The debate surrounding the influence of the open Latarjet procedure on postoperative scapular motions persists, and there is no evidence regarding its effects on periscapular muscle activation. This ...study aimed to assess the short-term influence of open Latarjet procedure on scapular kinematics and periscapular muscle activity during arm raising and lowering based on comparisons between patient and healthy athletes.
22 healthy male athletes and 22 male athletes scheduled for glenohumeral stabilization surgery by open Latarjet procedure were included. Scapular kinematics, periscapular muscle activities and shoulder-related quality of life were recorded prior to surgery and 3 months postoperatively for the Latarjet group. For the healthy group, same assessments were performed 3 months apart. Bilateral differences in both scapular kinematics and periscapular muscle activation ratios, and Western Ontario Shoulder Instability (WOSI) index were defined as dependent variables.
Scapular kinematics of the operated shoulder, namely scapular upward/downward rotation, internal/external rotation and anterior/posterior tilt recorded between 20° and 120° of humerothoracic elevation, showed no alterations 3 months post-surgery (p>0.05), and did not differ from those observed in healthy athletes (p>0.05). Similarly, all periscapular muscle activations were not different within time and between groups (p>0.05). WOSI index of the operated shoulder was significantly improved postoperatively (871.9 ± 443.7 vs. 1346.3 ± 552.3) but remained higher than the WOSI indices of the non-operated shoulder or those of the healthy group (52.7±75.6).
This study emphasizes the short-term effects of the open Latarjet procedure, demonstrating an improvement in the shoulder-related quality of life 3 months after surgery. Notably, during this period, both kinematics and periscapular muscle activity remained consistent, and similar to the patterns observed for healthy athletes.
•An efficient stress detection method has been developed based on EMG and ECG signals.•A comparison between the performance of EMG and ECG for multi-level stress detection has been represented.•The ...accuracies of stress recognition for two, three and four levels obtained as 100%, 97.3%, and 95.4 %, respectively.
In recent years, stress and mental health have been considered as important worldwide concerns. Stress detection using physiological signals such as electrocardiogram (ECG), skin conductance (SC), electromyogram (EMG) and electroencephalogram (EEG) is a traditional approach. However, the effect of stress on the EMG signal of different muscles and the efficacy of combination of the EMG and other biological signals for stress detection have not been taken into account yet. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the EMG signal of the right and left trapezius and right and left erector spinae muscles for multi-level stress recognition. Also, the ECG signal was employed to evaluate the efficacy of EMG signals for stress detection.
Both EMG and ECG signals were acquired simultaneously from 34 healthy students (23 females and 11 males, aged 20-37 years). Mental arithmetic, Stroop color-word test, time pressure, and stressful environment were employed to induce stress in the laboratory.
The accuracies of stress recognition in two, three and four levels were 100%, 97.6%, and 96.2%, respectively, obtained from the distinct combination of feature selection and machine learning algorithms.
The comparison of stress detection accuracies resulted from EMG and ECG indicators demonstrated the strong ability and the effectiveness of EMG signal for multi-level stress detection.
