Sensory integration and standing balance in adolescent taekwondo practitioners

Taekwondo (TKD) is a popular sport among adolescents. This study aims to (a) compare the balance performance between adolescent TKD practitioners at different levels of expertise with nonpractitioners and (b) determine the sensory system(s) that contributed to the balance function in adolescents with and without TKD training. Subjects with >5 years of TKD training (n = 11), <4 years of training (n = 10), and no training (n = 10) participated in this study. The sway velocity, somatosensory, vestibular and visual ratios were recorded during standing on a balance testing system. Both short- and long-term TKD practitioners swayed slower than control subjects when standing on one leg (p = .016 and 0.012, respectively). However, only short-term practitioners have better visual ratio (p = .018) and vestibular ratio (p = .029) than control subjects. There was no significant difference in the somatosensory ratio among the 3 groups. We conclude that adolescents undertaking TKD training may have better balance performance than untrained subjects. © 2012 Human Kinetics, Inc.published_or_final_versio

Taekwondo training speeds up the development of balance and sensory functions in young adolescents

Objectives: This study aimed (1) to identify the developmental status of balance and sensory functions in young adolescents as compared to adults and, (2) to explore the effect of Taekwondo (TKD) training on the development of balance and sensory systems in young adolescents. Design: Cross-sectional controlled trial. Methods: Sixty-six participants including 42 adolescents (21 TKD practitioners, 21 non-TKD practitioners) and 24 adults were tested. The sway velocity of centre of gravity was recorded during standing on the non-dominant leg on a Smart Equitest ® system. The somatosensory, vestibular and visual ratios were also measured with the machine. Results: Adult participants swayed slower than both TKD and non-TKD adolescent groups during single leg stance with eyes open (p=0.007 and p< 0.001, respectively). The TKD adolescent group, in turn, swayed slower than the non-TKD adolescent group (p< 0.001). Adult participants had better visual ratio than both TKD and non-TKD adolescents (p=0.001 and p< 0.001, respectively) while there was no difference between the TKD and non-TKD adolescents (p=0.164). For the vestibular ratio, there was no significant difference between adult participants and TKD adolescents (p=0.432). Adolescents who did not practice TKD showed significantly lower vestibular ratio than TKD adolescents and adults (p=0.003 and p<0.001, respectively). In addition, there was no significant difference in the somatosensory ratio among the 3 participant groups (p=0.711). Conclusions: Participation in TKD appears to speed up the development of postural control and vestibular function in adolescents. Clinicians might advocate TKD exercise as a therapeutic intervention for young people with balance or vestibular dysfunctions. © 2011 Sports Medicine Australia.postprin

Effects of a 6-month Tai Chi Qigong program on arterial hemodynamics and functional aerobic capacity in survivors of nasopharyngeal cancer

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Direction-specific impairment of stability limits and falls in children with developmental coordination disorder: Implications for rehabilitation

Limit of stability (LOS) is an important yet under-examined postural control ability in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). This study aimed to (1) compare the LOS and fall frequencies of children with and without DCD, and (2) explore the relationships between LOS parameters and falls in the DCD population. Thirty primary school-aged children with DCD and twenty age- and sex-matched typically-developing children participated in the study. Postural control ability, specifically LOS in standing, was evaluated using the LOS test. Reaction time, movement velocity, maximum excursion, end point excursion, and directional control were then calculated. Self-reported fall incidents in the previous week were also documented. Multivariate analysis of variance results revealed that children with DCD had shorter LOS maximum excursion in the backward direction compared to the control group (p = 0.003). This was associated with a higher number of falls in daily life (rho = −0.556, p = 0.001). No significant between-groups differences were found in other LOS-derived outcomes (p > 0.05). Children with DCD had direction-specific postural control impairment, specifically, diminished LOS in the backward direction. This is related to their falls in daily life. Therefore, improving LOS should be factored into rehabilitation treatment for children with DCD.postprin

The Effect of Vestibular Stimulation on Eye-Hand Coordination and Postural Control in Elite Basketball Players

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Effects of qigong exercise on upper limb lymphedema and blood flow in survivors of breast cancer: A pilot study

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Reliability and validity of alternate step test times in subjects with chronic stroke

OBJECTIVE: (i) To investigate the intra-rater, inter-rater and test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change of the Alternate Step Test (AST) when assessing people with chronic stroke. (ii) To quantify the correlation between AST times and stroke-specific impairments. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University-based rehabilitation centre. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 86 participants: 45 with chronic stroke, and 41 healthy elderly subjects. METHODS: The AST was administered along with the Fugl-Meyer Lower Extremity Assessment (FMA-LE), the Five Times Sit-To-Stand Test (FTSTS), limits of stability (LOS) measurements, Berg Balance Scale (BBS) scores, Chinese-translated Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC-C) ratings, and the Timed “Up and Go” test (TUG). RESULTS: Excellent intra-rater, inter-rater and test-retest reliability were found, with a minimal detectable change of 3.26 s. AST times were significantly associated with FMA-LE assessment, FTSTS times, LOS in the forward and backward directions and to the affected side, BBS ratings and TUG times. CONCLUSION: AST time is a reliable assessment tool that correlates with different stroke-specific impairments in people with chronic stroke.published_or_final_versio

The effects of a 6-month Tai Chi Qigong training program on temporomandibular, cervical and shoulder joint mobility and sleep problems in nasopharyngeal cancer survivors

Introduction. Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) survivors often sustain head–neck–shoulder impairments from conventional treatments, which could disturb sleep. This novel study aimed to examine the efficacy of Tai Chi (TC) Qigong in optimizing temporomandibular joint (TMJ), cervical, and shoulder joint mobility and reducing sleep problems in NPC survivors. Methods. Fifty-two NPC survivors participated in the study. The experimental group (n = 25) received 6 months of TC Qigong training (1.5 h/session; 4 sessions/wk including self-practice) while the control group (n = 27) received no training. Cervical side flexion and rotation, shoulder flexion and horizontal flexion range of motion (ROM), mouth opening capacity (interincisor distance), and sleep problems (Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale) were assessed at baseline, mid-intervention (3 months), immediately after TC Qigong training, and at 6-month follow-up. Results. Intention-to-treat analysis revealed improvement in cervical side flexion ROM only (P .008) after the TC Qigong training. Deterioration was observed in shoulder flexion ROM and mouth opening capacity in the no-training controls over time (P < .008). Sleep problems also decreased in the TC Qigong group (P < .008), and this effect was most profound during the follow-up period. In addition, improvement in cervical side flexion ROM was associated with a reduction in sleep problems in the experimental group after TC Qigong training (P < .05). Conclusions. The 6-month TC Qigong intervention improved neck mobility, maintained TMJ and shoulder joint mobility, and reduced sleep problems for NPC survivors. TC Qigong could be an effective nonpharmacological intervention for managing progressive trismus, chronic neck and shoulder hypomobility, and reducing sleep problems among NPC survivors.postprin