Browsing by Author "Akkurt, Mustafa Ferit"

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Burn Rehabilitation: Evaluation of Physiotherapists' Knowledge and Awareness Levels
(Elsevier Sci Ltd, 2025) Seyyah, Mine; Akkurt, Mustafa Ferit; Yilmaz, Nergis
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge and awareness of physiotherapists working in Turkey about burn rehabilitation. Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between March and June 2025 and data were collected using Google Form. A total of 324 people were included in the study. The level of knowledge and awareness of the participants about burn rehabilitation was evaluated with 28 questions created by taking expert opinion. Results: While 25.6 % of participants had experience in burn rehabilitation, only 1.2 % frequently encountered burn patients. Although 60.5 % had taken courses on burn rehabilitation, only 15.1 % considered their knowledge sufficient. Correct response rates to key knowledge questions were 78.7 % for exercise applicability, 79.6 % for timing, 54.6 % for the most common burn type in Turkey, 35.8 % for edema management, and 13 % for pressure garment duration, revealing gaps in clinical knowledge. Additionally, 92.9 % believed early physiotherapy improves recovery, and 98.4 % reported positive effects on quality of life. Discussion: Our results indicate that although most physiotherapists had taken courses on burn rehabilitation, their knowledge remains insufficient, whereas their awareness is high, underscoring the need for targeted training and certification programs.
Effects of Left and Bilateral Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Pain, Mood, and Autonomic Nervous System in Female Patients With Fibromyalgia: a Randomized Controlled Trial
(Taylor & Francis Inc, 2025) Akkurt, Mustafa Ferit; Ozden, Ali Veysel; Akkurt, Halil Ekrem; Akkurt, Burcu; Bildik, Celaleddin
Introduction: Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a complex disease characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, emotional disturbances, and autonomic dysfunction. Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) has emerged as a potential noninvasive approach to modulate FMS-related symptoms. Purpose: To compare the effects of left and bilateral taVNS on pain, mood, functionality, and autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity in individuals with FMS. Methods: Forty female individuals with FMS were assigned to either a left (n = 20) or a bilateral (n = 20) taVNS group. Both received 11 sessions of taVNS targeting the tragus and concha regions (30 minutes each, 25 Hz, 300 mu s) over nonconsecutive days, excluding weekends and menstrual periods. Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) were assessed. ANS activity was evaluated via heart rate variability (HRV). After 11 sessions of taVNS, a 2-week follow-up was performed. Results: No significant differences were observed between groups except for FIQ and BAI on day 28 (p = .002-0.008). Both groups showed significant within-group improvements in VAS (r = 0.87-0.94; p < .001), BDI (r = 0.46-0.71; p < .001), FIQ (r = 0.95-0.99; p < .001), and BAI (r = 0.69-0.94; p < .001) scores. Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) (p = .365-0.776) and Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) (p = .598-0.880) indices, which are the subparameters of HRV, showed no significant between-group differences, with small effect sizes (r < 0.15). Conclusion: Both stimulation protocols effectively reduced pain and improved mood and functionality in fibromyalgia, indicating a safe, noninvasive adjunctive treatment option. Clinicaltrials.gov: (Identifier: NCT06871306).