The Effectiveness of Whole-Body Vibration and Heat Therapy on the Muscle Strength, Flexibility, and Balance Abilities of Elderly Groups.

Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a novel exercise training measure that promotes the muscle strength, flexibility, and balance abilities of elderly groups. The feasibility and applicability of 20-30 min (lowering a heat pack at 73 °C by wrapping it in multiple layers of towels to 40-43 °C before it touched the skin) thermotherapy are increasingly being demonstrated by applications and clinical trials. Studies show that it increases the flexibility of macules and ligament. However, no studies have examined the interactions between the pre-exercise and post-exercise application of heat therapy (duration a training course). Therefore, this study investigates the effects of WBV and heat therapy on the muscle strength, flexibility, and balance abilities of elderly groups. Eighty middle-age and elderly participants with no regular exercise habits were enrolled in this study. They were randomly assigned to a WBV group, a WBV plus heat therapy group, a heat therapy alone group, and a control group. The WBV groups underwent 5-min, fixed-amplitude (4 mm), thrice-weekly WBV training sessions for 3 consecutive months on a WBV training machine. Participants' balance was measured using the limits of stability (LOS) test on a balance system. The pretest and posttest knee extensor and flexor strength were tested using an isokinetic lower extremity dynamometer. Pretest and posttest flexibility changes were measured using the sit-and-reach test. Significantly larger pretest and posttest differences in flexibility and muscle strength were observed in the WBV and WBV plus heat therapy groups. The addition of heat therapy to WBV resulted in the largest flexibility improvements.

[Chiropractic plus plum-blossom needling combined with flexibility training on attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of chiropractic plus plum-blossom needling combined with flexibility training for attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents. METHODS: Thirty adolescents with mild mental retardation were randomly divided into a medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group (10 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a flexibility training group (10 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (10 cases). The patients in the flexibility training group received flexibility training, once every other day, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The patients in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group received chiropractic and plum-blossom needling at Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (EX-HN 1) on the basis of the treatment in the flexibility training group, once every other day, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The patients in the control group did not receive any targeted physical training and medical rehabilitation. Tobii Pro Spectrum eye movement instrument was used to test the attention concentration (T), attention span (M), attention transfer (γ%) and attention distribution (η). RESULTS: Compared before treatment, T and M in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group and the flexibility training group were increased after treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05), and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group was increased after treatment (P<0.05). The increasing range of T, M and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group and the flexibility training group was greater than that in the control group (P<0.01), and the increasing range of T and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group was greater than that in the flexibility training group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The chiropractic plus plum blossom needling combined with flexibility training can improve the attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents.

The Effects of Eccentric Strength Training on Flexibility and Strength in Healthy Samples and Laboratory Settings: A Systematic Review.

Background: The risk of future injury appears to be influenced by agonist fascicle length (FL), joint range of motion (ROM) and eccentric strength. Biomechanical observations of the torque-angle-relationship further reveal a strong dependence on these factors. In practice, a longer FL improves sprinting performance and lowers injury risk. Classical stretching is a popular and evidenced-based training for enhancing ROM but does not have any effects on FL and injury risk. However, recent studies show that eccentric-only training (ECC) improves both flexibility and strength, and effectively lowers risk of injury. Objectives: To review the evidence on benefits of ECC for flexibility and strength. Methods: COCHRANE, PUBMED, SCOPUS, SPOLIT, and SPONET were searched for laboratory trials that compare ECC to at least one comparison group. Studies were eligible if they examined both strength and flexibility metrics in a healthy sample (<65 years) and met criteria for controlled or randomized clinical trials (CCT, RCT). 18 studies have been included and successfully rated using the PEDro scale. Results: 16 of 18 studies show strong evidence of strength and flexibility enhancements for the lower limb. While improvements between ECC and concentric training (CONC) were similar for eccentric (+19 ± 10% vs. +19 ± 11%) and isometric strength (+16 ± 10% vs. +13 ± 6%), CONC showed larger improvements for concentric strength (+9 ± 6% vs. +16 ± 7%). While for ROM ECC showed improvements (+9 ± 7%), no results could be found for CONC. The overall effectiveness of ECC seems to be higher than of CONC. Conclusion: There is clear evidence that ECC is an effective method for changes in muscle architecture, leading to both flexibility and strength improvements for the lower limb. Due to limited data no shoulder study could be included. Further research is needed for the upper body joints with a focus on functional and structural adaptions. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021283248, identifier CRD42021283248.

