Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common mechanical disease even in presence of co-morbidities. Patients with KOA commonly have altered functional alignment of the trunk and pelvis. These deficits may be improved with core exercises, and hence pain and function improve, but this needs further research. Objectives: This pre-post controlled trial was designed to investigate the efficacy of adding lumbar core strengthening exercises to conventional program, compared to conventional program alone, on knee pain intensity, disability, proprioception, and quadriceps isometric strength in patients with grade II and III KOA. Methods: Eighty patients with grade II and III KOA (based on Kellgren-Lawrence grading) were recruited from Cairo University Hospital-Egypt and were randomly allocated (1:1) to two groups; Group A: included 40 patients (19 males, 21 females) with mean age of 51 years and they received lumbar core strengthening plus conventional exercises (quadriceps strengthening and calf and hamstring stretching), and Group B: included 40 patients (18 males, 22 females) with mean age of 50 years and received conventional exercises. Patients were evaluated, pre and post treatment, for knee pain intensity using visual analogue scale, knee disability by aggregate locomotor function score, proprioception using inclinometer, and quadriceps isometric strength using hand held dynamometer. The treatment was done three sessions per week for four weeks. Results: Within-group comparisons revealed significant improvement (Pvalue0.05). Conclusions: Adding core exercises to the conventional exercises improved pain, disability, and quadriceps strength more than conventional exercises alone in patients with mild to moderate KOA. Core exercises are suggested to be part of the rehabilitation program for KOA. However, further studies on larger sample and for longer duration are needed.

BACKGROUND: Shoulder impingement syndrome is the second common musculoskeletal pain condition. Shoulder and cervical muscle imbalances have been implicated as contributing factors. Alignment of the cervical spine is important to the forces transmitted through the shoulder; however, the role of cervical stability exercises is not conclusively studied. OBJECTIVE: this study was to investigate the effect of cervical stability exercises (CSEs) on shoulder pain and disability index, isometric strength of shoulder abductors, internal and external rotators, and Active joint angular reproduction at 300 external/internal rotations in patients with unilateral shoulder impingement syndrome. METHODS: this study consisted of 35 patients (two groups). Group A; consisted of 18 patients, with mean age of 32 years, treated with CSEs and shoulder stability exercises (SSEs), and sleeper stretch. Group B; consisted of 17 patients, with mean age of 34 years, treated with SSEs and sleeper stretch. Each patient was assessed for pain and disability using shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI), isometric strength using hand held dynamometer, and active joint angular reproduction (AJAR) using bubble inclinometer. RESULTS: there was significant effect of cervical stability exercises on AJAR at 30o internal rotation and non-significant effect on AJAR at 30o external rotation, rotator cuff isometric strength, and SPADI. CONCLUSION: cervical stability exercises have a significant effect on shoulder proprioception (at 30o IR) (t=-3.23, P=0.001).