Physical Treatments: Specific Physical Therapy Journal
Year:2019 | Volume:9 | Issue:1|Papers Count:7

Purpose: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury is among the most prevalent knee injuries among young athletes, aged 15-25 and occurs in 70% through a noncontact mechanisms. Medial Knee Displacement (MKD) is the key risk factor of ACL injury in basketball athletes. The present study investigated the effect of an MKD corrective exercises program on knee kinematics during Drop Vertical Jump (DVJ), and its performance in male basketball players. Methods: The study participants consisted of 32 male basketball players (Mean± SD age: 20. 8± 1. 7 years, weight 74. 0± 5. 2 kg, height 183. 9± 5. 0 cm, body mass index 21. 86± 1. 19 kg/ m2, and experience 8. 75± 1. 42 years) with MKD during Double Leg Squat (DLS) test. The subjects were randomly placed into two groups (training, n=16, control, n=16). Training group participated in 10 sessions of the corrective exercise program. Pre-test and post-test assessments included knee kinematic during DVJ and performance test (Y balance and hop) in the dominant leg. Results: The analysis of covariance test results revealed that the effects of the Pre-test, as well as the effects of groups on the post-test variables in the training group, were statistically significant (P<0. 01) for all variables, except for knee flexion angle. Additionally, the training group experienced significant improvements (P<0. 01) in kinematic variables during DVJ, such as reduced MKD in the pre-land frame (4. 32º ) and reduced MKD in a land frame (5. 51º ). They also indicated significant improvements (P<0. 01) in performance variables, such as increased total Y balance test (3. 33 cm), increased single hop test (13. 25 cm), increased triple hop test (22. 25 cm), increased crossover hop test (19. 81 cm), and reduced (0. 23 s) 6 meter timed hop test scores. Conclusion: Due to the correction key risk factors of noncontact ACL injury Medial Knee Displacement (MKD), improved landing kinematic and increased performance, it seems that in male basketball players with MKD, this corrective exercises program can help to prevent noncontact knee injuries caused by MKD during functional activities like DVJ; it can also help to improve performance.

Purpose: of the most critical changes in the elderly is the weakness in keeping their balance that can expose them to severe injury risks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of 8 weeks of strength, balance, and combined (strength and balance) training programs on the dynamic and static balance of inactive older men. Methods: Forty older men, who were the members of Robat Karim Social Security Retirement Association, voluntarily participated in this study. The subjects were randomly assigned to 1. The strength training group; 2. The balance training group; 3. The combined (strength and balance) training group; and 4. The control group. To assess the samples’ static balance, we used the Sharpened Romberg test. Also, their dynamic balance was assessed by the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT). To analyze the difference in means between groups variables in the pre-test and post-test, the Paired t-test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with Tukey’ s post hoc test were used. The significance level was set at P≤ 0. 05. Results: The results of this study showed that strength, balance, and combined exercise programs improved the dynamic and static balance of older men (P=0. 001). Conclusion: Balance is essential for everyday activities for all people, especially older adults. To reduce the probability of falling in older adults, we recommend applying strength, balance, and combined exercise programs for improving balance in these people.

Purpose: The intellectual development of people with mental retardation has been stopped or is incomplete. This condition is associated with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) of the general cognition level and affects the verbal, motor, and cognitive abilities of these people. This study aims to investigate the effect of selective balance/corrective exercises on the balance performance of mentally-retarded students with DCD. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 23 mentally-retarded male students with DCD. They were randomly assigned to the groups of intervention (n=12, Mean± SD age: 15. 75± 1. 21 y, Mean± SD height: 1. 67± 0. 08 m, Mean± SD weight: 61. 28± 14. 34 kg) and control (n=11, Mean± SD age: 16. 73± 1. 34 y, Mean± SD height: 1. 72± 0. 07 m, Mean± SD weight: 70. 28± 15. 75 kg). The intervention group performed selective balance/corrective exercises for 8 weeks (three sessions per week). To assess the static balance and dynamic balance of the samples, the modified Stork test with eyes open and closed mode and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test were used, respectively. The Pediatric Balance Scale was used to assess functional balance. For analyzing the collected data, the Independent t test and analysis of covariance were carried out. Results: There was a significant difference between the two study groups in terms of static balance with eyes open (P=0. 01) and closed (P=0. 01) and dynamic balance (P=0. 01); however, no significant difference was found between them with respect to functional balance (P>0. 05). Conclusion: The selected balance/corrective exercises can improve the static and dynamic balance of mentally-retarded students with DCD.

