Journal of Research in Rehabilitation Sciences
Year:2011 | Volume:7 | Issue:3|Papers Count:23

Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common degenerative diseases and a leading cause of severe pain and significant disability, especially in elderly people. Different methods have been suggested for treatment of OA. The aim of this study was to compare manual therapy with taping as two therapeutic methods for OA.Materials and Methods: 36 patients with OA who were in their middle ages (average age, 50.31±6.65 years) were selected through convenience sampling method. All of patients had been suffered from knee OA more than one year. Patients were randomly assigned to either taping or manual therapy. Both groups received a routine physical therapy including ultrasound and TENS. For group 1, taping was applied during 6 sessions and for group 2, manual therapy was administered for 10 sessions on a two-week period.The patients were evaluated before and after the treatment in terms of pain via NRS (numerical rating scale) and of functionality using the WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities) osteoarthritis index.Results: In all variables of interest, there were significant improvements after termination of treatment sessions in both groups (P<0.001).There was, however, no significant difference in joint stiffness before and after taping treatment (P=0.323).The results showed that manual therapy was significantly more effective than taping in alleviating symptoms (P<0.05).Conclusion: Both manual therapy and taping had significant effect on OA of knee but manual therapy may be a better therapeutic option than taping in decreasing pain and disability of affected patients.Manual therapy is a noninvasive, complication-free, and cost-effective method for conservative treatment of knee OA.

Introduction: Due to numerous difficulties of patients suffering from various types of cleft lip and/or palate, their therapeutic management involves an interdisciplinary teamwork. The aim of present study was to compare the mean age of receiving teamwork intervention including speech therapy, secondary surgery, alveolar bone grafting and orthodontics among early-referred and late-referred patients visited at Isfahan Cleft Palate Team.Materials and Methods: In this study, we first reviewed 260 charts of patients with cleft lip and palate and then, based on their age at the time of entrance to cleave care team, divided them into two groups the early references and late references. These two groups were compared on four variables: the mean age of beginning speech therapy, the mean age of palate secondary surgery, alveolar bone grafting and the average age of receiving orthodontics. All data of interest were statistically analyzed through t test.Results: The main results of the present study are as follows: (1) For 134 patients, who were referred to speech therapy, the mean age of initiating speech therapy in early- and late-referred clients was 3.3 and 9 years respectively. (2) For 47 patients, who underwent secondary surgery, the mean age of conducting early surgery was 3.88 years compared to late-referred group who had had this kind of intervention at 15.7 years of age on average. (3) 9 and 16.69 years were the respective mean age of early and late referral to alveolar bone grafting in 17 patients who had received this intervention and (4) for 24 patients who had received orthodontic services, the mean age of early-referred clients was 7.66 years compared to 17.05 years which was the mean age of referral in second group.Conclusion: The results suggest that there is a significant difference between early and late referrals with regard to the mean age of receiving secondary surgery, alveolar bone grafting, speech therapy and orthodontic services.

