Background Acute peripheral neuropathy, also known as Parsonage-Turner syndrome or neuralgic amyotrophy, mostly affects the upper brachial plexus trunks, which include the shoulder girdle. It is ...typically accompanied by abrupt, intense pain, weakness, and sensory disruption. The etiology and causes of this disease are still unknown because of its low prevalence, however viral reactions-induced inflammation is one of its frequent causes. Case presentation Here, we introduce a professional wrestler patient who was diagnosed with PTS after vaccination and was treated, and we review some articles in this field. Conclusion When it comes to shoulder-girdle complaints and pain, Parsonage-Turner syndrome can be a differential diagnosis. Corticosteroids during the acute period, followed by physical therapy, appear to be an efficient way to manage pain, inflammation, muscular atrophy, and the process of recovering to full nerve regeneration. Keywords: Parsonage-Turner syndrome, Brachial plexus neuritis, Suprascapular nerve lesion, COVID-19
Background and Aims: Massage therapy is widely used by athletes for various reasons such as recovery from fatigue, preventing injury, and relaxation. It is believed that massage improves the ...performance of the athletes by increasing their blood flow, removing lactic acid, and stimulating the nervous system. This review study aims to investigate the physiological and neurophysiological effects of sports massage on the athletes’ performance, to find out whether the clinical beliefs of sports physiotherapists about the effects of sports massage on sports injuries are supported by scientific evidence or not. Methods: In this review study, a search was conducted in Google Scholar PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases on studies published in English from 1975 to 2020 using the keywords: Sports massage, sports injuries, physiological mechanisms, neurophysiological mechanisms, and performance of athletes. Fifty articles about the effects of sports massage were assessed for eligibility. Finally, 14 clinical trial studies and one case report study were included in the review. Results: Few studies have been conducted on the effect of sports massage on the athletes’ performance. The existing studies are heterogeneous, i.e., they have examined the effect of massage on different factors and reported contradictory results. It seems that the effects of sports massage on the athletes’ performance are more due to its psychological effects rather than its clinical effects. The effects of sports massage on athletes’ performance have not yet been supported by scientific evidence. Conclusion: Many scholars consider that the effects of sports massage are due to increasing blood flow, but there is insufficient scientific evidence. In treatment of tendonitis and muscle strains, there is insufficient evidence that sports massage can reduce pain and accelerate healing. It seems the therapeutic effects of sport massage are more psychological and less physiological.
According to previous research, hip internal rotation (HIR) aggravates low back pain (LBP) symptoms, especially in patients with lumbar flexion with rotation (F + R) syndrome. Therefore, the present ...study aimed to examine the lumbopelvic-hip rhythm during the HIR test in patients with this syndrome.
In this cross-sectional study, 20 men without LBP and 20 matched men with LBP, subcategorized in the F+R subgroup, participated. The participants performed the HIR test. Kinematics data were recorded using a motion analysis system. After processing the kinematics, a comparison was made in the hip and pelvic kinematics between the groups.
A statistical analysis based on an independent t test revealed a significant increased (
< 0.05) pelvic rotation during the tests with the dominant (
= 0.007) and nondominant limbs (
= 0.025) in those with LBP. The analysis also showed that during the test with the dominant lower limb, the pelvis and hip moved with a more synchronized pattern in patients with LBP (
= 0.001).
In the patients with lumbar F + R syndrome, there was a tendency for early pelvic rotation during the dominant HIR test. Moreover, LBP people also exhibited a greater pelvic rotation range of motion in the first half and whole pathways of the test. These impairments could be a risk factor for the development of LBP symptoms in these patients.
Real-time ultrasound imaging is a valid method in the field of rehabilitation. The ultrasound imaging allows direct visualization for real-time study of the muscles as they contract over the time. ...Measuring of the size of each abdominal muscle in relation to the others provides useful information about the differences in structure, as well as data on trunk muscle activation patterns. The purpose of this study was to assess the size and symmetry of the abdominal muscles at rest in healthy adults and to provide a reference range of absolute abdominal muscle size in a relatively large population.
A total 156 healthy subjects with the age range of 18-44 years were randomly recruited. The thickness of internal oblique, external oblique, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis muscles was measured at rest on both right and left sides using ultrasound. Independent t test was used to compare the mean thickness of each abdominal muscle between males and females. Differences on side-to-side thicknesses were assessed using paired t test. The association between abdominal muscle thicknesses with gender and anthropometric variables was examined using the Pearson correlation coefficient.
A normal pattern of increasing order of mean abdominal muscle thickness was found in both genders at both right and left sides: transverse abdominis < external oblique < internal oblique < rectus abdominis. There was a significant difference on the size of transverse abdominis, internal oblique, and external oblique muscles between right and left sides in both genders. Males had significantly thicker abdominal muscles than females. Age was significantly correlated with the thickness of internal oblique, external oblique, and rectus abdominis muscles. Body mass index was also positively correlated with muscle thickness of rectus abdominis and external oblique.
The results provide a normal reference range for the abdominal muscles in healthy subjects and may be used as an index to find out abnormalities and also to evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions.
