Regular yoga exercises and quality of life in women with low back pain - a pilot study

Back pain symptoms are one of prevailing disfunctions that determine lowering quality of life and functioning in work environment becoming not only a health problem, but also a social problem in developed countries. In available literature yoga exercises are more and more indicated as a method of leveling low back pain. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the effectiveness of 8-week yoga exercises on quality of life and back pain symptoms by it’s location and intensity in women with normal and excessive body weight. Twenty seven women completed both surveys (preliminary and evaluation), and systematically took part in yoga exercises for 8 weeks. The duration of a single yoga class was 45-60 minutes long. Yoga exercise program required attending to a conducted yoga classes (ashtanga yoga, yin yoga, hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga and yoga for hips and spine), at least twice a week for two months. After 8 weeks 92,59% of participants of program declared noticeable reduce in back pain intensity related to yoga exercises (including 22,22% of complete pain relief). Pain in the lumbar region of the spine was still dominating after 8 weeks (55,56%). It was observed that the majority of the SF-36 health domains scores increased values after 8-week yoga program, what could be related to the reduce of back pain intensity. After 8-week yoga program decrease in mean values of body mass were observed, however these changes were not statistically significant. Two-month yoga intervention may be recommended as a complementary physiotherapeutic method in low back pain treatment as well as to improve the quality of life for women. The relationship between yoga and prevention of obesity requires further research on larger group and the impact of obesity phenotypes is needed to be investigated

Wpływ masażu głębokiego na mięsień czworogłowy piłkarzy nożnych, w badaniach izokinetycznych i termowizyjnych = Influence of massage deep in quadriceps soccer players, in isokinetic testing and thermography

Żuk Maciej, Dębiec-Bąk Agnieszka, Pawik Łukasz, Skrzek Anna. Wpływ masażu głębokiego na mięsień czworogłowy piłkarzy nożnych, w badaniach izokinetycznych i termowizyjnych = Influence of massage deep in quadriceps soccer players, in isokinetic testing and thermography. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2016;6(7):236-251. eISSN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.57448http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/3689https://pbn.nauka.gov.pl/sedno-webapp/works/735974  The journal has had 7 points in Ministry of Science and Higher Education parametric evaluation. Part B item 755 (23.12.2015).755 Journal of Education, Health and Sport eISSN 2391-8306 7© The Author (s) 2016;This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, PolandOpen Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,provided the original author(s) and source are credited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercialuse, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.Received: 15.06.2016. Revised 09.07.2016. Accepted: 09.07.2016.  Artykuł oryginalny WPŁYW MASAŻU GŁĘBOKIEGO NA MIĘSIEŃ CZWOROGŁOWY PIŁKARZY NOŻNYCH, W BADANIACH IZOKINETYCZNYCH I TERMOWIZYJNYCHINFLUENCE OF MASSAGE DEEP IN QUADRICEPS SOCCER PLAYERS, IN ISOKINETIC TESTING AND THERMOGRAPHYŻuk Maciej, Dębiec-Bąk Agnieszka, Pawik Łukasz, Skrzek AnnaWydział Fizjoterapii, Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego we WrocławiuFaculty of Physiotherapy, University School of Physical Education in Wroclaw Wydział Fizjoterapii AWF WrocławAl. I. J. Paderewskiego 35 51-612 Wrocławtel. +48 71 34 73 046e-mail: [email protected]  STRESZCZENIECelem pracy była ocena zmian parametrów prędkościowo-siłowych mięśnia czworogłowego uda oraz ocena zmian rozkładu temperatury powierzchniowej kończyn dolnych w wyniku zastosowania elementów masażu głębokiego. W badaniach wzięło udział 21 piłkarzy nożnych, w wieku od 16 do 17 roku życia (średnia 16,8 lat). Przed zastosowaniem elementów masażu głębokiego każdy z zawodników został poddany badaniu termowizyjnemu i izokinetycznemu. Po przeprowadzeniu pierwszej części badań u każdego piłkarza mięsień czworogłowy uda został poddany 10 minutowemu głębokiemu rozcieraniu. Po wykonanej pracy kończyny dolne zostały poddane analizie termowizyjnej przy pomocy specjalnej kamery. Następnie badani ponownie wzięli udział w badaniu na stanowisku do badań izokinetycznych Biodex System 4, przy prędkości 60 o/s i 180 o/s.Na podstawie przeprowadzonych badań wykazano, że zastosowanie elementów masażu głębokiego ma pozytywy wpływ na narząd ruchu piłkarzy nożnych. Zastosowanie masażu wpływa na istotny wzrost temperatury powierzchniowej kończyn dolnych zarówno w rejonie przednim jak i tylnym. W badaniach izokinetycznych wykazano istotny wzrost parametrów prędkościowo – siłowych przy prędkości 180 o/s. Przy prędkości 60 o/s   istotnego wzrostu nie zaobserwowano. Wyniki przeprowadzonych badań potwierdzają zdrowotny wpływ masażu głębokiego. ABSTRACTThe aim of the thesis was to assess the changes in force – velocity parameters generated by quadriceps femoris and to assess the changes in lower limb’s surface temperature as a result of deep tissue massage application. The study involved 21 soccer players  in age of 16 to 17 years (mean 16,8 years). Before using deep tissue massage elements, each of players has been tested in thermography and isokinetic research. After the first part of this study each player’s quadriceps femoris was subjected to 10- minutes deep grinding. After application of deep tissue massage elements lower limbs were analyzed once again using a special thermal imaging camera. Then, again the subjects took part in the isokinetic test on Biodex System 4 with 60 deg/s and 180 deg/s speed.On the grounds of the conducted studies it has been shown that deep tissue massage application has positive effects on footballer’s motor system. Massage application cause a significant increase of the lower limb’s surface temperature in area of the front as well as rear part. Isokinetic studies have been shown a significant increase in force – velocity parameters at a speed of 180 deg/s. At 60 deg/s significant increase was not observed. Results of this study confirm the health impact of deep tissue massage. Słowa kluczowe: masaż, piłkarze nożni, termografia, badania izokinetyczne.Key words: massage, soccer players, thermography, isokinetic research

