Antiedematous Effect Promoted by Occlusion of Legs with Compressive Socks Containing Infrared-Emitting Ceramic Particulates.

Background: Published literature reports significant improvements in pathological conditions, such as pain, blood dyscrasias, and cellulite, after using topical occlusive accessories containing particulate ceramic materials. Objective: In this study, we investigated whether the use of a topical occluding garment made with synthetic fibers embedded with powdered ceramic materials could be beneficial to patients suffering from edema of lower limb extremities. Materials and methods: The cohort comprised 30 volunteers of both genders who were divided into two study groups. The bioceramic (BC) group wore compressive socks made of fabrics with embedded ceramic powder for 8 h a day for 28 days. The placebo group wore compressive socks of the same material without ceramic powder. The efficacy of the treatment was quantified through weekly plethysmographic measurements. In addition, pain relief was evaluated through a visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Data showed a statistically significant reduction in the edema volume for the BC group compared with the placebo group: 78.9 ± 10.7 mL versus 41.3 ± 5.6 mL, p = 0.003. Further, there was also greater pain relief for the BC group when compared with the placebo group, with a pain decrease of 7.0 ± 0.2 U versus 3.3 ± 0.2 U, respectively, on the VAS from 0 to 10 (p = 0.024). Conclusions: The topical occlusive therapy with compressive socks containing infrared-emitting ceramic particulate in its fabrics showed that they were more beneficial than the placebo garment in the treatment of edema of the inferior member extremities as well as in relief of associated pain.

Application of phototherapy for the healing of the navels of neonatal dairy calves.

The present work evaluated the effects of LED light irradiation on the healing of the navels of neonatal dairy calves. Fifty-seven neonatal calves were divided into two groups. Animals had their umbilical stumps immersed in 10% iodine tincture for 60 s, and this process was repeated every 24 h for three consecutive days. The 29 animals in the first group did not receive LED therapy. The 28 animals in the second group received LED light irradiation at 640 nm with 300 mW power, 46.8 J/cm2 energy density, 60 s irradiation time, and 0.385 cm2 spot size. The animals were irradiated at four points (46.8 J/cm2 per point) evenly distributed around the insertion site of the umbilical stump every 24 h for three consecutive days. Irradiation with LED light was applied before the umbilical stumps were immersed in the iodine solution. The time after birth at which the umbilical stump fell off of each calf was noted. The umbilical stumps of all animals fell off by the 25th day of age. After the umbilical stump fell off, the healing of the remnant wound was followed up to the 30th day after birth. The area of the wound was measured on the 15th, 20th, and 25th day after birth using digital photographs and computer-assisted area measurements. A two-tailed unpaired t test was applied to analyze the falling off the umbilical stump, whereas a Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA test with a Dunn's multiple comparison test was used for the wound size evolution. GraphPad Prisma 5.0® and GraphPad StatMate 2.00® were used for the statistical analysis. The results revealed that phototherapy hastened the falling off the umbilical stump, accelerated navel healing, and reduced the mortality rate in newborn calves. Therefore, this study introduced a preventive and adjuvant after birth treatment that proved to be effective in reducing the incidences of omphalitis and newborn mortality.

El uso de manga de compresión durante 12 horas no es suficiente para mejorar la recuperación muscular del brazo tras el daño inducido por el ejercicio / Twelve hours of a compression sleeve is not enough to improve the muscle recovery of an exercise-damaged upper arm

Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia de la manga de compresión usada durante un período de tiempo corto (12 h) en la recuperación de los síntomas de daño muscular inducido por el ejercicio de los músculos del brazo. Métodos: En un estudio aleatorizado controlado, 13 hombres jóvenes sanos realizaron un protocolo de ejercicio estandarizado para inducir daño muscular para los flexores del codo y se dividieron inmediatamente en 2 grupos: tratados (n = 7) y control (n = 6). Se tomaron medidas de la fuerza isométrica de flexión del codo, la circunferencia del brazo (CB) y la percepción del dolor muscular antes y 24, 48, 72 y 96 h después del ejercicio, y se utilizaron como criterios de daño muscular inducido por el ejercicio. Comparaciones entre grupos se hicieron para cada variable con un ANOVA de 2 vías (2 grupos × 5 medidas) y con un nivel de significación de p < 0,05. Resultados: Se observó una reducción significativa (p < 0,001) de la fuerza muscular (∼43% y ∼34% para el grupo control y tratados, respectivamente, 24 h después del ejercicio) y un aumento significativo (p < 0,001) en la circunferencia del brazo y dolor muscular (F4,55 = 6,49 para CB y F4,55 = 6,95 para dolor muscular) a lo largo de las medidas después del ejercicio en ambos grupos, sin diferencias significativas entre ellos. Conclusiones: Nuestros resultados, junto con los hallazgos previos, sugieren que el uso de la manga de compresión durante 12 h no es suficiente para mejorar la recuperación de los síntomas de daño muscular inducido por el ejercicio de los músculos del brazo, y para lograr resultados positivos son necesarios largos períodos de compresión

