Jia Han

• Ph.D, MPhysio, MBiomed, BEng
• Professor at Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Objectives: To explore the effects of kinesiology taping (KT) and athletic taping (AT) on ankle proprioception when tested in functional, full weight-bearing stance. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Twenty-four healthy university students participated. Proprioception was measured using the Active Movement Extent Discrimination Apparatus...

To control movement, the brain has to integrate proprioceptive information from a variety of mechanoreceptors. The role of proprioception in daily activities, exercise and sport has been extensively investigated, using different techniques, yet the proprioceptive mechanisms underlying human movement control are still unclear. In the current work we...

Balance control improvement is one of the most important goals in sports and exercise. Better balance is strongly positively associated with enhanced athletic performance and negatively associated with lower limb sports injuries. Proprioception plays an essential role in balance control, and ankle proprioception is arguably themost important.This p...

Objectives Proprioceptive ability has been suggested to underpin elite sports performance. Accordingly, this study examined the relationship between an athlete's proprioceptive ability, competition level achieved, and years of sport-specific training Design Cross-sectional study Methods One hundred elite athletes, at competition levels ranging fr...

Superiority of the left upper limb in proprioception tasks performed by right-handed individuals has been attributed to better utilization of proprioceptive information by a non-preferred arm/hemisphere system. However, it is undetermined whether this holds for multiple upper and lower limb joints. Accordingly, the present study tested active movem...

Objectives: To investigate the effects of landing height, descent strategy, and gender on ankle proprioception, and to explore the correlation between ankle proprioception performance, landing height, and step-off/drop-off descent strategy. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Thirty-four participants (21 males and 13 females) volunteered. Ankle...

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a potential contributor to low-back pain. While experimental IVD injury models have demonstrated IVD structural changes, the early mechanical consequences remain unclear. This study aimed to establish a rat model of lumbar spine instability via IVD injury and assess back musculature adaptations to IVD injur...

Background The clinical indicators of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) often affect their prognosis. Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) can effectively evaluate the cardiopulmonary ability of CAD patients. The objective of this research was to explore the correlation between some clinical indicators and peak metabolic equivalents (p...

Nociception resulting in pain perception might be one of the factors contributing to the motor control changes in people with low-back pain. However, limited evidence exists regarding the effects of acute pain on trunk motor control during locomotion. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of hypertonic saline induced nociception on trunk movemen...

To explore the effect of different lengths of kinesiology taping (KT) on dynamic balance control in individuals with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI). Thirty-one participants (16 CAI, 15 non-CAI) volunteered, and all of them were tested for dynamic balance with KT taping of varied strip lengths, in a random sequence, with taping conditio...

Background Ankle proprioception deficit is a major factor causing balance dysfunction in subacute stroke survivors. However, there is still no commonly-agreed ankle proprioception evaluation method for these patients. Whether ankle proprioception tested by the active movement extent discrimination apparatus (AMEDA) when participants are standing (A...

Background: Proprioceptive deficits are common after stroke. However, limited research has investigated their relationship with functional outcomes (balance and walking ability), particularly in weight-bearing conditions. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate ankle proprioception on both sides (affected and unaffected), measured in biaxial...

Background Ankle sprains during stair descent are prevalent, especially in those with chronic ankle instability (CAI), which may be attributed to diminished ankle proprioception associated with CAI. Objective This study aimed to determine whether individuals with CAI have lower ankle proprioceptive performance during stair descent and to determine...

Background Women are more likely to fall or even die when the ladder falls, which seriously affects the quality of daily life. It is necessary to better understand the plantar mechanism of the ladder falls and put forward reasonable suggestions. Method Twenty healthy young women volunteered to participate in the experiment. The study used the F-sc...

Background Proprioceptive deficits are common among stroke survivors and can negatively impact their balance and postural control. However, there has been little evaluation of the change in proprioceptive deficits in the lower limbs over time after stroke. This study aimed to examine proprioceptive deficits over time after stroke in both the affect...

