Chronic lower back pain is an important cause of decreased performance in sport horses. It can be... more Chronic lower back pain is an important cause of decreased performance in sport horses. It can be a complicated diagnosis to make and once identified difficult to treat. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of treatment between high intensity laser stimulation of acupuncture points and therapeutic ultrasound in 28 sport horses with chronic low back pain. Horses diagnosed with chronic lower back pain were randomized into 2 treatment groups: high intensity laser stimulation of acupuncture points (HILSA) or therapeutic ultrasound (TU) applied to the lower back (T-18 to sacroiliac joint). The horses received a total of 8 treatments administered every other day during the study period (16 days). The reduction of pain between baseline (Day 0) and after treatment (Day 16) was evaluated both by TCVM acupoint sensitivity scan and pressure algometer. The acupoint sensitivity scan demonstrated statistically significant improvement for both treatment modalities. The HILSA Group change (8.13 ± 8.476) was very significant (p=0.0028) with a 66% change from baseline while the TU Group change (3.77 ± 4.38) was also significant (p=0.0223) with a 34% change from baseline. Comparison of the magnitude of improvement between groups was not statistically significant (p=0.0659). Algometer measurements experienced some limitations with inconsistent results. It can be concluded from study findings that both treatment modalities are associated with a statistically significant reduction of lower back pain in sport horses and selection of treatment can be based on the advantages and disadvantages of each modality dependent on the patient and situation.
Urinary incontinence is one of the major health problems in menopause women and pregnancy. Incont... more Urinary incontinence is one of the major health problems in menopause women and pregnancy. Incontinence in menopause can occur from several causes. Activities such as coughing, sneezing, laughing or stairs increase intra-abdominal pressure and result in leakage especially in those with pelvic floor muscles weakness. Feeling of anxiety and embarrassment often occur in this population. Correct knowledge and understanding of pelvic floor muscles exercise are essential in women. The aim of this study was to produce pelvic floor exercise multimedia for continence women age between 40-60 years old and pregnancy. The length of multimedia was 12 .20 minutes. Knowledge was compared between pre-post training and control and training groups in pregnancy at baseline, immediately after viewing the multimedia and at 12 weeks follow up. There were 82 volunteers at the beginning but 79 (96.3 %) completed the study. This included 59 continence women, and 20 pregnant women. The results showed that knowledge related to urinary incontinence and pelvic floor exercise was improved after viewing the multimedia and was able to maintain for 12 weeks in training groups. Volunteers were satisfied with the program and able to use of the multimedia as a teaching tool for others women. In conclusion, the multimedia produce in this study can help to improve knowledge of urinary incontinence of women age 40-60 years and pregnancy. Although the topic of urinary incontinence is difficult to understand, producing a multimedia for delivering the knowledge will help these women to teach others in the community, improve the quality of pelvic floor muscles, prevent urinary incontinence problem and promote and fulfill the quality of life of these women. Keywords: Pelvic floor muscle, VCD, Pelvic floor exercises, Urinary incontinence, Pregnancy
To compare lateral abdominal muscle thickness between weightlifters and matched controls. A case ... more To compare lateral abdominal muscle thickness between weightlifters and matched controls. A case control study design. University laboratory. 16 female Thai national weightlifters and 16 matched controls participated in this study. Ultrasound imaging with a 12-MHz linear array was used to measure the resting thickness of transversus abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO) and total thickness (Total) of lateral abdominal muscle (LAM) on the right side of abdominal wall. The absolute muscle thickness and the relative contribution of each muscle to the total thickness were determined. Weightlifters had significantly thicker absolute TrA and IO muscles than matched controls (p < 0.01). Further, the relative thickness of the IO was significantly greater in weightlifters than matched controls (p < 0.05). The findings of this study suggest that routine Olympic style weight training among female weightlifters appears to result in preferential hypertrophy or adaptation of the IO muscle.
