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

Qigong exercise could reduce upper limb lymphedema and improve blood flow in breast cancer survivors

Poster Presentation: PO-1261This journal suppl. entitled: Abstracts: 7th World Congress of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine ...OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Qigong exercise on upper limb lymphedema, arterial resistance and blood flow velocity in postmastectomy breast cancer survivors. METHOD: Eleven breast cancer survivors with Qigong experience (mean age: 58.3±10.1 years) were assigned to the experimental group and 12 breast cancer survivors without Qigong experience (mean age: 53.8±4.2 years) were assigned to the control group. After baseline measurements were taken, the experimental group performed 18 Forms Tai Chi Qigong exercise for approximately 6 ...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

Altered postural control strategies and sensory organization in children with developmental coordination disorder

The postural control of children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD) was compared under conditions of reduced or conflicting sensory input. Twenty-two children with DCD (16 males, 6 females; mean age 7. years 6. months, SD 1. year 5. months) and 19 children with normal motor development were tested (13 males, 6 females; mean age 6. years 11. months, SD 1. year 1. month). Standing balance, sensory organization and motor control strategy were evaluated using the sensory organization test (SOT). The results revealed that children with DCD had lower composite equilibrium scores (p< .001), visual ratios (p= .005) and vestibular ratios (p= .002) than normal children in the control group. No significant between-group difference in their average somatosensory ratio was observed. Additionally, children with DCD had lower motor strategy scores (swayed more on their hips) than the normal children when forced to depend on vestibular cues alone to balance (p< .05). We conclude that children with DCD had deficits in standing balance control in conditions that included reduced or conflicting sensory signals. The visual and vestibular systems tended to be more involved in contributing to the balance deficits than the somatosensory system. Moreover, children with DCD tended to use hip strategy excessively when forced to rely primarily on vestibular signals to maintain postural stability. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.postprin

Taekwondo training improves sensory organization and balance control in children with developmental coordination disorder: A randomized controlled trial

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have poorer postural control and are more susceptible to falls and injuries than their healthy counterparts. Sports training may improve sensory organization and balance ability in this population. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of three months of Taekwondo (TKD) training on the sensory organization and standing balance of children with DCD. It is a randomized controlled trial. Forty-four children with DCD (mean age: 7.6 ± 1.3 years) and 18 typically developing children (mean age: 7.2 ± 1.0 years) participated in the study. Twenty-one children with DCD were randomly selected to undergo daily TKD training for three months (1. h per day). Twenty-three children with DCD and 18 typically developing children received no training as controls. Sensory organization and standing balance were evaluated using a sensory organization test (SOT) and unilateral stance test (UST), respectively. Repeated measures MANCOVA showed a significant group by time interaction effect. Post hoc analysis demonstrated that improvements in the vestibular ratio (p= 0.003) and UST sway velocity (p= 0.007) were significantly greater in the DCD-TKD group than in the DCD-control group. There was no significant difference in the average vestibular ratio or UST sway velocity between the DCD-TKD and normal-control group after three months of TKD training (p> 0.05). No change was found in the somatosensory ratio after TKD training (p> 0.05). Significant improvements in visual ratios, vestibular ratios, SOT composite scores and UST sway velocities were also observed in the DCD-TKD group after training (p≤ 0.01). Three months of daily TKD training can improve sensory organization and standing balance for children with DCD. Clinicians can suggest TKD as a therapeutic leisure activity for this population. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.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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Core muscle activity during TRX suspension exercises with and without kinesiology taping in adults with chronic low back pain: Implications for rehabilitation

This study aimed to examine the effects of kinesiology taping (KT) and different TRX suspension workouts on the amplitude of electromyographic (EMG) activity in the core muscles among people with chronic low back pain (LBP). Each participant (total n=21) was exposed to two KT conditions: no taping and taping, while performing four TRX suspension exercises: (1) hamstring curl, (2) hip abduction in plank, (3) chest press, and (4) 45-degree row. Right transversus abdominis/internal oblique (TrAIO), rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), and superficial lumbar multifidus (LMF) activity was recorded with surface EMG and expressed as a percentage of the EMG amplitude recorded during a maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the respective muscles. Hip abduction in plank increased TrAIO, RA, and LMF EMG amplitude compared with other TRX positions (P0.05). Hip abduction in plank most effectively activated abdominal muscles, whereas the hamstring curl most effectively activated the paraspinal muscles. Applying KT conferred no immediate benefits in improving the core muscle activation during TRX training in adults with chronic LBP.published_or_final_versio

Deficits in lower limb muscle reflex contraction latency and peak force are associated with impairments in postural control and gross motor skills of children with developmental coordination disorder: A cross-sectional study

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