Open Access
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci 2024; 17(S 01): S1-S89
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1811818
Sleep Science Supplement 2024

The Effects of Physiotherapy Intervention on Sleep Quality, Orthopedic Parameters, and Pain: Preliminary Results

Authors

  • Eder Moreira Freitas

    1   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil

  • Marco Túllio Mello

    2   Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

  • Andressa Silva

    2   Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

  • Andrea Maculano Esteves

    1   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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Keywords

sleep - pain - inflammation - orthopedics - physiotherapy

Introduction: Orthopedic pain can negatively impact sleep quality and, consequently, physiotherapy rehabilitation, as persistent pain interferes with sleep cycles, resulting in inadequate physical recovery. This leads to a reduced response to physiotherapy treatment, prolonging the rehabilitation process and diminishing the effectiveness of interventions.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of a physiotherapy intervention on sleep quality, pain, and orthopedic parameters.

Methods: Eleven patients (6 women and 5 men) with orthopedic dysfunction underwent 20 sessions of physiotherapy rehabilitation. Before and after the intervention, the patients completed sleep quality questionnaires (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Mini Sleep Questionnaire), sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), social jetlag (Munich Chronotype Questionnaire), Oxford Questionnaires, orthopedic tests, and pain assessments (Visual Analogue Scale - VAS).

Results: The results showed that after the intervention, women experienced improvements in sleep quality (PSQI, p=0.01), sleep efficiency (PSQI, p=0.01), regularity (p=0.03), orthopedic parameters (p=0.01), and pain reduction (p=0.007). Men showed improvements in sleep quality (PSQI, p=0.03) and sleep efficiency (PSQI, p=0.03), pain reduction (p<0.001), as well as a large effect size for the improvement in orthopedic parameters (ES = 1.02). No correlations were found between the variables.

Conclusion: The preliminary results suggest that physiotherapy rehabilitation led to improvements in sleep quality, functional aspects, and pain, highlighting the importance of physiotherapy interventions for sleep, recovery, and the quality of life of patients.


No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

Publication History

Article published online:
16 September 2025

© 2025. Brazilian Sleep Academy. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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