Effect of Treatment Table Height on Shoulder Muscles during Ultrasound Therapy Work.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to propose a table height that can reduce shoulder muscle fatigue by analyzing and comparing median frequencies of shoulder muscles at different table heights when performing therapeutic ultrasounds work. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 63 healthy male adults who were equally and randomly assigned to a standard height group (SHG), a high height group (HHG), and a low height group (LHG). The standard table height was set at the level of the elbow joint when the subjects flexed their elbow while in a sitting position. High height and low height were set 10 cm higher and 10 cm lower, respectively, than the standard height. Muscle fatigue of the upper trapezius, middle deltoid, rhomboid, and infraspinatus of the subjects was measured during ultrasound treatment work at each table height. [Results] Median frequencies of the upper trapezius, middle deltoid, rhomboid, and infraspinatus muscles were significantly lower in the HHG than in to the LHG. [Conclusion] When therapeutic ultrasound is performed using a table that has a height lower than that of the elbow joint, the median frequency of the shoulder muscle increases, hence decreasing muscle fatigue. This way, musculoskeletal pain as a result of performing therapeutic ultrasound can be prevented.

Inhibition of IL-8 production by green tea polyphenols in human nasal fibroblasts and A549 epithelial cells.

The attraction of leukocytes to tissues is essential in order for inflammation and the host response to infection to occur. Airway inflammation is a very common cause illness with a substantial impact on health care. Neutrophils play an essential role in the host defense and in inflammation, but the latter may trigger and sustain the pathogenesis of a range of acute and chronic diseases. Infiltration of neutrophils occurs as a response to chemoattractant molecules by resident tissue cells. The recruitment of neutrophils in airway inflammation may account for the generation of IL-8. To evaluate the effectiveness of green tea polyphenols in the modulation of airway inflammation through the blocking of neutrophil chemokine production, nasal mucosal fibroblasts and A549 bronchial epithelial cells were analyzed for the production of IL-8. Both nasal mucosal fibroblasts and bronchial epithelial cells produced significant amounts of IL-8 through stimulation of IL-1beta. Tea polyphenols were very effective in the inhibition of IL-8 production. Among the polyphenols tested, EGCG and ECG showed strong inhibitory activity in dose-dependent manners. EGC and EC showed moderate inhibition at 48 h culture, whereas (-)catechin was not effective. Production of IL-8 after stimulation by proinflammatory cytokines in both nasal fibroblasts and bronchial epithelial cells was significantly blocked by pretreatment with green tea polyphenols.