The Effects of Heat and Sports Massage on Resting Muscle and Connective Tissue Stiffness

Yahvah, Adrian, MS, May 2008 Major Exercise Science The Effects of Sports Massage and superficial Heat on Resting Muscle and Connective Tissue Stiffness. Chairperson: Dr. Valerie Rich Introduction: Massage is promoted to enhance sports performance by increasing tissue extensibility, increasing circulation and decreasing pain from previous injury or strenuous competition. The use of massage for this purpose continues to be widespread despite the lack of evidence supporting any physiological benefit. Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the effect of sports massage, superficial heat, and no treatment on resting muscle stiffness in 14 college level athletes. Methods: The trials consisted of a 10 minute session of 3 specific sports massage techniques, 10 minutes of superficial hot pack application, or 10 minutes of no treatment. Myotonometer measurements were taken pre and post for each trial. A Pre and Post Treatment Tightness Questionnaire was administered prior to and after each trial to assess perceived hamstring tightness and a single leg vertical jump test was used to assess performance after each treatment. Skin temperature was collected each minute for all trials. Analysis: All data was analyzed using repeated measures MANOVA with bonferroni correction when appropriate. There were significant differences in resting muscle and connective tissue stiffness in the sports massage group pre to post at forces 1.75 kg, and 2.00 kg( p=.004,p=.006) and significant interaction between heat and sports massage at 1.75 kg and 2.00 kg(p=.006, p=.008) There were no significant differences for vertical jump testing. The Pre and Post Treatment Tightness Questionnaire found that subjects preferred heat and sports massage for increasing range of motion and looseness but did not feel that either treatment increased strength or power of hamstrings. Discussion: Resting muscle and connective tissue stiffness significantly differed after superficial heat compared to sports massage in treatment leg. Sports massage significantly decreased muscle stiffness compared to superficial heat. Pre and Post Treatment Tightness questionnaire provide no support for perceived or functional improvements as a result of treatments. Keywords: Myotonometer, modalities, soft tissue deformatio

The effectiveness of PPE against occupational exposure to chemotherapy agents

Hazardous drugs like chemotherapy agents can be absorbed through the skin, which is “the primary rationale for wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) during all stages of hazardous drug handling” (Eisenberg, 2016, p. 378). Occupational exposure to chemotherapy agents has been linked to “increased cancer occurrence; adverse reproductive outcomes, including infertility and miscarriage; fetal defects when expose during pregnancy; chromosomal damage; and symptoms such as nausea, allergic reactions and contact dermatitis” (Bouraoui et al., 2011; Dranitsaris et al., 2005; Durrieu, Rigal, Bugat, & Lapeyre-Mestre, 2004; El-Ebiary, Abuelfadl, & Sarhan, 2011; Fransman et al., 2007; Hemminki, Kyyrönen, & Lindbohm, 1985; Mader, Kokalj, Kratochvil, Pilger, & Rüdiger, 2009; McDiarmid, Rogers, & Oliver, 2014). In one study performed by Colvin, C., Karius, D., and Albert, N. (2016), it was observed that the rate of oncology nurses that followed the recommended guidelines for safe application of PPE when administering parenteral chemotherapy agents were “lower than expected” (p. 621). The purpose of this evidenced-based practice brief is to examine the amount of occupational exposure to chemotherapy agents in oncology nurses who follow PPE protocol in comparison to those who do not. Safety guidelines, such as double-gloving and proper disposal of chemotherapy agents and its associated equipment, provide nurses with the necessary expertise to safely and effectively administer hazardous drugs (Colvin, C., et al., 2016, p. 621)

Relationships Among Microbial Communities, Maternal Cells, Oligosaccharides, and Macronutrients in Human Milk

Human milk provides all essential nutrients necessary for early life and is rich in nonnutrients, maternally derived (host) cells, and bacteria, but almost nothing is known about the interplay among these components. Research aim: The primary objective of this research was to characterize relationships among macronutrients, maternal cells, and bacteria in milk. Milk samples were collected from 16 women and analyzed for protein, lipid, fatty acid, lactose, and human milk oligosaccharide concentrations. Concentrations of maternal cells were determined using microscopy, and somatic cell counts were enumerated. Microbial ecologies were characterized using culture-independent methods. Absolute and relative concentrations of maternal cells were mostly consistent within each woman as were relative abundances of bacterial genera, and there were many apparent relationships between these factors. For instance, relative abundance of Serratia was negatively associated with somatic cell counts ( r = -.47, p < .0001) and neutrophil concentration ( r = -.38, p < .0006). Concentrations of several oligosaccharides were correlated with maternally derived cell types as well as somatic cell counts; for example, lacto-N-tetraose and lacto-N-neotetraose were inversely correlated with somatic cell counts ( r = -.64, p = .0082; r = -.52, p = .0387, respectively), and relative abundance of Staphylococcus was positively associated with total oligosaccharide concentration ( r = .69, p = .0034). Complex relationships between milk nutrients and bacterial community profile, maternal cells, and milk oligosaccharides were also apparent. These data support the possibility that profiles of maternally derived cells, nutrient concentrations, and the microbiome of human milk might be interrelated