The Effects of core stability Exercise on the dynamic balance of volleyball players

Dynamic balance is a key component of injury prevention and rehabilitation in sports. Training the core muscles has been hypothesized as an intervention for improving balance. However, there is a lack of current scientific evidence to support this claim. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a core stability program on dynamic balance of volleyball players as measured with the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT). Thirty healthy participants were divided into 2 groups: control and exercise groups. All participants performed the SEBT before and after 8-week exercise time. During the 8-week time, the exercise group performed a core stability program, whereas the control group abstained from any new exercise. These results also illustrated there was significant differences in the scores for pre-test and post-test of all direction according SEBT in the experimental group. An independent sample t-test was conducted to compare experimental and control group (F= 43.573, Sig= 0.000). These results were a significant difference in the scores for control and experimental groups. Maximum excursion distances improved for the exercise group, compared with the control group. This result justifies the hypothesis that core strengthening can improve dynamic postural control during landing of volleyball players significantly

Intensive resistance exercise and circadian salivary testosterone concentrations among young male recreational lifters

Strength and morphological adaptations to resistance exercise are mediated in part by anabolic hormones such as testosterone, yet the time course of variability in circadian hormone concentrations is not well characterized. This study, investigated how the circadian rhythm of salivary testosterone is altered by resistance exercise in young men. Twenty healthy young male recreational lifters (age, 18.0 ± 1.3 years) with 2 years of experience in weightlifting were recruited. A randomized controlled trial was conducted, and subjects were randomly assigned to either the resistance exercise group (n = 10), who completed a series of resistance exercise (3 times a week, in the afternoon, 6-7 repetitions, at 85% of 1 repetition maximum for 3 weeks), or a control group (n = 10), who did not exercise during the 3 weeks. Before and after the study, an unstimulated saliva sample (2 ml) was taken every 2 hours for a maximum of 16 hours during each day. A significant decrease was observed in the resistance exercise (44.2%, p = 0.001) and control group (46.1%, p = 0.001) for salivary testosterone at each time point compared with baseline (p = 0.001). There was also no significant difference between the exercise and resting conditions in both groups for salivary testosterone (p > 0.05), except a significantly higher increase by 38.4% vs. -0.02% (p = 0.001), at 1730 hours during exercise sessions in the resistance exercise group compared with the control group. Resistance exercise has no noteworthy effect on circadian secretion of salivary testosterone throughout the 16 waking hours. These results indicate that athletes can undertake resistance exercise in either the morning or afternoon with the knowledge that a similar testosterone response can be expected regardless of the time of day

Physical activity as a prescription for the children with cerebral palsy

After so many years devoted to practicing medicine as children physiotherapists, the therapists finally found the importance of balance training exercises in children who suffer from cerebral palsy. It is only through controlling balance that we can achieve improvement in body movement and position that will culminate into performance independence in a child. Formerly, working over controlling balance in cerebral palsy children has been very difficult, because contracture and spasticity did not let us to have an effective balance training exercise. In this respect, we have summarized the results of previous authors that specify the level of effectiveness of exercise therapy. The results of different studies showed that level of effectiveness of exercise therapy on alleviating the symptoms of spastic cerebral palsy is average in accordance with Cohen's effect size Interpretation table

A randomized controlled trial to establish the impact of aquatic exercise training on functional capacity, balance, and perceptions of fatigue in female patients with multiple sclerosis