Introduction: Improvement in technology can induce inactivity which, in turn, may result in postural problems and cause Musculo-Skeletal Disorders (MSDs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between poor posture and Low Back Pain (LBP) neck pain (NP) among female staff members working in Fateme-Zahra Hospital of Najaf-Abad city, Isfahan-Iran.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 37 female staff members of abovementioned hospital (mean age: 32.47±5.36) were selected through simple randomized sampling. A physiotherapist examined them with regard to the status of their posture, back and neck and then completed a questionnaire relating to their history of LBP and demographic data.Results: The mean scores of posture tests, back tests and the risk of MSDs were 0.89±1.16, 1.39±1.93 and 15.28±6041 respectively. The prevalence of LBP was 68.4% as compared to that of NP which was 28.9%. Pain intensity was significantly correlated with the risk score for MSDs, repetitive motions, moving/lifting heavy loads, doing tasks in awkward posture and the score of back test. There was no significant relationship between pain intensity and the score of posture test.Conclusion: The results of this study showed a high prevalence of LBP and NP in female personnel of Fateme-Zahra Hospital. Repetitive motions, moving/lifting heavy loads, doing tasks in awkward posture were the most important factors associated with LBP and NP in the studied population. According to low mean age of studied participants and high prevalence of LBP and NP among them and also to high scores of the risk for MSDs, it is necessary to pay attention to job-related ergonomic factors for controlling and reducing the prevalence of MSDs and their associated risk factors.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to translate "Activities Scale for Kids" (ASK) into Farsi and to determine its validity in children with cerebral palsy.Materials and Methods: In a methodological study, ASK was first translated into Farsi and then its validity and reliability was determined through a four-stage procedure. The first two phases of this four stage procedure included cloudy translation into Farsi and back translation into English. In the third phase of this study, the validity of this test was determined through conducting a pilot study in which a group of professionals and also parents with children diagnosed as having CP rated the test. Finally, it was provided to two groups of parents (a group with children with CP and another group with children without any problems). Children with CP were recruited from the affiliated occupational therapy clinics of The University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science and normal children were sampled from general population via a snowball procedure. 73 children with cerebral palsy and 69 normal children (5-15 years old) were participated in the study. Reliability (internal consistency and test-retest within a 2-week interval) and validity (content on basis of Lawasche's method, concurrent with GMFCS-E & R and discriminate) of ASK were analyzed using SPSS13 software.Results: Content validity index demonstrated a high content validity (0.79 for university professors and 0.86 for parents). ASK and GMFCS- E & R (-0.901) strongly negatively correlated as it was shown by Spearman's correlation coefficiency. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbakh's alpha and the result was 0.997.Line regression in CP and normal groups demonstrated significant statistic variation and this indicated a sophisticated discriminate validity of Farsi version of ASK. Test-retest reliability of ASK was 0.998.Conclusion: Farsi version of ASK has acceptable validity and reliability rates and it may be used for clinical as well as research purposes.

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common progressive neurological disorder among young adults. This disease damages the myelin sheath of neural axons and consequently creates functional disability. One of the affected areas in MS is the cerebellum. Damage to this structure results in an inability to maintain balance, which in turn leads to a decreased quality of life in affected patients. Therefore, providing low-cost methods without any side-effects seems to be necessary to solve this problem.Materials and Methods: This double-blinded, prospective and quasi-experimental study was carried out between 2009 and 2010 in Isfahan. Two groups of 23 MS patients each was taught to do either Frenkel's or Swiss ball exercises in 10 sessions under the direct supervision of a physical therapist. Before the initiation and after the completion of treatment sessions, Berg Balance Scale and Beck questionnaire were respectively used for the evaluation of balance and depression. Using SPSS software (version 13), paired-t test and t test were conducted to compare patients in above-mentioned groups in different stages.Results: There was a significant difference between balance ability of patients in both Frenkel's and Swiss ball groups before and after treatment program (P=0.00). Depression status of patients in both Frenkel's and Swiss ball groups also showed a significant difference as it compared before and after the treatment (P=0.00). Although two groups had no significant difference in balance ability before the treatment (P=0.18), a significant difference in this ability was indicated as two groups were compared after the treatment (0.01). However, there was no meaningful difference between two groups regarding to the depression status of patients neither before the initiation (P=0.29) nor after the termination of treatment program (P=0.30).Conclusion: The study results showed that continuous Frenkel's and Swiss ball exercises can lead to improved balance and decreased depression in MS patients. Moreover, this study indicated that Frenkel's exercises are more effective than Swiss ball exercises in improvement of balance in MS patients.

Introduction: Although there is now a large body of data demonstrating the effectiveness of reinforcements in behavior modification, there have been few studies on the effectiveness of token economy and social reinforcements for academic achievement in female students with intellectual disabilities. Since these kinds of reinforcements can lead to enhanced interest and motive for learning, planning for their implementation is of particular importance. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of token economy and social reinforcements on the academic achievement of students with intellectual disabilities.Materials and Methods: The present research was an experimental study (pre-test, post-test and control group). Participants in this study were 45 girls with intellectual disabilities attending 9th grade of special education. This sample was recruited by multi-stage cluster method from special education schools of Tehran Province. Participants were divided into three groups (two experimental groups and a control group) each of which was consisted of 15 students. The Wechsler test of intelligence and a teacher-made test were respectively used for matching the groups in terms of IQ and for measuring the academic achievement of subjects in Science lessons. The obtained data were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Post-Hoc Scheffe using SPSS software.Results: The post-test mean score for token economy, social reinforcement and control groups were respectively as follows: 17.5 (SD=0.87), 14.48 (SD=1.13), 13.23 (SD=1.23). There was a significant difference between mean achievements scores of these three groups (F(2, 42) =57.03, P<0.001). Post-Hoc Scheffe showed that mean difference of scores in token economy group was greater than both of social reinforcement's (P<0.001) and control's mean scores (P<0.001). It also showed that mean difference of scores in social reinforcement group was significantly greater than those of control group (P<0.04).Conclusion: Token economy reinforcements are more effective than social and control reinforcements on the academic achievement of female students with intellectual disabilities. Social reinforcement for academic achievement was more effective than providing no reinforcement in these students. Therefore, token economy reinforcement is one of the best programs for academic achievement in students with intellectual disabilities.

