Effect of muscle energy techniques and facet joint mobilization on spinal curvature in patients with mechanical neck pain: A pilot study.

Neck is one of the most common site of musculoskeletal symptom manifestations. An impaired spinal curvature is a common finding in patients with mechanical neck pain. A pre-post quasi experimental pilot study was conducted at Fauji Foundation Hospital from January- March 2017,in which 12 patients with mechanical neck pain and straightening of the cervical spine were included and treated for 7 consecutive sessions consisting of muscle energy techniques (MET) in combination with facet joint mobilization. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of MET and facet joint mobilization on spinal curvature and functional outcomes in patients with neck pain. Outcome measurement tools that were included comprised of pain severity, neck disability index (NDI), cervical lordosis which was measured via x-ray based posterior tangential method, goniometry for cervical range of motion (ROM) and modified sphygmomanometer dynamometry (MSD) for isometric muscle strength. A significant difference was observed in pre and post treatment scores for all outcomes (p<0.05); demonstrating an effective combination therapy in terms of improved spinal curvature, pain, disability, ROM and isometric muscle strength.

Effect of physiotherapy on spinal alignment in children with postural defects.

OBJECTIVES: This paper assesses the effect of neurophysiological rehabilitation in children with postural defects on the depth of thoracic kyphosis, lateral spinal deviation and rotation of spinal motor segments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 201 patients aged 8-15 years old with a postural defect diagnosed by medical examination were enrolled. The analyzed parameters were determined using the DIERS system before the first therapeutic session and after 4 weeks of therapy. The angle of thoracic kyphosis, lateral deviation of the spine and spinal rotation were assessed. The therapy employed techniques associated with the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and Vojta's approaches. The results were analyzed separately for both sexes and for patients rehabilitated solely with Vojta's techniques vs. patients rehabilitated according to combined Vojta's and PNF techniques. The χ2 test was used for statistical analyses, at p < 0.05. RESULTS: There was improvement in the angle of thoracic kyphosis, ranging from 0.14 (among boys with kyphosis < 42°) to 5.47 (among girls with kyphosis ≥ 42°), spinal rotation, from 0.37 (among boys with kyphosis ≥ 42°) to 4.33 (among patients with kyphosis ≥ 42° rehabilitated solely according to Vojta's method), and lateral deviations, ranging from 1.32 mm (among boys with kyphosis < 42°) to 2.99 mm (among patients with kyphosis ≥ 42° rehabilitated solely according to Vojta's method). CONCLUSIONS: Neurophysiological rehabilitation of patients with postural defects produced positive effects by improving the angle of thoracic kyphosis, spinal rotation and lateral deviation of the spine. Children with reduced thoracic kyphosis achieved less improvement in the kyphosis angle, lateral spinal deviation and spinal rotation than children with kyphosis ≥ 42°. The DIERS Formetric System enables precise monitoring of therapeutic outcomes. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(1):25-32.

Postural bipedance in paraplegics under neuromuscular electrical stimulation: is it possible to improve it based on sagittal spinal alignment?

STUDY DESIGN: Experimental trial based on the analytical study of radiographic standards of the sagittal spinal alignment in paraplegics in upright position under surface neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate changes in radiographic standards of the sagittal spinal alignment of paraplegics under three different models of NMES used to optimize the global bipedal posture. SETTING: The University Hospital Ambulatory (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil. METHODS: Ten paraplegic patients were selected. Each patient underwent three different models of NMES. The influence that each NMES model exerted over the sagittal balance of the spine was evaluated by lateral panoramic X-rays. Wilcoxon's test was used to compare the modifications observed in each NMES model in the group studied. RESULTS: Using the femoral quadriceps muscles' NMES as the starting point, the inclusion of the gluteus maximus' NMES generated an increase of the lumbar lordosis and a decrease of the spinal tilt angle. These alterations resulted in partial improvement of the anterior sagittal imbalance. NMES of the paralyzed paravertebral lumbar muscles resulted in a more expressive increase on the lumbar lordosis, with no significant change on the spinal tilt. On the latter model, however, an improvement of 20% was observed in the global sagittal imbalance due to a posterior translation of the spine as pointed out by the decrease in the C7-HA horizontal distance. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed NMES models were able to partially amend the anterior sagittal imbalance of the paraplegic patients in bipedal posture.