THE IMPACT OF LOWER LIMB-LENGTH EQUALISATION ON POSTURAL STABILITY IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH THE ILIZAROV METHOD

Background and Objective The aim of the study was to assess postural stability in patients with varying degrees of equalisation of limb shortness in the lower leg after treatment with the Ilizarov method compared to a control group, which consisted of people with lower extremities of equal lengths. Material and Methods The study included 58 men treated with the Ilizarov method due to lower-limb length (LL) inequality in the lower leg and 61 healthy men who served as the control group. Patients with LL inequality were divided into two groups with varying degrees of limb equalisation. The measurement was made using the Biodex Balance System, which enables examination of the patient's ability to control balance and to assess the patient's lower-limb support function by determining their ability to control bilateral, dynamic postural stability on an unstable surface. Results: The study showed that not all patients treated with the Ilizarov method obtained results matching those in the control group. The largest limb-loading asymmetries were recorded in patients with a limb shortness of greater than 1 cm. People with LL asymmetry up to 1 cm obtained better results in terms of all measured parameters compared to patients whose LL discrepancy after treatment was more than 1 cm. The results of the balance parameter on an unstable surface differed between the patients subjected to treatment with the Ilizarov method and the group of healthy individuals. Conclusions People with lower limb-length asymmetry up to 1 cm obtained better results on all measured parameters compared to those with a limb-length discrepancy exceeding 1 cm. The results of the balance control parameter obtained on an unstable surface differed between groups of patients following treatment with the Ilizarov method and healthy individuals. People with limb-length asymmetry up to 1 cm following the treatment placed their weight in the lower extremities in a similar way as healthy individuals did

The locomotor system's ailments of professionally active nurses : original research results

Praca pielęgniarek wiąże się z narażeniem na szkodliwe czynniki chemiczne, biologiczne i przeciążenia układu ruchu, co negatywnie wpływa na ich zdrowie. Większość z nich cierpi z powodu bólu kręgosłupa, a także wskazuje związek między wykonywaną pracą a zdrowiem fizycznym oraz psychicznym. Dolegliwości bólowe nasilają się głównie przy utrzymywaniu długotrwałych, wymuszonych pozycji ciała oraz przy dźwiganiu ciężkich rzeczy. Niedostateczna ilość sprzętu pomocniczego i jego nieodpowiedni stan techniczny, a także problemy natury ergonomicznej to dodatkowe elementy zwiększające ryzyko wystąpienia dolegliwości u pielęgniarek.The work of nurses is associated with exposure to harmful chemical and biological factors, as well as overload of the motor system, which negatively affects their health. Most nurses sufler from back pain and indicate the link between work and physical and mental health. Pain complaints increased mainly while maintaining long-lasting, forced body positions and when carrying heavy things. We should also pay attention to the insufficient amount of auxiliary equipment in the care of the patient or if existing its poor technical condition