Introduction: The etiology of stuttering, which is estimated to have an incidence rate of 1%, and existent differences between stutterers and non-stutterers continues to be interesting and intriguing phenomena.The aim of the present study was to investigate EEG patterns in stutterers and non-stutterers resident in Isfahan.Materials and Methods: 31 stutterers and 31 non-stutterers participated in a case-control, double-blinded clinical trial study. Subjects were matched for age, sex, and education. None of subjects had cluttering, mental retardation, hearing loss, motor disorders, brain damage or history of medication use. EEG was performed in the same condition for all subjects and the results were statistically analyzed through independent t and exact fisher tests using SPSS version10.Results: The results of the present research showed that there were significant differences between two study groups (stutterers and non-stutterers) on the basis of frequency and amplitude. However, pathologic (epileptiform) waves did not significantly differ as these two groups were compared.Conclusion: The observed differences between stutterers and non-stutterers indicate brain functions differences which may affect processing, control, execution of speech.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of low back pain and to evaluate its relationship with physical activity, age and BMI in Fars Payam-e noor University (PNU) staff.Materials and Methods: Of the total number of 709 Fars PNU employees, 182 men and women working in 12 branches of this university across Fars Province-Iran were chosen objectively. Low back pain data were collected via Quebec questionnaire. Chi-square test, Pearson correlation coefficient and ANOVA test were used for statistical analysis of data (significance level set at P<0.05).Results: The study results showed a high prevalence of low back pain (86.3%) among studied sample, especially in the age range of 30 to 40 years. There was a significant difference between people with LBP and those without LBP (P=0.000), but no significant difference between faculty members and university staff was observed (P>0.05). Low back pain was negatively related to physical activity (P=0.02).Moreover, there was no significant correlation between LBP and either age or sex (P>0.05). Most subjects had normal body mass indexes (BMI). In addition, statistical analysis of data through ANOVA indicated a significant relationship between BMI and low back pain (P=0.02).Conclusion: The Results indicate that employees who had regular physical activity have less low back pain. Given positive relation between regular activity and less low back pain we recommend that employees allocate some time for regular physical activity in their weekly schedule in order to prevent low back pain.

Introduction: Studies have shown that teachers are at high risk of developing voice disorders. This implies that, as a group, they may have more urgent priorities for inclusion in prevention and treatment programs. In the first place, such questions as whether teachers are at risk for voice disorder or not and, if it is the case, which symptoms are to be observed must be answered. Unfortunately, limited number of available speech-therapy clinics and unavailability of instrumental voice measurement make it impossible to conduct a comprehensive voice assessment for teachers in Iran. Teachers have a pivotal role in education and teacher's vocal quality affects teaching and student's learning directly. Thus, developing and applying subjective assessment tools that have sufficient correlation with instrumental assessment seem to be necessary. The purpose of this study was to determine relationship between subjective voice complaints and acoustic assessment of fundamental frequency in elementary school teachers in Isfahan, Iran.Materials and Methods: At the beginning of this cross-sectional descriptive study, a literature review was conducted to compile common vocal complaints concerning fundamental frequency. These complaints were given to 95 teachers who have been selected through random cluster sampling in the form of a checklist. Subjects were first asked to rate their voices according to the checklist and subsequently to undergo an instrumental analysis of fundamental frequency. The correlation between reported symptoms and fundamental frequency amounts were then calculated.Results: This study showed that all of complaints had a significant correlation with obtained fundamental frequencies.Conclusion: Although all complaints had a significant correlation with fundamental frequency, it is suggested that clinicians use other types of voice assessment along with these subjective complaints.

