Objective: We report a case of extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) tendinopathy where the symptoms improved by restricting the external rotation of the shoulder joint.

Case: The patient was a 73-year-old woman diagnosed with left triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) injury and left ECU tendinopathy. In the initial and final evaluation, the patient's pain; Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score; range of motion (ROM); and posture were assessed. The patient had poor alignment with limited external rotation of the left shoulder joint and elevation of the left scapula. We intervened to correct the scapular elevation to improve the ROM of the left shoulder joint, and each endpoint improved.

Conclusion: Correcting the alignment was useful in reducing the stretch of the long head biceps tendon, improving the ROM of the shoulder, and reducing the stress on the ECU.

Purpose: We report the beneficial results of conservative therapy in a case of bilateral knee osteoarthritis called “windswept deformity”.

Methods: The patient was a woman in her 70s with bilateral knee osteoarthritis presenting varus and valgus deformities on the left and right knees, respectively. We performed exercise therapy and activities of daily living guidance for 3 months. Subsequently, the patient was treated for knee osteoarthritis with exercise therapy in combination with platelet-rich plasma therapy, known to have a therapeutic effect in recent years. Treatment outcomes were assessed using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), a patient-based evaluation.

Results: Both physical function and ability were found to improve following the treatment regimen. KOOS showed improvement, and the responder criteria of OMERACT-OARSI were also found to be effective.

Conclusion: The findings of this case report suggest the possibility of developing effective exercise therapy for knee osteoarthritis in the future.

Objective: To determine the impact of a 6-month back muscle strengthening program in community-dwelling elderly persons on postural alignment, back muscle strength, physical performance, and health-related quality of life, 1 year after participation, and to compare the difference from the control (full-body exercise) group.

Methods: The “usual” and “best” postures of the participants were assessed: spinal curvature angle [thoracic kyphosis angle, lumbar lordosis angle, sacral inclination angle, spinal inclination angle], head posture, and knee flexion angle. Additionally, back muscle strength, five-repetition sit-to-stand test (SS-5), one-leg standing time, 5-m maximum gait speed, Japanese-version physical performance test (JPPT), and SF-8^TM Health Survey were also evaluated. We compared the differences between variables or groups in all the subjects who participated in our study and those who completed the exercise intervention.

Results: There were no significant postural changes during the intervention period in the subjects who completed the exercises properly; however, after 1 year, changes in lumbar kyphosis and forward head posture were observed. Despite the decline in back muscle strength and SS-5, improvements in physical performance obtained during the intervention period were maintained, such as gait speed and JPPT. However, there were no significant differences in any of the variables from the control group.

Conclusions: Postural alignment may be not affected 1 year after completion of the back muscle strengthening program.