BackgroundIn these days when it is extremely important to use resources efficiently, ways to reduce the cost caused by low back and neck pain are sought. Investigating the architectural features of ...the muscles around the spine is also an important part of this search 1. It is a rational approach to prevent spinal problems before they occur, rather than to treat them. In addition, it is very important for the prevention of spinal health that these approaches can be offered at low cost in pandemic conditions and disadvantageous situations such as settlements in rural areas.ObjectivesThis research aims to investigate the effectiveness of remote and face-to-face spinal stabilization exercises on the thickness and activation of the muscles around the spine in asymptomatic desk-based office workers.MethodsIndividuals between the ages of 18-55 who did not have chronic low back and neck pain were included in the study. While the face-to-face group exercised under the supervision of a physiotherapist, the telerehabilitation (TR) group exercised with video conferencing and asynchronous video recordings. Both groups performed progressive spinal stabilization exercises 3 days a week for 8 weeks. The thickness of the Internal Oblique, External Oblique, Sternocleidomastoideus and Upper Trapezius muscles at rest, and the thickness of the Transversus Abdominis (TrA) at rest and during contraction were measured with portable ultrasound (Sonostar, China) (Image 1). TrA activation was measured with a stabilizer. Compliance with exercise was evaluated with an exercise diary.Results24 individuals, 12 in the face-to-face group and 12 in the TR group, with a mean age of 28.41(5.94) participated in the study. Age, gender distribution, and baseline values for muscles were similar between the groups (p>0.05). In both groups, right and left TrA resting and contraction, Internal Oblique thicknesses were increased (p<0.05). It was found that the level of activation of the TrA muscle, the thickness change during contraction, and the thickness of the internal oblique muscle developed more in the face-to-face group. In the TR group, on the other hand, an increase in Upper Trapezius thickness was observed (p<0.05) However, there was no significant increase in TrA activation level in this group.ConclusionAccording to preliminary results face-to-face exercise further improves the thickness, activation, and contraction amount of deep stabilizer muscles. TR, on the other hand, caused positive developments in the deep muscles, but also in the upper Trapezius muscle, which is the superficial muscle. The reason for this situation may be postural compensations that occur during remote exercise 2. As a result, both methods cause an increase in muscle thickness around the spine. However, if possible, supervision during exercises that require intense attention, such as stabilization exercises, can increase efficiency. In addition, further studies on compensations that may occur during exercise through TR may be instructive.References1 Wong, A.Y., et al., Do various baseline characteristics of transversus abdominis and lumbar multifidus predict clinical outcomes in nonspecific low back pain? A systematic review. Pain, 2013. 154(12): p. 2589-2602.2 Beit Yosef, A., et al., Perceived feasibility of an occupation-based telerehabilitation intervention for older adults with chronic health conditions in Israel. Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2022: p. 15691861221080311.Image 1.Muscle thickness of TrA at rest (a) and contraction (b)Figure omitted. See PDFAcknowledgementsThis study supported by TUBITAK with the project number 121S142.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate whether muscle synergy differs between swimmers with and without swimmer's shoulder in the butterfly technique. Muscle synergies, which can assess muscle ...coordination, were analyzed using surface electromyography. Twenty elite swimmers were included in this study (swimmer's shoulder: n = 8; control: n = 12). The motions involved in executing the butterfly technique were classified into the early pull-through, late pull-through, and recovery phases. Muscle synergy data analyzed using the nonnegative matrix factorization method were compared between the two groups.
The swimming velocities were 1.66 ± 0.09 m・s
−1
and 1.69 ± 0.06 m・s
−1
for the control and swimmer's shoulder groups, respectively. Four muscle synergies in both groups were identified: synergy #1, which was involved in the early pull; synergy #2, involved in the late pull; synergy #3, involved in the early recovery; and synergy #4, involved in pre- and posthand entry. Compared to the control group, the swimmer's shoulder group had a small contribution from the pectoralis major (
p
= 0.032) and a high contribution from the rectus femoris during the early pull phase (
p
= 0.036). In the late pull phase, the contribution of the lower trapezius muscle in the swimmer's shoulder group was low (
p
= 0.033), while the contribution of the upper trapezius muscle in the pre- and postentry phases was high (
p
= 0.032). In the rehabilitation of athletes with swimmer's shoulder, it is therefore important to introduce targeted muscle rehabilitation in each phase.
ABSTRACTWerin, MB, Maenhout, AG, Icket, J, Jacxsens, N, Kempkes, E, and Cools, AM. Does the activity in scapular muscles during plyometric exercises change when the kinetic chain is challenged?—An ...EMG study. J Strength Cond Res XX(X)000–000, 2020—Plyometric exercises for the shoulder are used in rehabilitation and in workout regime when the sport demands high speed power training. The aim of this clinical laboratory electromyography (EMG) study was to determine whether scapular muscle performance differs during plyometric shoulder exercises when changing the demand on the kinetic chain. Thirty healthy overhead athletes, with a mean age of 22.7 years (±2.2), performed 6 exercises, with both a low and a high demand on the kinetic chain, in prone, side and standing in positions. The EMG activity of the upper trapezius (UT), middle trapezius (MT), lower trapezius (LT), and serratus anterior (SA) on the tested side and bilateral of gluteus maximus (GM) and abdominal oblique externus (OE) was registered with wireless surface EMG. Intermuscular muscle ratios UT/SA, UT/MT, and UT/LT were also calculated. The level of significance set for the study was alpha = 0.05. The muscle ratio UT/SA was significantly lower (p < 0.05) when high demand on the kinetic chain compared with low. SA muscle activity showed significantly (<0.001) higher values in the prone position with high demand on the kinetic chain compared with low. All 3 trapezius muscle parts had significantly higher values (p < 0.001) in the prone compared with side and standing positions. The GM and OE showed significantly higher (p ≤ 0.01) activity in positions more demanding for the kinetic chain. When composing a strengthening or a rehabilitation program for athletes, the knowledge of how scapular and trunk muscles interact can be used to amplify the strengthening effect.