Introduction: Both sleep and rest are such important needs and habits of human beings that they are taken as guaranteed throughout their lives and are performed in different ways by different people. The aim of this research was to study the sleeping habits and sleeping instruments used for this purpose in middle aged Iranians and also to examine the probable relationship between them. It also aimed to compare and to recognize the differences between middle-aged residents at different regions of Iran and, as whole, to clarify the relation among resting instruments, method of life, body condition and skeletal deformities.Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive study in which statistical population was defined as total number of middle-aged men and women resident in Tehran, Yazd, Sistan and Balochestan, Lorestan and Kermanshah Provinces. By using available sampling method, 1719 people of this population completed a questionnaire designed for examining resting methods and vertebral column situation. The reliability of this assessment tool, which was calculated through Cronbach alpha, was 83%. About 10% of initial research population (134 people) who suffered from one of the skeletal deformities was selected voluntarily from different provinces for clinical examination. Flexible ruler has been utilized for measuring lordosis and kyphosis angles and Adams test for determining scoliosis. The data gathered from questionnaires were statistically analyzed by independent t-test and LSD in 95% (a=0.05) significance level using SPSS software.Results: Study results showed that there was a significant difference between sleeping postures on prone, sideling and supine in both men and women across different provinces (P<0.05). It also indicated that there was not a significant difference between using and not using mattress and pillow (P>0.05).Regarding mattress, however, this difference was significant in different provinces (P<0.05).Conclusion: Considering the relationship between skeletal deformities and resting methods, a statistically meaningful correlation has been observed between spreading lordosis and sleeping on stomach. Moreover, there was a meaningful relation between incidence lordosis and the material and texture of resting instruments (P<0.05). It has not demonstrated any meaningful correlation among other study’s hypotheses.

Introduction: Fundamental frequency has a critical role in the assessment of voice disorders. In fact it is one the most reported measures in clinical voice research. It is expected that voice pitch associates with many factors including age, gender, body size, race and social situation. Normative data for fundamental frequency have been considered as a standard criterion for determining the normality and abnormality of this parameter in people with voice disorders. Since there is a lack of standardized data pertaining to various voice parameters in normal speakers of Farsi, the aim of this present study was to determine the amount of Speech fundamental frequency and its range in male and female adults with normal voice at different ages.Materials and Methods: In this study, 200 subjects with the age range of 20 to 59 years were studied cross-section ally. The voice samples were recorded while subjects were reading "Rangin Kaman" passage.The obtained voice samples were then analyzed via "Real Analysis" program of Dr. Speech Software. All data of interest was statistically analyzed through t test.Results: Speech fundamental frequency and its range at different ages were higher in women than in men.Conclusion: In normal people, Speech fundamental frequency and its range have different characteristics with regard to different sexes and ages. These differences can be accounted for to some extent by anatomic and physiological mechanisms which are just a few factors among many to name.

Introduction: Cognition, a quite complicated skill, is the base of all goal- directed functions of human beings. The impact of cognitive disorders on the functioning of neurologic and psychiatric patients could not be more emphasized. Thus, careful assessment of cognitive capacity to predict how well these kinds of patient will function seems to be necessary. Allen cognitive level screen (ACL) provides a quick estimate of current capacity to learn and remained abilities of patients with cognitive impairments.Materials and Methods: In this analytical-descriptive study, cognitive levels of 30 inpatients and 30 outpatients with schizophrenia as well as 30 normal subjects were evaluated and subsequently were compared using ACLS. The impact of demographic variables on cognitive level was also determined.Results were statistically analyzed through Pearson correlation and one-way ANOVA.Results: Statically significant difference was found between ACL scores of normal people and patient groups (P<0.001). There was also a difference between ACL scores of outpatients and inpatients with schizophrenia (P<0.001). Cognitive level was shown to have a positive correlation with education (r=0.545), illness-onset age (r=594) and a negative correlation with length of illness (r=-0.574), period of institutionalization (r=-0.454). There was no significant correlation between cognitive level and demographic variables in normal group.Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that normal group's cognition level was higher than schizophrenic patients and that the cognitive level of outpatients was better than inpatients. Illness onset age, period of institutionalized, length of illness and education all can influence cognitive level of schizophrenic patients.