Sport and physical activity in patients after derotational corticotomies with Ilizarov method

Torsional distortion causes numerous musculoskeletal pathologies. Effective treatment allows restoring limb function and return to sport activity. Objectives was to assess the sport activity in patients with derotational corticotomies using the Ilizarov method. The study examined 56 patients. A mean follow-up time was 5 years and 6 months. A mean age at the start of treatment was 19 years and 10 months. Patients underwent derotational corticotomies of distal epiphysis of the femur or proximal epiphysis of the tibia using the Ilizarov method. The effect of etiology, type of treatment strategy, and rate, size, and level of derotation on the scores of four activity scales was evaluated; additionally, the activity was compared with the control group. There were no differences in the scales of activity before and after treatment in the study and control groups. In the study group, higher activity after treatment was reported in the level of GRIMBY activity. Patients with internal torsion had a higher VAS activity level after treatment as compared to patients with external torsion.Derotational corticotomies allow returning to or increasing physical and sport activity; they do not have a negative influence on physical activity after treatment as compared to the control group

Assessment of Gait after Treatment of Tibial Nonunion with the Ilizarov Method

Background: Tibial nonunion is a common bone union disorder leading to abnormal gait, and thus reducing quality of life in the social dimension. Research question: The aim of our work was to comprehensively assess gait parameters of patients who had undergone Ilizarov treatment for tibial nonunion compared to a control group of healthy individuals. Methods: This study evaluated patients treated for aseptic tibial nonunion with the Ilizarov method. 24 patients with a mean age of 55.0 years were included in the study. The control group consisted of 32 healthy volunteers with no significant medical history who were selected to match the gender and age of patients in the study group so that the groups were homogeneous. A Zebris Medical GmbH pedobarographic platform was used to assess the gait parameters. Results: For all gait parameters examined, force forefoot max, force backfoot max, step length, stance phase, swing phase and step time, we observed statistically significant differences between the group that had undergone treatment and the control group. In the group of patients, statistically significant differences between the operated lower limb and the non-operated limb were only observed for the force forefoot max and step time parameters (p = 0.029 and p = 0.045, respectively). Patients presented a longer loading of the operated limb (0.720 s) than the non-operated limb (0.635 s). For the stride time, step cadence and gait velocity parameters, healthy subjects achieved much better results during locomotion, and these differences were statistically significant at p < 0.001. Significance: Treatment of tibial nonunion with the Ilizarov method did not restore normal gait parameters in our group of patients. In fact, the gait parameters of patients were significantly worse than the healthy individuals in the control group. Furthermore, gait parameters following treatment were not symmetrical, and the dynamics of the musculoskeletal system remained impaired

Characteristics of Body Posture in the Sagittal Plane in 8–13-Year-Old Male Athletes Practicing Soccer

Background: An important part of a healthy lifestyle for children and adolescents is exercising to satisfy the natural need for physical activity. However, young athletes should take special care when they participate in intense physical training, to ensure their proper physical development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the body posture in the sagittal plane of soccer players in comparison with healthy untrained peers. Methods: A total of 245 young males aged 8–13 who participated in the study were divided into two groups: “Group F—Footballer”, elite youth soccer players comprising 132 male athletes, and “Group C—Control group”, consisting of 113 boys from primary schools. The elite, youth soccer players played and trained in the Gold Standard Certificate Academy for their age group and belonged to the top 1% of all players from their category, respectively (Polish Soccer Association (PZPN)). The control group consisted of healthy boys from primary schools in Wroclaw not practicing any sport. A photogrammetric method based on the projection moiré phenomenon was used to assess the body posture in all subjects. Results: The analysis showed statistically significant differences in body posture parameters in the sagittal plane between the trained (F) and non-trained (C) groups. In all age groups, a significantly higher value of the upper thoracic angle and a lower value of the trunk inclination angle were observed in the football players’ group. Significant differences were also observed for the thoracic spine in each age group. In the groups of 8–9 and 12–13 years, they concerned the angle of thoracic kyphosis, and in the group of 10–11-year-old, the depth of thoracic kyphosis. In the group of children with ages 8–9 and 10–11, significantly higher values of lumbosacral angle and upper thoracic angle were observed in the group of soccer players. Conclusions: The soccer training load can influence the anterior–posterior curvature of the spine. In the group of footballers in all age groups, higher angular values of thoracic kyphosis and greater tilt of the torso forward were found, compared with their untrained peers. There were also significant differences in body posture between children of different ages, both in the group of footballers and in the group of untrained children. In the group of footballers, the differences concerned mainly the size of the lumbosacral angle and the depth of both curves, which decreased with the age of the players. A similar phenomenon was observed in the group of untrained boys but only in children in the older age groups