Objective: To assess the effects of 8-weeks aquatic exercise training on functional capacity, balance, and perceptions of fatigue in women with multiple sclerosis (MS). Design: A randomized controlled design. Setting: Referral center of a multiple sclerosis society. Participants: Women (age:36.4 ±8.2; BMI:24.5 ±1.9) diagnosed with RR-type (relapsing-remitting) MS. After undergoing baseline testing, participants were allocated to either an intervention (aquatic training programme) or a control group. Interventions: The intervention consisted of an 8-week aquatic training programme (3 supervised training sessions per week; session duration; 45-60 min; 50-75% heart rate reserve). Main measures: Six-minute walk test (6-MWT); balance (Berg Balance Scale; BBS), and perceptions of fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale; MFIS), at baseline and after an 8 week intervention. Differences over time between the experimental and control groups were assessed by a 2x2 (group by time) repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: 32 women (age:36.4 ±8.2; BMI:24.5 ±1.9) completed the 8-week aquatic training intervention (experimental group, n=17; controls, n = 15). All outcome measures improved in the experimental group; 6-MWT performance (451±58 m to 503±57 m; P<0.001); BBS (pre-test mean, 53.59±1.70; post-test mean, 55.18±1.18; P<0.001), and in the MFIS (pre-test mean, 43.1±14.6, post-test mean, 32.8 ±5.9;P<0.01). A significant group-by-time interaction was evident between the experimental and controls groups for 6-MWT:P<0.001, ηp²=0.551; BBS:P<0.001, ηp²=0.423; and MFIS: P<0.001, ηp²=0.679. Conclusions: Aquatic exercise training improves functional capacity, balance, and perceptions of fatigue in women with MS

Strength-training and biological rhythm of male sex hormone among judoists

Testosterone is a steroid hormone that is secreted by the testes with a diurnal rhythm and has a strong anti-catabolic (anabolic) effect on muscles. There is a strong relationship (r > 0.9) between concentrations of testosterone in the saliva and blood. The main purpose of the current study is to investigate the effect of strength-training on levels of salivary testosterone in male judoists. In a cross-sectional investigation, a population of 18 fit young male judoists (aged 17.0 ± 1.2 year, body mass 72 ± 3 kg, height 175 ± 3 cm, means ± SD), with at least 1.5 years of experience in judo classes was examined in Isfahan, Iran, in December, 2012. The period of testing consisted of two days of “rest” and two days of “exercise”. Subjects were randomly divided into two conditions that performed either the “rest” or “exercise” days during the first week, with the opposite type of day in the second week. The training regimen consisted of three repetitions of nine tasks, with 1 min of rest between each of the three sets, performed on alternate days for 8 weeks. Unstimulated saliva was collected (1–2 ml) every 2 h from 06:00 till 22:00 h. ANOVA with repeated measures was used to assess differences between the rest and exercise days. Strength-training sessions caused a significant decrease in testosterone levels immediately after exercise (p  0.05). It is concluded that strength-training does not significantly affect the normal biological rhythm of salivary testosterone during the waking period in male judoists

Office exercise training to reduce and prevent the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders among office workers: a hypothesis

Pain in specific areas of the body (including the lower back, neck, and shoulders) due to extended periods of sitting and inactivity is the most widespread musculoskeletal disorder worldwide and has consequences that are both socio-economic and personal. This condition is particularly prevalent in industrialised countries, affecting roughly 70% to 80% of adults at some point in their lives; approximately 1% of the U.S. population is chronically disabled by this type of pain disorder. A practical way to reduce the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among office workers would have a significant positive impact. More work is required to develop a package of exercises designed to prevent and treat musculoskeletal pain in office workers. Such a package would be preferable to pharmacological treatments, which can have undesirable side effects. The main objective of this package would be to increase the flexibility and strength of trunk muscles in order to decrease the soreness, pain, and degree of discomfort. In this article, we introduce our proposed package of exercises, which are based on guidelines issued bythe American College of Sports Medicine

Musculoskeletal disorders and their relationship with physical activities among office workers: a review