Background: Backpack loads produce changes in standing posture when compared with unloaded postur... more Background: Backpack loads produce changes in standing posture when compared with unloaded posture. Although 'poor' unloaded standing posture has been related to spinal pain, there is little evidence of whether, and how much, exposure to posterior load produces injurious effects on spinal tissue. The objective of this study was to describe the effect on adolescent sagittal plane standing posture of different loads and positions of a common design of school backpack. The underlying study aim was to test the appropriateness of two adult 'rules-of-thumb'-that for postural efficiency, backpacks should be worn high on the spine, and loads should be limited to 10% of body weight. Method: A randomised controlled experimental study was conducted on 250 adolescents (12-18 years), randomly selected from five South Australian metropolitan high schools. Sagittal view anatomical points were marked on head, neck, shoulder, hip, thigh, knee and ankle. There were nine experimental conditions: combinations of backpack loads (3, 5 or 10% of body weight) and positions (backpack centred at T7, T12 or L3). Sagittal plane photographs were taken of unloaded standing posture (baseline), and standing posture under the experimental conditions. Posture was quantified from the x (horizontal) coordinate of each anatomical point under each experimental condition. Differences in postural response were described, and differences between conditions were determined using Analysis of Variance models. Results: Neither age nor gender was a significant factor when comparing postural response to backpack loads or conditions. Backpacks positioned at T7 produced the largest forward (horizontal) displacement at all the anatomical points. The horizontal position of all anatomical points increased linearly with load. Conclusion: There is evidence refuting the 'rule-of-thumb' to carry the backpack high on the back. Typical school backpacks should be positioned with the centre at waist or hip level. There is no evidence for the 10% body weight limit.
We enjoyed reading the published manuscript entitled ‘Immediate and lasting improvements in weigh... more We enjoyed reading the published manuscript entitled ‘Immediate and lasting improvements in weight distribution seen in baropodometry following a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust manipulation of the sacroiliac joint.’ by Grassi et al. (2011) .W e thought of sharing our views on the published article. The authors took a common clinical concept and related it eloquently to sacroiliac joint dysfunction and after effects of sacroiliac manipulation. We would like to comment on few aspects related to record the weight distribution to the feet. Although, use of baropodometry measures are still considered superior compared to using digital weighing scale, the method adopted in the present study creates much interest and queries. The authors collected baropodometry variables such as peak pressure at feet and contact area of feet in standing. We would like to question why the baropodometry measurement was taken in standing and not during walking. This is because the influence of mobility of the sacroiliac joint may be higher during walking rather than standing. Walking is more functional compared to standing. Furthermore, during walking, the sacroiliac joint may be exposed to single leg stance phase where the load might be more exposed to the involved sacroiliac joint as the other side sacroiliac joint remains in swing phase of gait. One may also question the clinical reasoning behind taking pressure difference between the feet as measurement. It is interesting to raise the query why the authors did not consider taking mean peak pressure of the foot concerned with the involved sacroiliac joint. Instead, the authors considered the difference between the feet before and after sacroiliac joint manipulation. As the authors compared the weight distribution to feet before and after sacroiliac joint manipulation, perhaps, it may be appropriate to compare the peak pressure at the foot of the manipulated sacroiliac joint rather than comparing the difference between the feet. We believe that the study will be more interesting if the mean peak pressure or contact area of foot of the involved and uninvolved sacroiliac joint are presented separately. This would provide some reference values for practitioners and enable other researchers to cite such a paper. The validity of the diagnostic criteria used to identify sacroiliac joint restriction and dysfunction patients is another questionable fact. As a battery of clinical tests are suggested to identify patients with sacroiliac dysfunction (Arab et al., 2009), one would query the rationale for choosing only long sitting test and other two complementary screening tests. The reason for choosing paired t test instead of one way repeated ANOVA is questionable as the measurement were taken at three different situations. Also, rationale for using a non-parametric test (Spearman test) and parametric test (paired t test) for analyzing the same variable raises queries. Absence of intervention effect size and no p value for correlation tests makes it difficult for readers to apply the study findings in clinical practice. We appreciate the meticulous work by the authors and thank the editor for publishing such informative articles.
Alteration in the posterior oblique chain (POC) muscle activity is one of the abnormal biomechani... more Alteration in the posterior oblique chain (POC) muscle activity is one of the abnormal biomechanical patterns among patients with low back pain. However an understanding on the alteration of the POC muscles in sacroiliac joint dysfunction (SJD) is not known. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the amplitude of muscle contraction of POC among patients with SJD. A total of 40 participants (20 with SJD and 20 healthy participants as matched controls) were recruited in this study. The amplitude of muscle contraction of the POC which includes biceps femoris (BF), gluteus maximus (GM), contralateral lattissimusdorsi (LD) and contralateral upper trapezius (UT) were measured using a multi-channeled surface electromyography during a prone hip extension task. The amplitude of muscle contraction of POC was compared between ipsilateral and contralateral side among participants with SJD and as well as with healthy participants. Parametric and non-parametric statistics were used to analyze the data. The results showed significant higher amplitude of muscle contraction for BF (p=0.001) when compared between two sides among SJD participants and also when compared with healthy controls. Although there is a trend of higher amplitude of muscle contraction in other POC muscles, the differences in the contraction were not statistically significant. In conclusion, only BF in the POC showed higher amplitude of the muscle contraction during prone hip extension task which might be an alteration in POC and a compensatory mechanism among participants with SJD.
