The comparison of the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and Kinesio Taping on ankle swelling in athletes with lateral ankle sprain.

PURPOSE: Ankle swelling (AS) is one of the main complaints in athletes with a lateral ankle sprain (LAS) in the acute phase. Reducing AS may help the athlete to return to training faster. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Kinesio Taping® (KT) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in reducing AS in athletes with a LAS. METHODS: Thirty-one athletes with a unilateral ankle sprain from various sports were allocated to either KT (N = 16; mean age of 24.1 years) or NMES (N = 15; mean age of 26.4 years) groups. KT was applied over the medial and lateral ankle surfaces in the Fan cut pattern for five consecutive days; however, NMES was applied to the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles for 30 min. Outcome measures to assess the extent of AS included volumetry, perimetry, relative volumetry, and the difference in both ankles' volumetry and perimetry at baseline, after the interventions, and 15 days following the treatment completion. RESULTS: The results of the mixed model repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated no significant difference between the two groups in mean changes in outcomes over pre- and post-interventions as well as follow-up periods (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: None of the KT and NMES methods could reduce acute AS in athletes with LAS. Further studies are needed in this area of research that consider changes in treatment protocol given the variety of NMES approaches and KT applications that can be used in recovery from an ankle sprain.

The effects of selective Pilates versus extension-based exercises on rehabilitation of low back pain.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) may lead to functional impairment and physical disability. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of selective Pilates (SP) and extension-based (EB) exercises on pain, lumbar spine curvature, lumbar forward flexion range of motion (ROM), and physical disability in such individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial, Forty-seven patients with chronic non-specific LBP (Mean of age: 39.7 years) were randomly allocated into either SP (N = 16), EB (N = 15), or control (N = 16) groups. The measurements included pain intensity, physical disability, lumbar forward bending ROM, and lumbar spine curvature at the baseline, after receiving the 6-week interventions, and also following one month of cessation of the exercises The analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) and Post-hoc Bonferroni tests were administered to compare the three groups after the interventions and one month later (P < 0.05). RESULTS: More significant improvement was observed in SP group compared to the subjects receiving EB exercises in terms of pain, ROM, and physical disability (P < 0.001), however, there was no significant difference between the two experimental groups for lumbar curvature (P > 0.05). Furthermore; in follow-up, the patients in SP group significantly achieved a higher level of pain intensity improvement and lumbar flexion ROM than the EB exercises (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is estimated that core muscles activation and improving lumbopelvic rhythm in SP training may play a role in decreasing pain and physical disability in chronic LBP patients. Further high-quality studies are required to investigate the details of this mechanism.

The comparison of the effectiveness of conventional therapeutic exercises and Pilates on pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of two different interventions on pain and disability in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Forty-one individuals (Mean ± SD: Age 52.1 ± 8.9 years, Height 172.8 ± 6.6 cm, Weight 80.2 ± 6.9 kg) with KOA were randomly allocated into Pilates (N = 14), conventional therapeutic exercise (CTE) (N = 14), and control (N = 13) groups. Joint position sense (JPS), functional performance, pain, and disability were examined using Biodex system, aggregate time of four daily activities, and Lequesne Index. One-Way ANOVA, and Post Hoc Scheffe test were administrated to analyze the data (P < 0.05). There was a significant (P < 0.001) difference between the experimental groups in all measured outcomes compared to the control. While, regarding pain and disability, more significant (P = 0.003) improvement was observed in participants following Pilates training compared to CTE. It seemed that Pilates training was more effective than the CTE to improve pain and disability in individuals with KOA.

Effects of therapeutic exercise and hydrotherapy on pain severity and knee range of motion in patients with hemophilia: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pain and limited range of motion (ROM) are the crucial subsequent results of joint hemorrhages in individuals with bleeding disorders and hemophilia. Exercise interventions are particularly recommended in treatment of such patients. The purpose of this study was to detect the influences of conventional exercise therapy and hydrotherapy on the knee joint complications in patients with hemophilia. METHODS: A total of 40 patients engaging hemophilia A were randomized into one of three groups: Therapeutic exercise (N = 13), hydrotherapy (N = 14) or control (N = 13). While the first two groups followed their specific programs for 4 weeks, routine life-style was maintained by subjects in the control group in this period. To evaluate the pain level and knee ROM the visual analog scale and standard goniometer were utilized, respectively. The outcome was measured at baseline and after completing the prescribed protocols. Data analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance and Scheffe statistical tests (P < 0.05). RESULTS: Both experimental groups experienced more significant decreasing in pain level (P < 0.001) and knee flexion and extension ROM (P < 0.001) in comparison to the control group. Although the pain was significantly (P < 0.01) more alleviated in participants treated through hydrotherapy in comparison to exercise therapy, the difference in ROM improvement was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Using hydrotherapy in addition to usual rehabilitation training can result in beneficial effect in terms of pain and knee joint ROM. However, it appears that hydrotherapy is more effective in reducing pain.

Effects of strengthening and aerobic exercises on pain severity and function in patients with knee rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two types of rehabilitation techniques, including aerobic and strengthening exercises on patients with knee rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: 48 male patients with knee RA were randomly assigned into 3 groups, including aerobic exercises, strengthening exercise, and control. The two first groups completed their treatment protocol for 8 weeks, 3 days per week. Visual Analogue Scale, WOMAC questionnaire, 6-minute walking test, standard goniometer were used to assess pain severity, functional ability, walking ability, knee joint ROM respectively at baseline and after applying therapeutic interventions. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at P < 0.05 significant level. RESULTS: Participants had a mean ± SD age of 58.6 ± 7.8 years (height 1.72 ± 0.07 m, weight 81.0 ± 6.4 kg) with no significant difference between three groups. Both therapeutic interventions reduced pain significantly (P < 0.001) compared to the control group, without significant difference between the two experimental groups. The patients fulfilled aerobic exercise attained higher levels of function and walking ability compared to strengthening group significantly (P < 0.001). The knee range of motion (ROM)wassignificantly (P < 0.001) improved in the two experimental groups in comparison to controls, the strengthening group had more significant (P < 0.001) improvement. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that an aerobic exercise program improves functional and walking ability in patients with knee RA, and strengthening exercise has more efficient effect on knee ROM, both aerobic and strengthening exercises can equally relieve pain.