Purpose: Considering the high prevalence of dynamic valgus and its impact on sports performance among the female athletes, the present study aimed to examine the effect of a course of selective plyometric training on the lower extremity functional performance indexes of female athletes with dynamic knee valgus. Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-post-test design. The study population comprised the athletic girls with dynamic valgus referring to Bu-Ali Sina gymnasium of the University of Hamadan in 2018. Of them, 26 eligible girls who met the inclusion criteria were selected purposefully and then randomly assigned into experimental (Mean± SD age=20. 25± 2. 34 y, Mean± SD BMI=21. 27± 2. 75 kg/m2) and control (Mean± SD age=21. 16± 2. 79 y, Mean± SD BMI=21. 60± 2. 68 kg/m2) groups. The experimental group performed specific plyometric training for 8 weeks, 3 times a week. Assessing the dependent variable was done using dynamic balance, Sargent and Illinois Agility tests in the pretest and post-test. The comparisons between experimental and control groups in the pretest and post-test were made by analysis of covariance and the dependent t-tests, respectively in SPSS V. 20. The significance level was set at 0. 05 or lower. Results: Considering the pretest as the covariate parameter, a significant improvement was found for total dynamic balance (P=0. 005), anterior leg (P=0. 001), medial-posterior leg (P=0. 001), lateral-posterior side of right leg (P=0. 028), vertical jump (P=0. 001) and Illinois jumping test score (P=0. 001) in the experimental group. Conclusion: An improvement was seen in the dynamic balance and the movement performance of the participants with dynamic valgus after doing plyometric exercises that result in subsequent improvement in their exercise performance.

Purpose: Neuroscience studies suggest that Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) is associated with central sensitization, and maladaptive reorganization of the brain; this introduced a new target for LBP treatment. Studies revealed that cortical and peripheral electrical stimulation can be beneficial in regulating brain neuronal activity. However, there is a scarcity of evidence to support the effects of cortical and peripheral stimulation on brain function in patients with CLBP. This double-blind randomized controlled trial investigates the immediate and short-term effects of cortical and peripheral stimulation applied alone and combined on brain activity, pain, and function in patients with CLBP. Methods: Twenty-seven patients with CLBP will be randomozed into three intervention groups using covariate adaptive randomization. The intervention group receives 10 sessions of treatment for 5 days/week as follows: 1: Real Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and real Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS); group 2: Real tDCS and sham TENS; and group 3: Sham tDCS and real TENS. Brian waves activity, pain intensity, functional ability, and pain threshold will be assessed before, immediately after the first session of treatment, as well as one day and 1 month after the interventions. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide insight into the effects of cortical and peripheral stimulation applied alone or combined on brain function in patients with CLBP. It also improves our understanding about potential association between CLBP and cortical plasticity.

Purpose: The present research aimed to compare the effect and follow-up of 8-week corrective exercises with and without the myofascial release on the correction of forward shoulder deformity in male students. Methods: A total of 45 male students suffering from abnormal forward shoulder deformity (more than 52-degree) with the Mean± SD age of 22. 12± 2. 88 years, Mean± SD height of 175. 44± 6. 80 cm and Mean± SD weight of 71. 21± 7. 31 kg were selected and randomly assigned in three groups: corrective exercises, combinational exercises (corrective exercises and myofascial release), and control. The exercise groups did the study tasks for eight weeks under the direct observation of the researcher. Before starting the exercises, immediately after the end of the exercises (8 weeks later) and finally, 4 weeks after the completion of the exercises, the subjects’ angle of the forward shoulder was measured using a photography method. Then, the collected data were analyzed using the variance analysis tests with repeated measurements and ANCOVA. Results: The results showed that the degree of forward shoulder after eight weeks of exercises in both training groups in the posttest and follow-up test was significantly lower than that in the pretest. The ANCOVA test results also demonstrated that the forward shoulder degree in the corrective exercises group with the myofascial release was significantly lower than that in the corrective exercises group in the posttest and follow-up test (P≤ 0. 05). Conclusion: According to the results, the corrective exercises program with the myofascial release is more ef fective than the corrective exercises alone in correcting the forward shoulder deformity.

Purpose: Scoliosis is a three-dimensional deformity of the spine in which the resulting imbalance accompanied by the changes in muscle and nervous components can harm the postural control. Various treatments have been suggested so far to correct scoliosis, in which using corrective exercises along with brace are essential to limit the growing curvature, improve spine stability and postural control, and reduce the degree of curvature. Methods: Our case was a 14-year-old girl who had a 40-degree thoracic curve (T6 to T11) toward the right and a 50-degree lumbar curvature (T12 to L4) toward the left. To evaluate her scoliosis, we took side view radiography for 4 to 6 months. Also, we used balance master posturography to assess the patient's postural control before and after the intervention. The patient's treatment process included a long-term implementation of a corrective exercise protocol in 3 phases plus using the Milwaukee brace. Results: The Cobb angle in the kyphosis curve showed a 15-degree improvement. Also, the Cobb angle showed a 32-degree correction in the thoracic curve and a 30-degree reduction in the lumbar curve. A significant improvement was observed in all of the tests of postural control, indicating improved balance and postural control of the subject during corrective exercises. Conclusion: Simultaneous using the brace and long-term corrective exercises with emphasis on the improvement of postural control could be useful in improving the scoliosis curves in an adolescent girl with idiopathic scoliosis.