Chiropractic plus plum-blossom needling combined with flexibility training on attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical efficacy of chiropractic plus plum-blossom needling combined with flexibility training for attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents.@*METHODS@#Thirty adolescents with mild mental retardation were randomly divided into a medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group (10 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a flexibility training group (10 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (10 cases). The patients in the flexibility training group received flexibility training, once every other day, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The patients in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group received chiropractic and plum-blossom needling at Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (EX-HN 1) on the basis of the treatment in the flexibility training group, once every other day, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The patients in the control group did not receive any targeted physical training and medical rehabilitation. Tobii Pro Spectrum eye movement instrument was used to test the attention concentration (T), attention span (M), attention transfer (γ%) and attention distribution (η).@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, T and M in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group and the flexibility training group were increased after treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05), and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group was increased after treatment (P<0.05). The increasing range of T, M and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group and the flexibility training group was greater than that in the control group (P<0.01), and the increasing range of T and γ% in the medical rehabilitation plus flexibility training group was greater than that in the flexibility training group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The chiropractic plus plum blossom needling combined with flexibility training can improve the attention deficit in mentally-retarded adolescents.

Comparison of hip extension and rotation ranges of motion in young elite tennis players with and without history of low back pain.

BACKGROUND: Although low back pain (LBP) is known to be multi-factorial, certain studies have suggested that a deficit in hip extension and rotation range of motion (ROM) may be associated with LBP in athletes. OBJETIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare hip extension and rotation ROMs in elite tennis players with and without a history of LBP. METHODS: Forty-two male and 22 female young elite tennis players completed this study. Participants were divided into two groups: (1) 32 with history of LBP and (2) 32 without history of LBP. Descriptive measures of passive hip extension and rotation ROMs of the dominant and non-dominant limbs were taken. Active hip rotation ROMs were also assessed. Magnitude-based inferences on differences between groups and legs were made by standardizing differences. RESULTS: The inter-group statistical analysis reported no significant differences (p> 0.05; trivial effect with a probability higher than 95%; d⩽ 0.4) in any ROM measure analyzed. Further, neither LBP group nor control group reported significant bilateral or side-to-side differences (p> 0.05; trivial effect with a probability higher than 99%; d< 0.3) between legs regarding hip extension and rotation ROM measures. CONCLUSION: No relationship between hip extension and rotation ROM and history of LBP was found.

Can chronic stretching change the muscle-tendon mechanical properties? A review.

It is recognized that stretching is an effective method to chronically increase the joint range of motion. However, the effects of stretching training on the muscle-tendon structural properties remain unclear. This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to determine whether chronic stretching alter the muscle-tendon structural properties. Published papers regarding longitudinal stretching (static, dynamic and/or PNF) intervention (either randomized or not) in humans of any age and health status, with more than 2 weeks in duration and at least 2 sessions per week, were searched in PubMed, PEDro, ScienceDirect and ResearchGate databases. Structural or mechanical variables from joint (maximal tolerated passive torque or resistance to stretch) or muscle-tendon unit (muscle architecture, stiffness, extensibility, shear modulus, volume, thickness, cross-sectional area, and slack length) were extracted from those papers. A total of 26 studies were selected, with a duration ranging from 3 to 8 weeks, and an average total time under stretching of 1165 seconds per week. Small effects were seen for maximal tolerated passive torque, but trivial effects were seen for joint resistance to stretch, muscle architecture, muscle stiffness, and tendon stiffness. A large heterogeneity was seen for most of the variables. Stretching interventions with 3- to 8-week duration do not seem to change either the muscle or the tendon properties, although it increases the extensibility and tolerance to a greater tensile force. Adaptations to chronic stretching protocols shorter than 8 weeks seem to mostly occur at a sensory level.

Effects of exercise on physical limitations and fatigue in rheumatic diseases.

Physical activity covers not just sports but also simple everyday movements such as housework, walking and playing. Regular exercise has a great importance in maintaining good health, indeed inactivity is a risk factor for different chronic diseases. Physical exercise can play a crucial role in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, optimizing both physical and mental health, enhancing energy, decreasing fatigue and improving sleep. An exercise program for patients with rheumatic diseases aims to preserve or restore a range of motion of the affected joints, to increase muscle strength and endurance, and to improve mood and decrease health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle. In this editorial I describe the benefits of the exercise on physical limitations and fatigue in rheumatic diseases that seem to have a short and long-term effectiveness. A literature review was conducted on PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar using appropriate keywords based on the present editorial.