High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) is an alternative technique that should provide better result... more High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) is an alternative technique that should provide better results than therapeutic ultrasound in the treatment of tendinitis. However, there has not yet been a study to support this hypothesis in horses, especially in polo ponies. This study aims to follow up the outcomes of high-intensity laser therapy and therapeutic ultrasound in tendinitis polo ponies in Thailand. Twelve limbs with tendinitis from 10 ponies were included in the study after lameness examination; the limbs were confirmed to have tendinitis via ultrasonography. The ponies were randomized to high-intensity laser therapy and therapeutic ultrasound group. Recordings of the severity of the cross-sectional area (CSA), echogenicity score, fiber alignment score (FAS), lameness examination and pain responsive were performed on day 0, day 8, day 30 and day 60. The samples were randomized to six limbs in each treatment group. The results show that there was no significantly change in the CSA ...
Research article Adolescent standing postural response to backpack loads: a randomised controlled... more Research article Adolescent standing postural response to backpack loads: a randomised controlled experimental study
OBJECTIVE Lumbo-pelvic core stabilization training (LPST) is one of the therapeutic exercises com... more OBJECTIVE Lumbo-pelvic core stabilization training (LPST) is one of the therapeutic exercises common in practice for rehabilitation of patients with chronic low back pain. This study was carried out to examine the therapeutic effects of LPST on the muscle thickness of transversus abdominis (TrA) at rest and during contraction among patients with chronic non-specific low back pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 25 participants (7 males and 18 females) with chronic non-specific low back pain participated in a within-subject, repeated measures, double-blinded, placebo-controlled comparisons trial. The participants received three different types of experimental therapeutic training conditions which includes the lumbo-pelvic core stabilization training (LPST), the placebo treatment with passive cycling (PC) and a controlled intervention with rest (CI). The interventions were carried out by randomization with 48 hours between the sessions. The effectiveness of interventions was studied...
Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2021
Objective This review evaluates the evidence on the strength of causal relationship between categ... more Objective This review evaluates the evidence on the strength of causal relationship between categories of risk factors (RFs) and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) among professional drivers. Background A compilation of evidence on the causal relationship between RFs and WRMSDs among professional drivers is lacking. Methods A systematic search of the literature was conducted in major electronic data bases that include Medline (1946 + via OvidSP), Embase (1974 + OvidSP), CINAHL (1982+), AMED, and Web of Science. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed and scored. A descriptive analysis on the categories of RFs associated with WRMSDs was conducted. The Bradford–Hill causation criteria and evidence interpretation tool were used to evaluate the causal relationship between RFs and WRMSDs in professional drivers. Results Among the 54 studies reviewed, a strong evidence suggests a causal relationship between RFs such as whole-body vibration, awkward postures, li...