Gait Symmetry Analysis in Patients after Treatment of Pilon Fractures by the Ilizarov Method

The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the gait parameters in patients who had undergone treatment of pilon fractures by the Ilizarov method. We analyzed gait parameters in patients who had undergone treatment for pilon fractures by the Ilizarov method; 20 patients aged 47.0 years (25.2–78.6) were included in the study. The control group consisted of 32 healthy volunteers. Gait examination was performed using the pedobarographic platform. Statistically significant differences in the following gait parameters: maximum forefoot force (%), step length (cm), and step time (s) were found between the study group and the control group, between the nonoperated leg, and both the operated leg and the dominant limb. Statistically significant differences in the study group between the treated lower limb and the healthy lower limb were only observed in the case of the maximum forefoot force parameter (%). Healthy subjects from the control group obtained significantly higher values during locomotion for stride time, cadence step, and velocity than the patients, with stride time being statistically significantly shorter and the velocity and the cadence step higher. We observed symmetry in the gait parameters after treating pilon fractures by the Ilizarov method. This method of stabilization allows the restoration of gait parameters, with results similar to those obtained after the treatment of other motor organ pathologies described in the literature, although different from those observed in healthy subjects. In particular, the biomechanics of the lower limbs remain disturbed

Clinical evaluation of ankle arthrodesis with Ilizarov fixation and internal fixation

Abstract Background Ankle arthrodesis may have internal or external stabilization. We assessed whether the type of stabilization after ankle arthrodesis will affect: (1) functional outcome in Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) scale, (2) pain level, (3) period of hospitalization, (4) rate of complications. Methods We retrospectively studied 47 individuals after ankle arthrodesis with Ilizarov fixation (group 1, n = 21) and internal stabilization (group 2, n = 26) at our institution in years 2007–2015. Clinical outcomes were measure by: (1) functional outcome in FAAM scale, (2) pain level, (3) period of hospitalization, (4) rate of complications. Results Total number of complications in Ilizarov group was 13, which corresponded to 0.62 complications per patient on average. In group 2 there were 15 complications, which corresponded to 0.58 complications per patient on average. The intergroup difference in rate of complications was not statistically significant (p = 0.066). In group 1 the mean VAS pain level before treatment was 4.69 and after treatment was 1.5 (p = 0.037). In group with internal stabilization the mean VAS pain level before treatment was 4.71 and after treatment was 2.9 (p = 0.044). In group 1 the mean period of hospitalization was 5.29 days, in group 2 was 5.71 days (p = 0.517). In group 1 the mean functional outcome in FAAM scale was 79.38, in group 2 was 70.11 (p = 0.458). Conclusions Ankle arthrodesis with Ilizarov stabilization is associated with lower prevalence of VAS pain level after surgery than after internal screws stabilization. Rate of complications, FAAM functional score and period of hospitalization were not statistically significant between group 1 and 2. Clinical outcome was satisfactory in group 1 and 2, but outcomes in Ilizarov group were slightly better than after internal stabilization

Body Balance after Fascial Therapy in Athletes with Soft Lower Limb Muscle Injuries

Background: Most injuries in competitive sports are due to overstrain and excessive muscular and fascial tension. This study aimed to assess the effects of a single session of fascial therapy on balance and lower limb weight-bearing in professional athletes following a lower limb soft-tissue injury. Methods: A pedobarographic platform was used to assess the weight-bearing on both lower limbs and corporal balance. A total of 41 athletes with an acute soft-tissue injury involving the quadriceps femoris muscle were included in the study. Each patient underwent myofascial therapy in the injured limb only. The therapy was intended to release tension and improve proprioception. Results: The injured and healthy limbs showed significant asymmetry in body weight distribution. Before treatment, the patients bore less weight on the injured limb than on the healthy limb. After fascial therapy, eyes-closed tests showed an improved weight distribution symmetry between the two lower limbs. There were no significant differences in the values of the evaluated balance parameters between those measured at baseline and those measured after the therapy, measured after the rehabilitation session. Conclusions: A single fascial therapy session has a beneficial effect on corporal balance in runners with an injured lower limb