Efeito de treinamentos de flexibilidade sobre a força e o torque muscular: uma revisão crítica / Effect of flexibility trainings on strength and muscle torque: a critical review

A flexibilidade é uma capacidade física de vital importância tanto para atletas como para os demais indivíduos. O presente artigo analisou estudos que observaram as possíveis influências do treino de flexibilidade nos níveis de força e torque muscular. Para isso, foi realizada uma busca na base de dados Google Scholar, com as palavras chave “Flexibility training, range of motion, strength and torque”, no período entre 2004 e 2010. Dos 23 estudos incluídos na análise, 15 observaram o efeito agudo de uma sessão de alongamento, sendo que destes, 8 não mostraram efeito do treinamento de flexibilidade nos níveis de força e torque e 7 verificaram efeito negativo no ganho de força. Ainda, 8 dos estudos analisados eram longitudinais, apresentando rotinas de treinamento de no mínimo 4 semanas de alongamento. Entre os estudos longitudinais, 7 observaram uma melhora nos níveis de força e torque e apenas um relatou influência negativa. Os estudos analisados apresentavam diferentes metodologias e protocolos de treinamento, o que dificultou a obtenção de resultados conclusivos. Entretanto, parece que o músculo avaliado tem grande importância para o resultado, isso devido às diferenças estruturais e da capacidade elástica específica dos componentes musculares. Ainda, a frequência de treinamento se mostrou mais importante que o volume de cada sessão para causar mudanças nas variáveis analisadas. Aparentemente, o treinamento de flexibilidade tem efeito agudo deletério ou neutro nos níveis de força e torque, devendo ser evitado antes de uma sessão de treinamento de força. Por outro lado, seu efeito crônico parece ser benéfico, devendo ser mantida a recomendação para a inclusão de rotinas de exercícios de flexibilidade paralelamente ao treinamento de força, como forma de se obter melhores ganhos na força e no torque muscular.

Flexibility is a paramount physical capacity for athletes and others as well. This paper has analyzed studies which had observed possible influences in flexibility training of muscle strength and muscle torque levels. In order to accomplish that we searched the Google Scholar database the following key-words: “flexibility training, range of motion, strength and torque” looking up 2004 through 2010. Of the twenty-three studies we included in this analysis, fifteen observe acute effect from a stretching session; of those, eight did not sport any strength and torque flexibility training effect and seven show a negative strength gain. Moreover, a total of eight studies we have reviewed were longitudinal, exhibiting training routines of at least four weeks of stretching. Amongst those longitudinal studies, seven depict improvement of strength and torque levels and just one mentions negative results. All surveyed results use distinct methodologies and training protocols, which made our gathering of conclusive data rather difficult. Nevertheless, it appears that the evaluated muscle is of great importance for the result due to structural discrepancies and elastic capacity specific to each muscle component. Moreover, training frequency has been revealed to be more important than the volume of each session in causing changes in the investigated variables. Apparently flexibility training has harmful to neutral acute effect of strength and torque levels and should be avoided before strength training sessions. On the other hand, its chronic impact seems to be beneficial, henceforth we recommend it should be maintained in exercise routines parallel to strength training as a means of obtaining better muscle strength and torque gain.

Motor Imagery Boosts Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation in the Attainment and Retention of Range-of -Motion at the Hip Joint.

This study examined the effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) coupled with an internal mental imagery technique (PNFI) on both the attainment and retention of increased range-of-movement (ROM) at the hip joint. Twenty-four young adult subjects were randomly allocated to PNF, PNFI, and control treatments administered in fifteen sessions over a three-week period. ROM was assessed prior to training then at the completion of sessions 1 day, 3, 7, and 14 during training, then 28 days after program completion. Analysis-of-Variance with repeated measures showed both significant treatment (p < 0.01) and time effects (p < 0.05). Mean change of ROM values were always larger under the PNFI condition and significantly different (p < 0.05) at day 1 and 3 following training program completion. Thereafter, the diminution of ROM was comparable to the PNF condition. Mean ROM increment relative to baseline was 7.55 and 9.45 degrees for PNF and PNFI respectively receding to 5.86 and 6.5 degrees at twenty-eight days following treatment cessation. Motor imagery coupled with PNF to enhance and retain ROM yields superior results to physical training used alone and can benefit both athletes and those undergoing rehabilitation. Key PointsA Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) technique applied to enhance range-of-movement (ROM) at the hip joint was successful.The effect produced greater gains in participants who received and applied a motor imagery technique to supplement the regular PNF.Both effects receded by about 50% across a no-practice period of 21 days.Incorporation of motor imagery with physical therapy deemed worthwile.