Journal of Medical Technology and Physical Therapy วารสารเทคนิคการแพทย์และกายภาพบำบัด, Dec 20, 2013
Urinary incontinence is one of the major health problems in menopause women and pregnancy. Incont... more Urinary incontinence is one of the major health problems in menopause women and pregnancy. Incontinence in menopause can occur from several causes. Activities such as coughing, sneezing, laughing or stairs increase intra-abdominal pressure and result in leakage especially in those with pelvic floor muscles weakness. Feeling of anxiety and embarrassment often occur in this population. Correct knowledge and understanding of pelvic floor muscles exercise are essential in women. The aim of this study was to produce pelvic floor exercise multimedia for continence women age between 40-60 years old and pregnancy. The length of multimedia was 12 .20 minutes. Knowledge was compared between pre-post training and control and training groups in pregnancy at baseline, immediately after viewing the multimedia and at 12 weeks follow up. There were 82 volunteers at the beginning but 79 (96.3 %) completed the study. This included 59 continence women, and 20 pregnant women. The results showed that knowledge related to urinary incontinence and pelvic floor exercise was improved after viewing the multimedia and was able to maintain for 12 weeks in training groups. Volunteers were satisfied with the program and able to use of the multimedia as a teaching tool for others women. In conclusion, the multimedia produce in this study can help to improve knowledge of urinary incontinence of women age 40-60 years and pregnancy. Although the topic of urinary incontinence is difficult to understand, producing a multimedia for delivering the knowledge will help these women to teach others in the community, improve the quality of pelvic floor muscles, prevent urinary incontinence problem and promote and fulfill the quality of life of these women. Keywords: Pelvic floor muscle, VCD, Pelvic floor exercises, Urinary incontinence, Pregnancy
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, Apr 15, 2021
Purpose Professional bus drivers risk developing musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and disability due to... more Purpose Professional bus drivers risk developing musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and disability due to their working condition. The current study investigates the prevalence rate of MSP and disability among professional bus drivers. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 83 professional bus drivers. The prevalence rate of MSP was evaluated using a standardized Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. The disabilities due to the MSP were evaluated using neck disability index (NDI), Oswestry disability index (ODI) and shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) tools. Prevalence of MSP was presented with 95% of confidence interval (CI) at an alpha level of 0.05. The 12 months and 7 days prevalence of MSP were tabulated for analysing the trend of MSP between the upper and lower body regions. Results The drivers had a mean driving experience of 10.07 ± 7.26 years. The mean driving hours/week were 50.25 ± 12.82 h. Neck and back were the most affected regions with a prevalence rate of 81.9% (N = 68) and 80.7% (N = 67) at 12 months. Back region recorded the highest 7 days prevalence rate for MSP with 53% (N = 44). Approximately one fourth of the bus drivers population (23.9%, N = 16) had moderate disability in back region. More than half with MSP in the neck region presented mild disability (54.4%, N = 37). Conclusion The bus drivers reported a high prevalence rate of MSP in the neck, back and shoulder regions with mild to moderate disabilities. Appropriate health care and rehabilitation programs are necessary for the prevention and management of MSP among the bus drivers.
Background: There are no previously reported studies on the health care intervention programs to ... more Background: There are no previously reported studies on the health care intervention programs to manage knee pain among elite weightlifters. Objectives: The current study investigated the effects of an eight week multimodal knee care intervention (MKCI) program on the intensity of knee pain (IKP), knee functional ability (KFA), pain free knee extension strength (P-KES), pain free single leg functional strength (P-SLS), pain free double leg functional strength (PDLS) and the quality of professional weightlifting (QOPL) among elite weightlifters. Methods: A total of eleven national Olympic weightlifters with knee pain (age: 21.55 ± 3.91 years, height: 161.09 ± 11.14 cm, and weight: 69.18 ± 15.99 kg) participated in a within subject, repeated measures, single blinded, self-controlled comparative study for a total period of 16 weeks. The first four weeks of the study was set as a self-controlled phase whereas the MKCI was started at the fourth week and continued over for a period of another eight weeks until 12th week. The IKP, KFA, P-KES, P-SLS and P-DLS and QOPL were measured repeatedly at first week (pre-baseline), fourth week (pre-intervention), 12th week (post-intervention) and 16th week (follow-up). Wilcoxon signed rank test and Friedman test were used to analyze the study measures. Results: The IKP, KFA, P-KES, P-SLS and P-DLS significantly improved by 16th week when compared to fourth week (P < 0.05). The KSC improved significantly by 12th week and 16th week (P < 0.05). The QOPL showed a trend of improvement over the study period. Conclusions: MKCI was a feasible program which showed positive effects in improving IKP, KFA, P-KES, P-SLS, P-DLS and KSC among elite weightlifters with knee pain.