Introduction: This study analyzes the efficacy of trapezius muscle electromyography (EMG) in discerning mental states, namely stress and meditation. Methods: Fifteen healthy participants were ...monitored to assess their physiological responses to mental stressors and meditation. Sensors were affixed to both the right and left trapezius muscles to capture EMG signals, while simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) was conducted to validate cognitive states. Results: Our analysis of various EMG features, considering frequency ranges and sensor positioning, revealed significant changes in trapezius muscle activity during stress and meditation. Notably, low-frequency EMG features facilitated enhanced stress detection. For accurate stress identification, sensor configurations can be limited to the right trapezius muscle. Furthermore, the introduction of a novel method for determining asymmetry in EMG features suggests that applying sensors on bilateral trapezius muscles can improve the detection of mental states. Conclusion: This research presents a promising avenue for efficient cognitive state monitoring through compact and convenient sensing.
Migraine is a primary headache disorder. Studies have shown that 93% of people with migraine have an increased number of active Ischemic Compression Myofascial Trigger Points (IC-MTrPs) therapy.
To ...examine the effects of the IC-MTrPs therapy on: (1) mechanical properties of the upper trapezius muscle (UTM), (2) shoulder girdle and neck (SGN) muscles pain and (3) headaches characteristics in episodic migraine patients without aura.
Thirty-one adult, female, migraine patients without aura underwent seven IC-MTrPs therapy sessions and were tested during maximally five measurement sessions (pre- and post-1'st, post-4'th, post-7'th therapy and 1-month follow-up). Myotonometric measurements of the UTM's tone, stiffness and elasticity, subjective SGN muscles pain, as well as headache's level, frequency and duration were analyzed.
Myotonometric tone and stiffness of the UTM significantly decreased in post-1'st, post-4'th therapy and in 1-month follow-up measurements versus pre-1'st therapy testing session. The scores for the SGN muscles' pain significantly decreased: (i) in post-4'th and post-7'th therapy versus post-1'st therapy session, and (ii) in post-7'th versus post-4'th therapy measurements. Headache's level, frequency and duration significantly decreased in post-7'th therapy versus pre-1'st therapy measurement session.
IC-MTrPs therapy resulted in a decrease of upper trapezius muscle tone and stiffness, with simultaneous alleviation of shoulder girdle and neck muscle pain and the headaches characteristics in episodic migraine patients without aura.
Introduction: Dry needling is relatively new invasive technique, which could be used for the management of myofascial trigger points. Dry needling is considered as one of the effective treatment ...techniques for reducing pain as it enhances pain threshold levels related to myofascial trigger points. This research aims to assess evidence for dry needling effects and its general feasibility in reducing pain, increasing pain threshold and increasing ROM of cervical spine. Material & Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Relevant searches were performed through PubMed and PEDro databases. Eligible quasi-experimental and randomized controlled trials using different Mesh terms related to upper trapezius trigger points and dry needling intervention were used. Three main outcome parameters (pain, pain pressure threshold and ROM) were assessed on short-, medium- and long-term effects. Quality of the included studies was assessed while using PEDro scale. Results: Initial searches produced 41 relevant articles which were reduced to 11 articles after screening. The included studies provided evidence regarding effectiveness of dry needling for decreasing pain and increasing pressure threshold compared to sham /kinesio-taping/manual pressure or no intervention. Improvement in ROM by dry needling remained ineffective in the included trials. Conclusion: The evidence of moderate quality suggested that dry needling performed by physiotherapist are effective compared to other techniques in patients of upper trapezius points to decreasing pain and increasing pain pressure threshold. Studies with relatively with low quality suggested effectiveness of range of motion in the patients with upper trapezius trigger points.