Introduction: Event related potentials can be considered as a valuable tool for understanding cortical functions. P300 can be affected by a number of factors including the site at which electrodes are to be placed. This study was conducted to compare the amplitude and latency of P300 across different electrode sites in normal individuals aged between 18 to 50 years Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional non-interventional study, an oddball paradigm was adopted to compare P300 event-related potential through using two tone burst stimuli in 27 normal cases with average age of 23.2 years. Obtained data were statistically analyzed via paired t-test using SPSS software (version 16).Results: Significant differences were shown in mean latency and amplitude of participants’ P300s recorded at different electrode sites (P<0.05).Conclusion: According to results of this study, active electrode site is effectual in recording P300.Posterior electrode site is recommended for enhanced recording of P300.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to verify the efficacy of a selected 8-week exercise for the treatment of patellofemoral syndrome (PFPS).Materials and Methods: Participants of this study were 60 students aged 17 to 19 years with a history of at least 2 months of patellofemoral pain who were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups.Subjects in experimental group underwent a selected 8-week program which consisted of three weekly sessions and involved stretching and strengthening exercises. The pain intensity and the functionality of the subjects were respectively avaluated by the NRS and the Kujala scales. All data were statistically analyzed using SPSS13.Results: The intergroup analysis showed that before the beginning of the program, there was no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of experimental and control groups with regard to age, height, weight, BMI and duration of pain and also on the basis of pain NRS (P>0.05) and Kujala scale (P>0.05). The intergroup comparison indicated a statistically significant difference after termination of the eight-week treatment program (P<0.05 for pain and p<0.05 for Kujala Scale).Conclusion: The present study results showed that a selected 8-week exercise program is effective in alleviation of pain or in improvement of function in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Introduction: One language-related area that has recently received more attention from researchers working in the field of stuttering is phonological working memory. The aim of the present study was to compare the phonological working memory abilities of normal children with those of children who stutter (CWS).Materials and Methods: 30 CWS aging 4-6 years were compared with their control counterparts in the same age range. Non-word immediate repetition task was used to measure reaction time and to study the effect of non-word length on the accuracy and verbal fluency of responses. The second task was non-word delayed repetition task which was applied to determine the speed and efficiency of learning non-words.Results: Between-group analysis showed significant differences for all of the indexes except accuracy of non-words. The mean of reaction times in CWS was significantly longer than that of the control group.Moreover, the rate of learning non-words in stutterers was slower than in the normal group and theses differences were significant. Furthermore, the analysis of response fluency on non-word repetitions across different non-word lengths in CWS showed that the percentage of disfluencies significantly increased along with an increase in non-word length. Although the percentage of correct non-words as a whole and across different lengths indicated that CWS produced slightly less correct non-words compared to the control group, this difference was not significant.Conclusion: The findings of the present study provides support for previous works, indicating that CWS's phonological working memory abilities lag to some degree behind that of normal children.

Introduction: This study investigated the relationship between plantar longitudinal arches and some selected motor parameters in children aging 11 to 14 years.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-correlative study, 211 middle-school students were first randomly sampled and then assigned to three groups of pes planus (58 subjects), natural (106 subjects) and Pes cavus (47 subjects) on the basis of the amount of scaphoid bone loss. Measurement tools included a mirror box, a foot print and navicular drop test for foot abnormalities. Motor parameters were measured via standardized tests. Data were statistically analyzed through Spearman rank correlation analysis, discriminant analysis, analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc test using SPSS15 software and at the significance level of 0.05.Results: The results showed that, with the exception of balance, there was no significant correlation between any parameters of motor abilities and pes planus and pes cavus. In addition, no significant differences between groups were found with regard to motor abilities except for balance.Conclusion: It can be said that there is no significant relationship between any of motor skills and abilities investigated in this study (except for balance) and plantar longitudinal arch.

