With increasing life expectancy, age-related neurological and musculoskeletal disorders are emerging as major public health problems. The neurological disorders occur when neurons in the brain and spinal cord begin to degenerate such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal stenosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Also, both motor and sensory peripheral nervous pathologies could negatively affect physical activity in the aging population. The musculoskeletal disorders are pathological conditions that affect muscle, bone, cartilage, joint and connective tissue, leading to physical and functional impairments in patients, including but not limited to, osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and ankylosing spondylitis. Frailty syndrome, gait abnormality, and balance deficit that are commonly seen in older adults could be a combined effect of neural and orthopedic dysfunction. Neuromusculoskeletal disorders have high rates of prevalence and became the primary reason to seek interventions among the aging population.
Physical exercises have been widely utilized as an effective preventive and interventional measure for patients with neurological and musculoskeletal problems by providing health benefits without side effects. The physical exercises usually include physical training like strengthening, endurance, and/or flexibility exercises; or mind-body training such as Tai Chi, Yoga, Ba-Duan-Jin, and many others. A few key interventional studies have shown clinically meaningful improvements associated with physical exercises among individuals with Parkinson’s disease and fibromyalgia, which indicates that further investigations are needed for other types of age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders. In particular, research into exploring the possible mechanisms of the potential beneficial effects of physical exercise is still in its infancy.
This Research Topic aims to gather Original Research, Review, and Study Protocol on physical exercise in the prevention and management of age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders. We are interested in manuscripts that report the biomechanical, physiological, and psychological effects as well as the underlying mechanisms of physical exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders. Topics may include but are not limited to the following:
• Health economics research of exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders
• Clinical studies/trials of exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders
• Studies investigating the mechanisms of exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders
• Reviews and meta-analysis of exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders
• Consensus statement and guidelines of exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders
With increasing life expectancy, age-related neurological and musculoskeletal disorders are emerging as major public health problems. The neurological disorders occur when neurons in the brain and spinal cord begin to degenerate such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal stenosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Also, both motor and sensory peripheral nervous pathologies could negatively affect physical activity in the aging population. The musculoskeletal disorders are pathological conditions that affect muscle, bone, cartilage, joint and connective tissue, leading to physical and functional impairments in patients, including but not limited to, osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and ankylosing spondylitis. Frailty syndrome, gait abnormality, and balance deficit that are commonly seen in older adults could be a combined effect of neural and orthopedic dysfunction. Neuromusculoskeletal disorders have high rates of prevalence and became the primary reason to seek interventions among the aging population.
Physical exercises have been widely utilized as an effective preventive and interventional measure for patients with neurological and musculoskeletal problems by providing health benefits without side effects. The physical exercises usually include physical training like strengthening, endurance, and/or flexibility exercises; or mind-body training such as Tai Chi, Yoga, Ba-Duan-Jin, and many others. A few key interventional studies have shown clinically meaningful improvements associated with physical exercises among individuals with Parkinson’s disease and fibromyalgia, which indicates that further investigations are needed for other types of age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders. In particular, research into exploring the possible mechanisms of the potential beneficial effects of physical exercise is still in its infancy.
This Research Topic aims to gather Original Research, Review, and Study Protocol on physical exercise in the prevention and management of age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders. We are interested in manuscripts that report the biomechanical, physiological, and psychological effects as well as the underlying mechanisms of physical exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders. Topics may include but are not limited to the following:
• Health economics research of exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders
• Clinical studies/trials of exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders
• Studies investigating the mechanisms of exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders
• Reviews and meta-analysis of exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders
• Consensus statement and guidelines of exercise for age-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders