[Purpose] To determine which behavior change techniques are effective in increasing physical activity among elderly people living in the community in Japan. [Participants and Methods] A systematic review was conducted using the search terms “aged” And “japan*” And “accelerometry” And “randomized controlled trial”. [Results] Seven studies were identified, all of which reported an improvement in physical activity. Behavior change techniques used in all the intervention groups were Goal setting, Instruction on how to perform the behavior, and Credible source, with 9 to 16 techniques used. [Conclusion] These results suggest that a combination of specific behavior change techniques may improve physical activity.

[Purpose] To examine the relationship between falls and fall situations by elderly people living in the community who require care, and the injuries caused by falls. [Participants and Methods] The subjects were 68 outpatient rehabilitation users who had fallen. The survey examined age, gender, level of care, date of fall, number of falls during the period, situation of fall, type of injury caused by fall (fracture, bruise, etc.), mode of transportation, and major diseases. [Results] Factors associated with fall injuries included being male, walking without an assistive device, and the hallway where the fall occurred. [Conclusion] Approximately 40% of falls occurred in bedrooms or hallways, and approximately 60% of cases sustained injuries from the fall. Furthermore, the following factors were found to be associated with injury during falls: being male, walking without an assistive device, and falling in a hallway.

[Purpose] This study explored the impact of remote stochastic resonance (SR) stimulation on the somatosensory functions of the feet. [Participants and Methods] Twenty-six healthy young adults were subjected to SR stimulation at the tarsal tunnel, anteriorly, posteriorly, and circumferentially, with intensities of 0.6T and 0.8T. The sensory thresholds of tactile pressure, two-point discrimination, vibration, and joint position sense were measured on the plantar aspect of the big toe and the heel. [Results] Significant improvements in sensitivity were observed in tactile pressure at the tarsal tunnel with 0.6T stimulation, and in vibration at all sites with 0.8T stimulation. A significant improvement in joint position sense was also noted with 0.6T stimulation at the tarsal tunnel. However, no effect of SR stimulation was observed on two-point discrimination. [Conclusion] The application of remote SR stimulation was found to improve the sensitivity of somatosensory functions other than two-point discrimination, but the effective stimulation conditions varied depending on the sensory modality.

[Purpose] To clarify the effectiveness of the Copenhagen Adduction Exercise (CAE) for male high school soccer players based on groin pain prevalence and severity. [Participants and Methods] We divided the participants into 2 groups: 205 who performed the exercise (CAE group) and 194 who did not (non-CAE group). For groin pain prevalence, we calculated the injury rate (IR) by dividing the number of injury occurrences by 1,000 player-hours (1,000 ph), and for groin pain severity, we classified the players’ conditions into slight, minimal, mild, moderate, and severe cases. [Results] IR was 0.25/1,000 ph in the CAE group and 0.78/1,000 ph in the non-CAE group, revealing a risk ratio of 0.33. Furthermore, there were significant differences between the groups in the numbers of mild and severe cases. [Conclusion] CAE reduced IR by 30%. In terms of severity, for both minor (slight, minimal and mild) and major (moderate and severe) cases, the numbers were smaller in the CAE group. It was therefore suggested that CAE reduces the prevalence of groin pain overall without regard to its severity levels.

[Purpose] Changes in step time and trunk acceleration, at the beginning and during the steady-state phase of walking, combined with rhythmic auditory stimulation were examined in healthy adults. [Participants and Methods] Indoor level walking was performed by 17 healthy adults under two conditions: Condition 1 consisted of 20 free steps of comfortable walking; and Condition 2 consisted of walking with the initial contact matched to a rhythmic auditory stimulus based on the average step time of the 20 steps of Condition 1. The walking was divided into 4 periods of 5 steps from the start of walking. [Results] During phase Ⅰ (steps 1–5), the step time was shorter in Condition 2 than in Condition 1, and the peak values of trunk acceleration to the left and right, and up and down, and the coefficient of variation of trunk accelerations to the front and down increased in Condition 2. [Conclusion] The results suggest that when presented with rhythmic auditory stimuli at the same tempo as that of free walking, it takes about 5 steps for normal subjects to adapt their gait to the rhythmic auditory stimuli.

[Purpose] We evaluated the effect of physiotherapy on physical function, exercise tolerance, and the phase angle (PA) of a maintenance hemodialysis patient. [Participant and Methods] The subject was a 75-year-old male patient with end-stage renal failure due to diabetic nephropathy who was being treated with hemodialysis. Physiotherapy was performed three times a week for 12 weeks before dialysis, and consisted of six types of resistance training which were performed for about 20 minutes per session. [Results] Improvement in physical function was observed, and the severity of hypo-nutrition and sarcopenia improved, with PA improving from 4.0° to 4.3°. [Conclusion] The results suggest that 12 weeks of resistance training improves the PA of maintenance hemodialysis patients.

[Purpose] This report provides an example of a combined intervention using action observation (AO) and motor imagery (MI) for a patient with a proximal tibial fracture who had an acute fear of falling. [Participant and Methods] A woman in her 80s had a fear of falling, high pain, and decreased ability of gait and physical activity after a fall. The intervention consisted of AO and MI in addition to a conventional physical therapy program from the period of complete non-weight bearing to full weight bearing. [Results] Fear of falling and pain improved, and gait ability improved. [Conclusion] The results suggest that a combined intervention of AO and MI in addition to a conventional physical therapy program should be practiced in cases of proximal tibial fractures.