Background Despite the importance of lower limb sensation in walking highlighted in systematic reviews, there is limited research investigating the effect of proprioceptive deficits after stroke and any relationship with walking ability. Objectives With stroke survivors of different walking ability, this study aimed to (1) explore side (affected/u...

Proprioception plays an important role in joint stability, and ankle sprains usually happen involving plantarflexion, internal rotation, and inversion. However, ankle 3D movement proprioception has never been measured in weight‐bearing. Accordingly, the active 3‐dimensional movement extent discrimination apparatus (AMEDA‐3D) was developed and its r...

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in ankle plantar flexion proprioception and lower extremity function between Achilles tendinopathy (AT) patients and healthy controls. 17 patients with midportion AT (age 22.0 ± 3.0, 7 females, and 10 males) and 17 healthy controls (age 21.5 ± 2.1, 7 females, and 10 males) were recruited. The...

Purpose To ascertain the relationship between cervical curvature, neck muscle activity and neck disability in patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain (CNNP). Methods Ninety participants (mean age = 27.2, female/male ratio = 7/2) with CNNP volunteered. The Neck Disability Index was used to assess neck disability. To indicate the electromyograph...

Introduction: The gluteus medius (GMED) and gluteus maximus (GMAX) play a crucial role in postural control, and postural control is impaired in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). However, the association between CAI and the recruitment of these muscles remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the contractile thickne...

Objective This study aims to investigate the plantar biomechanics of healthy young males as they descend a single transition step from varying heights. Methods Thirty healthy young males participated the experiment using the F-scan insole plantar pressure system in which participants made single transition steps descent from four step heights (5,...

Background: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) poses challenges in sports. Textured insoles (TI) are a promising intervention for enhancing dynamic balance in CAI athletes. This study aimed to investigate the effects of TI on dynamic balance performance and ankle muscle activity in soccer players with and without CAI. Methods: Thirty-eight soccer p...

Emerging evidence has suggested that gluteus medius (GM) muscle activity may be critical for functional performance in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). This study aimed to systematically review the literature to determine whether there are differences in GM muscle activity between individuals with and without CAI. A comprehensive s...

This cross-over study aimed to explore effects of acute whole-body vibration (WBV) at frequencies of 5–35 Hz on heart rate variability and brain excitability. Thirteen healthy physically active college students randomly completed eight interventions under the following conditions: static upright standing without vibration (CON), static squat exerci...

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common musculoskeletal condition that affects dynamic balance control and increases the risk of falling during walking. However, the mechanisms underlying this are still unclear. Diminished ankle proprioception during walking has been found to be related to fear of falling in older adults, with a gender di...

Background: Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) may experience recurrent ankle sprains and symptoms during daily activities such as stair descent, where the associated proprioceptive deficit is largely unevaluated. Objectives: To evaluate the reliability and validity of an ankle inversion discrimination apparatus for stair descent, and...

Introduction: Voluntary lateral weight shifting is essential for gait initiation. However, kinematic changes during voluntary lateral weight shifting remain unknown in people with low back pain (LBP). This study aims to explore the differences in kinematics and muscle activation when performing a voluntary lateral weight shifting task between patie...

Objective To review the effectiveness of different physical therapies for acute and sub-acute low back pain supported by evidence, and create clinical recommendations and expert consensus for physiotherapists on clinical prescriptions. Data sources A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and the Cochrane Library for studies published within th...

Introduction Low back pain (LBP) is associated with altered somatosensory perception, which is involved in both involuntary and voluntary control of posture. Currently, there is a lack of methods and tools for assessing somatosensory acuity in patients with LBP. The purpose of this study was (1) to assess the reliability of the sway discrimination...

Objective: Acupuncture or similar needling therapy has long been used to improve well-being, but its effectiveness in management of chronic ankle instability (CAI) is unclear. To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture or similar needling therapy on pain, proprioception, balance, and self-reported function in individuals with CAI. Methods: Nine...