Objective: To assess the efficacy of a compression sleeve worn for a short-time period (12 h) on the recovery from the symptoms of exercise-induced upper arm muscle damage. Methods: A randomized controlled study was conducted on thirteen healthy young men using a standardized and exercise-induced upper arm muscle damage protocol, and they were immediately placed into two groups: TREATED (n = 7) and CONTROL (n = 6). Isometric elbow flexion strength, upper arm circumference, and muscle soreness measurements were taken before and at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after the damaging exercise, and were used as criteria of exercise-induced muscle damage. Group comparisons were made for each variable using a two-way ANOVA design (2 groups × 5 measurements), and with a significance level of P < .05. Results: A significant impairment (P < .001) was observed in muscle strength (∼ 43% and ∼ 34%, for CONTROL and TREATED groups, respectively, 24 h after exercise), as well as a significant increase (P < .001) in upper arm circumference (UAC) and muscle soreness (F4,55 = 6.49 for UACand F4,55 = 6.95 for muscle soreness) among the measurements after exercise for both groups, with no significant differences between them. Conclusions: These results, together with previous findings, suggest that the use of a compression garment for 12 h is not enough to improve the recovery from exercise- induced muscle damage in the upper arm, and longer periods of compression may be necessary to achieve positive outcomes

Light-emitting diode phototherapy improves muscle recovery after a damaging exercise.

The goal of the present study was to determine the effect of light-emitting diode phototherapy (LEDT) at 630 nm on muscle recovery after a damaging eccentric exercise bout. Seventeen healthy young male volunteers, without previous experience with eccentric exercise, were included in a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. They were divided into a LEDT (n = 8) and a PLACEBO group (n = 9). To induce muscle damage, subjects performed 30 eccentric contractions with a load of 100 % of maximal voluntary isometric contraction strength of the elbow flexors of the non-dominant arm. LEDT group subjects received biceps brachii phototherapy (λ 630 nm; total energy density, 20.4 J/cm2) immediately after the exercise bout. The LEDT in the placebo group was aimed at the muscle, but it remained turned off. Isometric muscle strength, muscle soreness, and elbow range of motion (ROM) were measured before and at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h the after eccentric exercise bout and compared between groups. Our results showed that the muscle soreness, muscle strength loss, and ROM impairments were significantly reduced up to 96 h after a damaging eccentric exercise bout for the LEDT group compared with the PLACEBO group. A single LEDT (630 nm) intervention immediately after a damaging eccentric exercise bout was effective in terms of attenuating the muscle soreness and muscle strength loss and ROM impairments.

Reductions in body measurements promoted by a garment containing ceramic nanoparticles: a 4-month follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Published literature reports significant improvements in pathological conditions, such as pain, blood dyscrasias, and cellulite, after using topical occlusive accessories containing particulate ceramic materials. Recent work reported a reduction in body measurements after 30 days of daily use of high-waist undershorts made of synthetic fabrics with embedded ceramic particles. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we investigated whether the use of a garment made with synthetic fibers embedded with powdered ceramic could lead to reductions in body measurements at a longer time span (120 day). METHODS: Thirty-two female volunteers wore clothing containing ceramic powder for at least 8 h a day for 120 days. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated through anthropometric measurements taken before treatment and after 30, 60, and 120 days of treatment. RESULTS: The experimental data showed a more pronounced reduction in body measurements at the beginning of treatment with a trend of stabilization in measured body circumferences during the final 60 days of the experimental period. CONCLUSIONS: The experimental data showed that the occlusive treatment with a garment composed of ceramic particles promoted reductions in body measurements during a 120-day experimental period.

Reduction in body measurements after use of a garment made with synthetic fibers embedded with ceramic nanoparticles.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic effects have been attributed to far-infrared (FIR) radiation emitted from different types of sources. One class of such infrared emitters consists of ceramics in a powdered form, which allows for its incorporation into creams and fabrics. Such ceramic materials emit in the FIR when subjected to body temperature. Published literature reports significant improvement in both pathological conditions, such as pain and blood dyscrasias, and cellulite upon use of accessories containing ceramic emitters. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we investigated whether the use of a garment made with synthetic fibers embedded with powdered ceramic led to a reduction in body measurements. METHODS: The study population comprised 42 women divided into two groups: active and placebo. The volunteers used clothing either impregnated or not impregnated with ceramic powder for at least 8 h/day for 30 days. RESULTS: The experimental data showed a reduction in body measurements, which may be a consequence of an increment in microcirculation and peripheral blood flow, and these changes might promote improved general health. CONCLUSIONS: Objective indicators were identified which showed that the reported ceramic accessories actually were capable of biological modulation.