Lower back, neck and shoulder pain are the most prevalent musculoskeletal problems affecting office workers worldwide, and they have both personal and socioeconomic consequences as well. Several hypotheses regarding the underlying mechanisms and the maintenance behind office work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been presented. There is some evidence, based on epidemiological studies as well as studies upon smaller groups of subjects, that individuals who sit and work for a long time not only show cognitive impairment at the workplace, but also suffer from poorer and fragmented daytime sleep, in addition to increased risks of developing various psychological, physiological and medical impairments and musculoskeletal disorders. The related physical mechanisms behind musculoskeletal disorders are discussed in the context of new findings. The main causes, as well as varying levels in severity of musculoskeletal disorders, not to mention the link between such disorders in the neck, shoulder and lower back regions and physical activity among office workers are also stated. The main objective of this review paper is to conduct a systematic review to identify musculoskeletal disorders and how these disorders are correlated with physical activity among office workers. The results of this review indicate that the musculoskeletal disorder is a critical issue among office workers and the main cause is related to the absence of physical activity as well as the subjects’ sedentary lifestyle. As a practical message, regular physical activity can be effective in the prevention and decrease of physical discomfort among office workers who suffer from musculoskeletal pain

Effects of kinesiotaping on knee osteoarthritis: A literature review

The purpose of this review was to determine the current evidence-base for the efficacy of kinesiotaping in patients with osteoarthritis. Search-ing was undertaken using MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) from 2007 to 2018. The target terms included within our search criteria were "kinesiotape," "osteoar-thrites," "knee pain," "adults," and "geriatric." Current findings indicate that kinesiotaping can be considered a useful method for decreasing pain without any side effects in patients with osteoarthritis. The search yielded 1,062 articles and finally seven studies met inclusion criteria. However, there are a limited number of appropriately powered, robustly designed studies. Further research is required to fully understand the short- and longer-term impact of kinesotaping in patients with osteoar-thritis

A comprehensive screening protocol to identify incidence of lower back pain in military office workers

Military workers experience different types of lower back pain (LBP), but there is little evidence concerning the incidence of LBP in this group, especially in Asian countries. One of the most common forms of LBP is discogenic low back pain (DLBP) which is a consequence of internal disc disruption accounting for approximately 40% of LBP cases. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the incidence of non-specific low back pain (LBP), discogenic LBP, and other forms of LBP in military office workers in Iran. 564 military office workers (303 men and 261 women, age: 20-50 years), who had worked in this setting for at least two years, were randomly selected from one military office. The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) was used as the primary screening tool. Participants who reported severe and mild LBP (graded low, mild, and severe) received a detailed physical examination including radiological magnetic resonance imaging. Based on the results of the physical examination, in conjunction with individual history, and medical opinion, mild-to-severe LBP was evident in 39% (n = 220) of the participants. Of these, non-specific LBP accounted for 60%, discogenic LBP accounted for 31%, and other forms of LBP accounted for the remaining 9% of the sample. We found that LBP is highly incident in military office workers, with non-specific LBP being the most incident form. Considering these high incidence rates, a strategy for preventive health screening and exercise intervention should be considered in this population to help reduce absenteeism and increase workforce productivity

Multimodal impact of acupuncture, exercise therapy, and concurrent functional electrical stimulation on osteoarthritis of the knee: a case report

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) causes functional limitation in weight-bearing activities including walking. To investigate the multimodal impact of acupuncture, exercise therapy, and concurrent functional electrical stimulation (FES) on knee osteoarthritis. We designed a multidisciplinary treatment package including acupuncture; home based exercise therapy, and concurrent functional electrical stimulation during treadmill walking. Outcomes measurements included the numerical rating scale (NRS), the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK). Measurements were completed at baseline and following the treatment phase which consisted of six individual sessions. A 48-year-old male, office worker presented with a history of chronic right knee. During the previous year, he was diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis after clinical physical examination by a sports medicine physician. Following our novel training intervention, the patient reported a reduction in pain intensity from 8 to 2 on the NRS, improved in all KOOS subscale scores, and improved in the TSK scale (reduction from 15 to 11). In addition, the patient reported that he was able to return to work and undertake normal activities of daily living with reduced knee pain. This case report showed that our novel multimodal intervention including six sessions of acupuncture, exercise therapy, and treadmill walking with functional electrical stimulation (FES) had a positive impact on knee pain and function in a middle-aged male with knee osteoarthritis