training of these physiotherapists. Methods: Physiotherapists who work in general ICUs of hospitals were invited to comp...

ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗ • Η πνευμονική αποκατάσταση θα πρέπει να προσφέρεται σε ασθενείς με χρόνια αποφρακτική πνευμονοπάθεια (ΧΑΠ) με στόχο τη βελτίω- ση της ικανότητας άσκησης, βασιζόμενοι σε ένα κλινικά σημαντικό βαθμό. (Βαθμός Α) • Η πνευμονική αποκατάσταση θα πρέπει να προσφέρεται σε ασθε- νείς με ΧΑΠ με στόχο τη βελτίωση της δύσπνοιας και της γενικής κατάστ...

Relevance: Panhellenic Physiotherapists’ Association (PSF) is the official organisation for physiotherapy in Greece. The successful development of a new section within the PSF is a case study that could serve as an example of planning organisational developments. Purpose: To create a cardiorespiratory scientific group/section within the PSF. This g...

Background: Hippotherapy is a physical treatment strategy with the help of horses and refers to the use of horse’s movement as a treatment tool for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Hippotherapy refers to the incorporation of equine movement by physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists. The present qualitative study investiga...

The purpose of the present review is to describe the physiotherapy treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Physiotherapy is a part of the multidisciplinary management in ICU. Physiotherapists perform an assessment which includes the respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal systems to formulate treatment plans. Primary focu...

Chest compressions play a fundamental role to the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Little research has examined the effectiveness of the single-hand technique with continuous chin lift of the victim in the quality of CPR. The purpose of the study was to investigate the differences between the two-handed technique and the single-handed technique...

Background of the study: Heterotopic ossification is a bone formation in soft tissues around large joints. It is a serious complication affecting critical ill patients following central nervous system disorders, multiple injuries (e.g., neurological and orthopedic injuries), severe respiratory diseases (e.g., ARDS), and burns. It can have long-last...

Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are often exposed to prolonged immobilization, thus they lose their functional ability. Therefore, it is crucial to assess patients’ functional ability during their stay in and upon their discharge from the ICU. Several scales have been used so far for the assessment of functional ability, impairment and/or...

Introduction: During the last decades, the survival rate of severe critical ill patients has increased due to the technological development of critical care medicine. There has been a rising interest in the functional outcomes and health related quality of life of ICU survivors as there seems to have increased rehabilitation requirements. Objectiv...

The aim of this study was to review and evaluate the psychometric properties of two general musculoskeletal outcome measures focusing on pediatric physical disability, namely, the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) and the Activities Scales for Kids (ASK). Although this review reveals the psychometric superiority of ASK to PODCI,...

BACKGROUND: Inspiratory muscle weakness is a consequence of mechanical ventilation that contributes to weaning failure in critical ill patients. Since 1980, case reports of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in ventilated, difficult to be weaned patients have proposed that this training strategy is associated with successful weaning.

BACKGROUND: Inspiratory muscle weakness is a consequence of mechanical ventilation that contributes to weaning failure in critical ill patients. Since 1980, case reports of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in ventilated, difficult to be weaned patients have proposed that this training strategy is associated with successful weaning.

The knowledge of theories of motor control and motor learning may rehabilitate neurological, muscoloskeletical and other pathological conditions. The present review describes three techniques of motor behavior, namely the mental imagery, the mirror therapy and the Wii-therapy. The aforementioned techniques are used to increase the range of motion,...

Therapeutic riding is a physical treatment strategy with the help of horses and refers to the use of horse's movement as a treatment tool for children with cerebral palsy (CP). According to the literature review hippotherapy is a promising intervention having physical and psychological benefits for children with Cerebral Palsy. Therapeutic riding i...

The present study describes the development and validation of an instrument designed to examine athletes' selective attention returning to competition following a musculoskeletal injury--the attention questionnaire of rehabilitated athletes returning to competition (AQ-RARC). Using a sample of 186 rehabilitated athletes, exploratory factor analysis...

Low back pain is related to functional status and possible resulting disability. The Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPDS) has been used widely to evaluate functional disability in patients with low back pain. The purpose of this study was to assess: (a) the face and content validity, (b) the factor structure, (c) the concurrent validity, (d) t...

Re-injury worry is an important construct in competitive sport that may influence performance and increase the risk of re-injury. However, there are currently no available instruments to measure the causes of re-injury worry. The purpose of this study was to develop the Causes of Re-Injury Worry Questionnaire (CR-IWQ). The study was conducted in th...

A great number of injuries occur in the context of recreational physical activities and competitive athletics. Adherence to sport injury rehabilitation means an injured athlete's compliance (or not) to a sports medicine/injury personnel's instructions of participating in a rehabilitation programme in a clinic, and/or doing rehabilitation exercises...

Objectives: To examine the effectiveness of imagery on pain, edema, and range of motion in athletes who have sustained a grade II ankle sprain. Participants: The sample consisted of 18 active male athletes, aged from 18 to 30 years, with a grade II ankle sprain, confirmed by ultrasound testing. The participants were randomly divided into two condit...

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of imagery on muscular endurance, dynamic balance, and functional stability in athletes who sustained a grade II ankle sprain. The sample consisted of 20 active athletes (aged from 18 to 30 years) with a grade II ankle sprain, as confirmed by ultrasound testing. The participants were...

A great number of injuries occur in the context of recreational physical activities and competitive athletics. Adherence to sport injury rehabilitation means an injured athlete's compliance (or not) to a sports medicine/injury personnel's instructions of participating in a rehabilitation programme in a clinic, and/or doing rehabilitation exercises...