BackgroundWhether patient’s experience of fibromyalgia severity is related to measures of pain sensitisation assessed by quantitative sensory testing is not clear. How disease duration effects the ...relationship between disease severity and pain sensitisation changes is also unknown.ObjectivesTo examine the associations between pain sensitisation and fibromyalgia disease severity, as measured by the Polysymptomatic Distress scale (PDS) and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Secondly, to examine the impact of disease duration on the associations.MethodsParticipants were recruited from referrals to a hospital clinic and the diagnosis verified by a specialist rheumatologist. Patients self-reported PDS and FIQ. Quantitative sensory testing included assessments of pressure pain threshold (PPT), temporal summation (TS) and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) were performed. PPT was tested 3 times at 5 predefined sites (a non-painful interphalangeal joint, dorsal radio-ulnar joint, lateral epicondyle of the elbow, middle surface of the trapezius muscle, and tibialis anterior muscle) using an algometer (FPIX 25). The pressure at which the patient first reported a slight pain was recorded, and the mean PPT values at each site and for all measurements (aggregated mean) were calculated. Lower PPTs indicate more pain sensitization. TS was estimated using probes of increasing weight that were tapped against the radioulnar joint. Pain was recorded on a numeric rating scale for the 1st, 5th, and 10th tap of the probe that elicited a pain ≥ 4 on a 0-10 scale. The maximum difference in pain between the 1st and either 5th or 10th tap was calculated, and an increase in pain during repetitive stimuli indicate TS. PPT was also tested before and after a conditioning stimulus with a blood pressure cuff around the contra-lateral arm, and the ratio of the PPTs (post:pre) was calculated. A positive ratio indicates adequate CPM.Cut-offs of pain sensitization were defined as PPT < median, TS ≥ 2 and CPM <1. Disease duration was dichotomized at ≤ 5 vs. > 5 years. The associations between quantitative sensory testing and disease severity were explored in linear regression models adjusted for age, sex and body mass index and interactions with disease duration were explored.ResultsA total of 78 patients (90% women, mean age 40.9 years (SD 7.3)) were recruited. In linear regression models, aggregated mean PPT was weakly associated with the PDS score, the FIQ total score and the pain, fatigue and depression components (Table 1). The mean PPTs from the trapezius and tibialis anterior muscles were also weakly but significantly associated with several components of the PDS and FIQ. TS was weakly associated with the anxiety and depression components of FIQ while there was no association between CPM and PDS or FIQ (Table 1). We found no evidence of disease duration being an effect modifier for the associations.ConclusionIn this cohort of patients with clinically verified fibromyalgia, pain sensitisation was weakly associated with self- reported disease severity. Disease duration did not impact on the relationship. Our results point to the multifactorial nature of the fibromyalgia symptom burden.TableThe cross-sectional associations between measures of quantitative sensory testing and fibromyalgia severityMeasures of quantitative sensory testing (Independent variables) (β (95% CI))(Dependent variables)PPT=medianTS ≥ 2 vs. <2CPM < 1vs. ≥ 1PDS3.5 (1.1, 5.8)*1.1 (-1.3, 3.6)-0.6 (-3.2, 2.1)-SSS1.2 (0.4, 2.1)* α0.4 (-1.6, 2.4)0.0 (-1.0, 1.0)-WSP2.2 (0.3, 4.1)*0.7 (-0.2, 1.6)-0.6 (-2.7, 1.6)FIQ total8.7 (1.2, 16.2)*5.6 (-2.2, 13.3)2.3 (-6.2, 10.8)-pain1.1 (0.1, 2.1)*0.3 (-0.8, 1.3)-0.3 (-1.4, 0.8)-fatigue0.9 (0.2, 1.7)*0.6 (-0.2, 1.4)-0.1 (-0.9, 0.8)-depression1.5 (-0.0, 2.9)*1.9 (0.4, 3.3)*0.2 (-1.5, 1.8)*=p<0.05, α=R2 adj >=0.1 & <0.2, all other R2adj <0.1REFERENCES:NIL.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsPernille Steen Pettersen: None declared, Trond Haugmark: None declared, Inger Jorid Berg: None declared, Tuhina Neogi: None declared, Hilde Berner Hammer Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Lilly, Novartis, UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Roche, Pfizer, Heidi A. Zangi: None declared, Ida K. Haugen Grant/research support from: Pfizer/Lily (paid to institution) and personal fees from Abbvie, Novartis and GSK, outside of the submitted work., Sella Aarrestad Provan Consultant of: Boehringer Ingelheim, Grant/research support from: Boehringer Ingelheim.
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