Background: Subsequent to spasticity, which is a positive impairment of stroke,neural and mechanical changes often occur in paretic muscles, affecting muscle function. The aim of this study was to ...find more accurate indices, which could affect decisions about spasticity treatment by investigating the relationships among neural, mechanical, functional outcomes, and clinical parameters in spastic chronic stroke patients.Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated 45 spastic chronic stroke patients. Clinical assessments were conducted using the Modified Modified Ashworth Scale (MMAS). Neural properties including H-reflex latency and Hmax/Mmax ratio were acquired. Mechanical properties including fascicle length,pennation angle, and thickness of spastic medial gastrocnemius muscle were evaluated. Functional outcomes were evaluated by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and Timed 10-Meter Walk Test (10-m WTT). Spearman’s rank correlation analysis in SPSS version 22.0 was used to find correlations between parameters.Results:A low negative correlation was determined between MMAS and H-reflex latency (r=-0.320, P=0.032). MMAS score had a low significant relationship with pennation angle (r=0.296, P=0.049) and thickness of muscles (r=0.389,P=0.008). However, no significant correlation was found between MMAS and functional outcomes.Conclusion:Based on these findings, it is clear MMAS can partly identify changes in neural and mechanical properties of spastic muscles.
Forward Head Posture (FHP) results in spine malalignment, muscle imbalance and cervical proprioception sensory input impairment. Subjective description of FHP is interpreted differently by clinicians ...and therefore the FHP is classified as slight, moderate and sever. This study aimed to evaluate balance disorder in individuals with severe forward head posture (FHP). Twenty individuals with severe FHP and 20 controls were enrolled. Dynamic postural stability was assessed in all participants using the Biodex Balance System (BBS) in semi dynamic position with eye open/eye closed conditions. Based on the findings, dynamic postural stability in the sagittal plane was different between the groups (P<0.05). It can be concluded that impairment of dynamic postural stability occurs in individuals with severe FHP. The findings suggest that clinicians take into account the importance of dynamic postural stability assessment in FHP subjects and consider the application of intervention programs for improvement of the dynamic balance.
Background: Distal peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a prevalent issue among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Despite the widespread use of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and limited use of Tecar ...therapy in physiotherapy for diabetics, the synergistic effect of these two interventions in a long-term follow-up has not yet been determined. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of Tecar therapy and LLLT separately and simultaneously over a 3-month follow-up period on clinical symptoms and health-related quality of life in individuals with type 2 diabetes and DPN. Methods: In this double-blind, randomized clinical trial, forty-five individuals with type 2 diabetes (30 women and 15 men) with DPN were randomly assigned to three groups of 15 people: Tecar-on + laser-sham, Tecar-on + laser-on, and laser-on + Tecar-sham. The patients received ten treatment sessions and were followed up for 3-months after the last session. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF Questionnaire, while clinical symptoms, including pain (measured with a Visual Analog Scale), functional balance (evaluated with the timed-up and go test), and neuropathy symptoms (assessed with the Michigan Questionnaire) were also recorded. Results: Inter-group comparison after ten sessions revealed that the Tecar-on + laser-sham and Tecar-on + laser-on groups exhibited significant improvement in neuropathy symptoms compared to the laser-on + Tecar-sham group. Even after the 3-month follow-up, these two groups showed lasting improvement in all variables compared to the laser-on + Tecar-sham group (P < 0.05). The Tecar-on + laser-on group demonstrated a more enduring significant effect on pain scores (P = 0.035) compared to the Tecar-on + laser-sham group after the 3-month follow-up. In intra-group comparison, all three groups showed significant improvement in clinical symptoms and health-related quality of life after ten treatment sessions compared to before treatment (P < 0.05). Moreover, after the 3-month follow-up, both the Tecar-on + laser-sham group and the Tecar-on + laser-on group demonstrated a more lasting significant effect in all variables compared to before treatment (P < 0.05). For the laser-on + Tecar-sham group, a more durable improvement in health-related quality of life (P = 0.000) and neuropathy symptoms (P = 0.011) was reported after the 3-month follow-up compared to before treatment. Conclusions: Although all three groups exhibited significant improvement in clinical symptoms and health-related quality of life in individuals with type 2 diabetes and DPN after ten treatment sessions, the synergistic use of Tecar therapy and LLLT after a long-term follow-up period could lead to more durable therapeutic effects in improving these outcomes for individuals with diabetes.
Background: Posturography is a method in which the postural stability of adults is evaluated by measuring the center of pressure sway. This study aims to evaluate the reproducibility of measuring the ...center of pressure oscillation in standing position with internal perturbation in healthy young women with and without hyperkyphosis. Methods: Ten women with dorsal hyperkyphosis with the mean age of 23.5±2.65 years and 10 healthy women with the mean age of 21.9±1.3 years (October 2018 to February 2019) were recruited for the study. Subjects were asked to perform rapid bilateral arm elevation while standing on a force plate. Standard deviation of the amplitude and The standard deviation of the velocity of the center of pressure sway in anterior-posterior, Medio-lateral directions and the area of sway were used for statistical analysis. Measurements were carried out by one examiner with a 1-day interval in The Biomechanics laboratory of The School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The relative reproducibility of the measurements was calculated by Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable changes (MDC). Results: The intra-rater reliability of standard deviation of the center of pressure sway velocity and amplitude of both directions in both groups were more than 0.75. The intra-rater reliability of the area of the center of pressure sway in the healthy and hyperkyphosis group were 0.42 and 0.38 respectively. Conclusion: Standard deviation of the amplitude and standard deviation of the velocity of the center of pressure sway can be considered as reliable variables for assessing static balance in young women with and without dorsal hyperkyphosis in future studies. However, the inconsistency of sway area especially in women with hyperkyphosis suggests that the use of it for differentiation between subjects and the assessment of the outcome of any interventions on the postural stability should be considered with caution.
PDF