Background Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is a form of musculoskeletal disease that can occur after a lateral ankle sprain, and it is characterized by pain, recurrent ankle sprains, a feeling of “giving way” at the ankle joint, and sensorimotor deficits. There has been increasing evidence to suggest that plastic changes in the brain after the init...

Objective: To investigate the acute effect of the four-strip kinesiology taping (KT) technique on dynamic balance control in the Y Balance Test (YBT), and to explore the relationship between the YBT and Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) scores in individuals with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI). Methods: 16 CAI and 16 non-CAI...

Objectives: To compare ankle proprioception between professional adolescent table tennis players at national and regional levels and age-matched non-athletes, and, in a nominally upper-limb sport, to explore the relationships between single- and dual-task ankle proprioception, years of training, and sport-specific performance. Design: Cross-secti...

Abstract Objectives To determine the reliability of the commonly used musculoskeletal assessments in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Design Within and between-days test-retest reliability. Setting University laboratory. Participants Twenty-four individuals with unilateral CAI. Method For both sides, ankle dorsiflexion range of mot...

This prospective study aimed to determine which specific mobility tests were the most accurate for predicting falls in physically active older adults living in the community. Seventy-nine physically active older adults who met the American College of Sports Medicine physical activity guidelines volunteered. Participants were assessed and followed u...

Purpose: 1) to explore the test-retest reliability of a new device for measuring ankle inversion proprioception during walking, i.e., the Ankle Inversion Discrimination Apparatus—Walking (AIDAW) in individuals with or without Chronic Ankle instability (CAI); 2) to assess its discriminant validity in differentiating individuals with or without CAI;...

Background: Knee injury is common in half-marathon runners, however, the effect of compression running pants on fatigue and knee proprioception remains unclear. Objectives: The study aims to investigate whether wearing compression running pants (CRP) and treadmill running stages affect knee proprioception and fatigue-related physiological responses...

Proprioception is essential for neuromuscular control in relation to sport injury and performance. The effect of landing heights and loads on ankle inversion proprioceptive performance in individuals with or without chronic ankle instability (CAI) may be important but are still unclear. Forty-three participants (21 CAI and 22 non-CAI) volunteered f...

Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), hemodynamic responses (i.e., changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin) were measured while participants with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and healthy controls performed the Timed-Up-and-Go test (TUGT), and differences in cortical activity at baseline and three different intervals were examin...

Objectives To determine whether individuals with and without Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI) can improve their ankle movement discrimination sensitivity by repeated exposure to an ankle proprioceptive task requiring landing. Design A repeated-measures study. Setting University laboratory. Participants 24 university students, 11 with CAI and 13 w...

Background The use of physical therapy modalities, especially high intensity laser therapy (HILT), for individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is still controversial. Objective To compare the effects of HILT to other physical therapy modalities on symptoms and function in individuals with KOA. Methods Six databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Li...

While investigators have often compared ankle proprioception between groups with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI), findings have been inconsistent. Possibly this is because ankle proprioceptive impairment in this population is task-specific. Thus, we aimed to compare ankle inversion proprioception in individuals with and without CAI in t...

Background Ankle proprioception plays a critical role in lower limb movement control. However, the relationship between ankle proprioception and fear of falling (FOF) in older people is still unclear. Objective (1) This study aims to develop a new device for measuring ankle inversion proprioceptive discrimination sensitivity during walking, i.e.,...

Background Sit-To-Stand (STS) tests are reported as feasible alternatives for the assessment of functional fitness but the reliability of these tests in people with coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been reported. This study explored the test-retest reliability, convergent and known-groups validity of the five times, 30-sec and 1-min sit-to-sta...

Background Bilateral proprioception deficits were reported in stroke survivors. However, whether bilateral proprioception deficits exist in the ankle joint after stroke was unclear. Ankle proprioception is a significant predictor of balance dysfunction after stroke, and previous studies to date are lacking appropriate evaluation methods. Objective...