Introduction: A consonant cluster is defined as a group or sequence of consonants that appear together in a syllable without any intervening vowel between them. The age of acquisition of consonant clusters is of special important. The ability to produce consonant clusters is reported to emerge when children are around 2 years of age. These early attempts usually result in simplified clusters which are eventually elaborated into correct clusters. The aim of the present study was to determine the acquisition age of some consonant clusters and their developmental patterns in Farsi-speaking children.Materials and Methods: 120 normal Farsi-speaking children with the age range of 2 to 4 years who lived in Isfahan at the time of experiment participated in this descriptive study. In the present study, the ability to produce clusters was evaluated through picture naming. An assessment tool was tailor-made for this research and it consisted of 24 words with cvcc structure.Results: Study results showed that the age of acquisition for mp and nd was 2.7-3 years. Xt, sk, sb, òk, st, ft, st, òt, ks, bz, fò, ng and òm was acquired at 3 to 3.6 years and rs, rm, rf, rg, rd, rx, tr were appeared between 3.7 to 4 years.Conclusion: Results indicated that age of acquisition was started around 2.5. Considering the sequence of acquired clusters, it was revealed that clusters were developed in parallel with consonant development. In other words, consonant clusters containing stop and nasal consonant are acquired before other clusters.

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease in which joint pain is considered as the most important problem for those with the disease. Joint pain and stiffness cause low mobility in affected people which eventually will result in reduced quality of their life. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an 8-week aerobic exercise on the quality of life and the level of pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Materials and Methods: In this study, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (age range 38 to 65 years) who was referred to and subsequently treated in AL Zahra Hospital (Isfahan-Iran) and their medication did not change during study period were examined. Of this population, those patients who had no experience of attending any sporting activity during the six months prior to the study period and had neither acute and chronic diseases nor mental and psychological problems were selected as the subjects of this study (n=23). Subjects were randomly assigned to control (n=12) and experimental (n=11) groups. Patients in experimental group underwent an 8-week aerobic exercise program while the control group did not receive any exercise program. Quality of life of patients was measured using the short form 36 (SF36) and visual linear scale was used to assess their pain. Quality of life and pain of all patients evaluated before the initiation and after completion of the 8-week program.Results: The results of this study showed that compared to the scores obtained at the beginning of the program, a significant improvement of quality of life scores at the end of intervention in the experimental group (P<0.01), but no such difference was observed in the control group (P>0.05). A significant reduction in pain levels was observed in the experimental group (P<0.05) while there was not any significant reduction of pain in the control group (P>0.05).Conclusion: It can be concluded that aerobic exercise can reduce pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and improve the quality of their life. Therefore it can be considered as an appropriate treatment regimen for such patients.

Introduction: This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of learning English on the severity of different types of stuttering in native language (Farsi) and English among monolingual Farsi-speaking subjects.Materials and Methods: In a quasi-experimental study (single group with pre-test and post-test), 15 persons with stuttering were randomly recruited from the available population of 12 to 23 year-old clients referred to speech therapy centers in Isfahan-Iran. Prior to initiation of the study, the subjects were assessed in terms of severity and type of stuttering they represent through SSI-3 test.Results: The effect of English language learning on functional- and content-word stuttering of stalling type in English was not significant as compared to these types of stuttering in Farsi but it has a significant influence on decreasing functional- and content-word stuttering of non-stalling type in English language when compared to Farsi. Moreover, learning English significantly decreased total stuttering in English language (P=0.05).Conclusion: According to the results of this study, learning English does not have any positive or negative impact on treatment and recovery of stuttering in Farsi. Also, after learning to speak in English, the severity of stuttering in English is less than that in Farsi.

Stretching is an ancient method of treating soft tissue structures amongst the historical cultures. This method, in addition to other manual techniques such as, massage and manipulation has been taught in ancient medicine. Nowadays, a wide range of studies have been performed to reveal the effects of this manual method on different muscle groups in patients, as well as healthy athlete subjects. Different methods of stretching have also been introduced for applying on various tissues. One of these methods is static stretching, which has been considered by researchers during recent decades. It can be concluded from the previous studies that static stretching may result in long-term effects on mobility of joints and decreasing tissue resistance. It is also revealed that permanent effects of stretching on tissues require performing this method for about two months. This article aims at reviewing research- based findings related to static stretching in healthy subjects during last three decades. Providing the results of recent studies in a single complex may help therapists to make a decision easier for applying stretching on different muscle groups.