Background For people above 65 years old, low-back pain (LBP) is associated with balance problems and falls. Down-weighting of proprioception due to ageing and LBP may cause such balance problems. While lumbar proprioceptive deficits have been shown in LBP and indications for more generalized deficits have been found, ankle proprioception, which is...

16-19］ 。国际上关节 松动术主要分为三大流派， 分别是 Maitland 手法、 Mulligan 手 法、 Kaltenborn 手法， 这三类关节松动术在慢性踝关节不稳患 者的踝关节活动受限干预中广泛应用 ［34-35］ 。Maitland 手法和 Mulligan 手法临床应用更多， 研究证明其有助于慢性踝关节不 稳患者减轻疼痛和改善踝关节活动度 ［2， 16， 36-38］ ， 进而改善踝关 节功能。许多文献 ［16-18］ 报道了关节松动术对踝关节活动受限 的即时改善效果较好， 但是单次手法治疗后的疗效会随时间 推移而衰减。Vallandingham 等 ［17］ 的研究进一步指出， 关节松 动术的治疗次数会对疗效产生影响， 多次治疗的收益大于单 次治疗， 但最佳治疗量仍不清...

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a 6-week cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program designed for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) that involved an online supervised exercise program that they could access during COVID-19. Methods One hundred patients were randomly all...

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the effects of two rigid taping methods, tibial internal rotation taping (IRT) and external rotation taping (ERT), on knee pain during three clinical function tests in individuals with Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Design Repeated measures study. Methods Fifteen participants (male, height 174.9...

Mediterranean Diet management for people with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or CVD risk is supported by evidence. However, there is no valid Chinese language instrument for the measurement of adherence to this diet. The objective of this study was to generate a Chinese version of the Mediterranean Diet Scale (MDS-Chinese) and to validate a self-admi...

Background While decreased hip abductor strength, functional performance, and self-reported instability scores have all been shown in association with CAI, any sex difference in the relationship between these indicators is unclear. This study was to determine whether sex differences are present in the relationship between these indicators in indivi...

Objectives To determine the effect of graduated compression socks on ankle proprioception and the relationship between fatigue and ankle proprioception measures in half-marathon runners at successive 7 km intervals during a 21-km run. Design Repeated measures study. Methods Twenty well-trained half-marathon runners (mean ± SD: age 38.6 ± 11.3 y,...

Ankle complex proprioception and plantar sole sensitivity have been separately reported to be essential sensory components in balance control among the elderly. However, their inter-relationship is still unknown. Further, although optimal proprioceptive ability has been related to regular physical exercise, the association between physical activity...

Background: Neck pain is common in dancers, especially female dancers, and the injury pattern varies in different genres of dance. Among dancesport performers, intensive neck left rotation is required in female International Standard dancers, but it is unknown whether neck pain is associated with neck rotation range of motion and proprioception....

Background: Preliminary studies have reported differences in strength and functional performance between sexes for patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury or reconstruction. Similar sex differences may occur in chronic ankle instability (CAI) populations. Factors like hip abduction strength and functional performance may be contributors to...

Freezing of gait is a disabling symptom with a complex episodic nature that is frequently experienced by people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Although China has the largest population with PD in the world, no Chinese version of the freezing of gait questionnaire (FOGQ), the instrument that has been most widely used to assess FOG, has yet been deve...

Introduction: Kinesiology tape (KT) has been thought to be useful in enhancing performance and preventing injuries. However, it was unknown whether use of KT while wearing training shoes could improve ankle proprioception in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) in functional movement, such as drop landing. The current research was to de...

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of stretching exercises for pain relief in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Data sources Nine databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EBSCO, PEDro, CNKI, WanFang and CQVIP) were searched in December 2020. Study selection Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) involving stretchin...

Quadriceps atrophy and morphological change is a known phenomenon that can impact significantly on strength and functional performance in patients with acute or chronic presentations conditions. Real‐time ultrasound (RTUS) imaging is a noninvasive valid and reliable method of quantifying quadriceps muscle anatomy and architecture. To date, there is...

Predicting the fitness trends can provide information for business owners, club operators, program directors, and health/fitness professionals to make business development decisions in the future year. During August 1 and 31 of 2020, we conducted an on-line questionnaire with the fitness professionals in China as the targeted population. Based on t...

Objective To determine the effect of different lengths of kinesiology tape (KT) on ankle inversion proprioceptive performance in individuals with or without chronic ankle instability (CAI). Design A repeated measures study. Methods Fifteen participants with unilateral CAI and fifteen participants with no CAI volunteered. The Ankle Inversion Discr...

Objective Strength training as a form of exercise therapy has long been used to maintain or promote strength, but its effectiveness as a treatment intervention in chronic ankle instability is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of strength training compared to no exercise and neuromuscular control training on...

Background Research evidence has suggested that a more sensitive ankle proprioceptive testing method with higher ecological validity is needed for assessing proprioceptive deficits in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Objectives 1) To determine the test-retest reliability of a novel ankle proprioception assessment tool, the Ankle I...

Aim: To determine the effect of arm-raising pattern on upper limb proprioceptive accuracy for movements made to overhead targets. Materials and methods: Sixteen healthy young adults were tested in standing with arms at the sides, made dominant arm-raising movements to an unseen overhead stop, randomly placed at one of five different overhead tar...

Previous research has found ankle proprioception to be impaired in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the relationship between ankle proprioception and functional mobility in people with PD has not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine whether ankle proprioception is related to the functional mobility of peop...

Objective To evaluate effects of stationary cycling exercise on pain, function and stiffness in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. Data sources Systematic search conducted in seven databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EBSCO, PEDro, and CNKI) from inception to September 2020. Review methods Included studies were randomiz...

Tan, J, Shi, X, Witchalls, J, Waddington, G, Lun Fu, AC, Wu, S, Tirosh, O, Wu, X, and Han, J. Effects of pre-exercise acute vibration training on symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) normally occurs after unaccustomed high-in...

Background: The purpose of the current study was to assess the reliability and validity of the lower extremity functional test (LEFT) for predicting low back and lower limb injury in active athletes. Methods: Seventy athletes (45M, 25F; mean age: 21 ± 2 years) from seven different sports volunteered. The LEFT was a battery of five weight-bearing...

We examined the effect of pretest familiarization with ipsilateral or contralateral limbs on the performance in a proprioception test conducted afterwards. Sixty adults were randomly assigned to six different familiarization-session patterns. Ankle proprioception was tested using active movement extent discrimination assessment. The results reflect...

Purpose: Limited data in current literature can be found on the relation between the two commonly-used active proprioception assessment methods –active joint position reproduction (JPR) and active movement extent discrimination assessment (AMEDA). The current study compared the two active methods, JPR and AMEDA, to investigate their interrelationsh...

After 50 years’ development (1969-2019), Sports Science has become an important weapon in modern world competitive sports. However, in the context of constructing a powerful sports nation, the new mission requires us to reflect on the current status of Sports Science and make decisive choice, in order to further develop the discipline and to provid...

Apply It! • Nation specificity of fitness trends should be considered by international fitness organizations or companies when making strategic plans in other countries. • Ten trends can be recognized as the current stable trends within the health/fitness industry in China.

This study investigated the perceptions of Chinese physical therapy students on use of the Health Improvement Card (HIC) as a clinical tool to assess lifestyle and prescribe health education to others. The biometrics and health indices/attributes/lifestyles of these students were also evaluated with self-administration of the HIC. After a tutorial...

Background: Ankle complex proprioceptive ability, needed in active human movement, may change from childhood to elderly adulthood; however, its development across all life stages has remained unexamined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the across-the-lifespan trend for proprioceptive ability of the ankle complex during active ankle...