Background: Chronic low back pain is a common problem found in transfer workers. Back education a... more Background: Chronic low back pain is a common problem found in transfer workers. Back education and back exercise program may help to decrease pain intensity and improve functional capacity in transfer workers. Objectives: To examine the effects of educational and back exercise program on pain intensity, functional capacity, and back pain knowledge in transfer workers with chronic low back pain. Materials and methods: Forty male transfer workers with chronic low back pain were randomly assigned to intervention group (n=20 mean age 40.25±10.6) and control group (n=20 mean age 37.55±10.6). Participants in the intervention group received back educational program which composed of 1 hour of lecture and 3 hours of practical session. Then, they performed back exercise program at home for 20 minutes per session, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. Pain intensity, functional capacity and back pain knowledge were evaluated using visual analog scale, Oswestry disability index, and knowledge test respectively. All evaluations were performed before and after 12 weeks periods. Differences between and within groups in pain intensity were analyzed using independent t-test and paired t-test. Nonparametric statistics were used to analyze functional capacity and back pain knowledge. Significance level was set at p<0.05. Results: At 12-week of educational and back exercise program, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvement in functional capacity and back pain knowledge when compared to baseline (p<0.05) and control group (p<0.05). However, no significant difference in pain intensity was found for both within and between group comparisons (p>0.05). Conclusion: Back education and back exercise of 20 minutes per session, 3 times a week for 12 weeks could improve functional capacity and back pain knowledge in transfer workers with chronic low back pain.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of a heart rate maximizer ... more Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of a heart rate maximizer test using jumping jack to evaluate cardiovascular fitness in young adults. Materials and methods: Twenty healthy young adults (mean age 21.20±0.95 years) underwent two minutes of the heart rate maximizer test, followed by 10 minutes of seated rest on two occasions separated by seven days. Variables included resting heart rate (HRrest), peak heart rate (HRpeak), heart rate after testing at 1st and 2nd minute, heart rate recovery at 1st and 2nd minute (HRR1 and HRR2), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were evaluated. Reliability of the test was analyzed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurements (SEMs) and coefficient of variation (CV). Results: All HR variables were excellent reliable (ICC = 0.90-0.98; SEMs = 1.14%-7.89%) as well as SBP variables (ICC = 0.90-0.91; SEMs = 2.87%-3.70%) with less than 15% of CV except HRR1 (CV = 29.8%). RPE measurements were slightly less reliable (ICC = 0.62-0.75; SEMs = 3.13%-7.42%; CV = 5.1%-14.8%) than HR and SBP measurements. Therefore, both HR and SBP variables can be reliably applied in the heart rate maximizer test. Conclusion: Heart rate maximizer test using jumping jack showed high reliability and it could be useful for accessing cardiovascular fitness in healthy young adults.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate overall and sex differences of cardiovas... more Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate overall and sex differences of cardiovascular function, rating of perceived exertion, energy expenditure and the level of exercise testing to the heart rate maximizer test in both sexes of healthy young adults. Methods: One-hundred healthy young adults including 50 males (mean age 22.7±3.1 years) and 50 females (mean age 22.7±3.3 years) participated in the study. Participants completed two minutes of the heart rate maximizer test. Measurements included heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), energy expenditure (EE) at baseline, during testing and 5 minutes of recovery period. A heart rate recovery (HRR) was calculated. Results: During performing the heart rate maximizer test, HR, SBP and RPE increased dramatically and reached the peak at two minutes of the test which is about 90% maximal HR (HR Max) and RPE of 16, respectively. For period of recovery, HR, RPE and SBP decreased rapidly then HR became plateau at 4 th and 5 th minute of recovery. All variables, however, still be higher than at baseline. Although trends of all variables looked similar between gender, HRR in first minute, SBP and EE were significantly higher and RPE in second minute of recovery was significantly lower in males compared to females (p<0.05). Conclusion: The heart rate maximizer test can be used as a safe vigorous exercise testing for evaluating of cardiovascular system. Despite similar trends were observed in most parameters for both genders, sex differences in cardiovascular function can be found in this study by considering HRR in first minute, SBP, EE and RPE.
Chronic lower back pain is an important cause of decreased performance in sport horses. It can be... more Chronic lower back pain is an important cause of decreased performance in sport horses. It can be a complicated diagnosis to make and once identified difficult to treat. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of treatment between high intensity laser stimulation of acupuncture points and therapeutic ultrasound in 28 sport horses with chronic low back pain. Horses diagnosed with chronic lower back pain were randomized into 2 treatment groups: high intensity laser stimulation of acupuncture points (HILSA) or therapeutic ultrasound (TU) applied to the lower back (T-18 to sacroiliac joint). The horses received a total of 8 treatments administered every other day during the study period (16 days). The reduction of pain between baseline (Day 0) and after treatment (Day 16) was evaluated both by TCVM acupoint sensitivity scan and pressure algometer. The acupoint sensitivity scan demonstrated statistically significant improvement for both treatment modalities. The HILSA Group change (8.13 ± 8.476) was very significant (p=0.0028) with a 66% change from baseline while the TU Group change (3.77 ± 4.38) was also significant (p=0.0223) with a 34% change from baseline. Comparison of the magnitude of improvement between groups was not statistically significant (p=0.0659). Algometer measurements experienced some limitations with inconsistent results. It can be concluded from study findings that both treatment modalities are associated with a statistically significant reduction of lower back pain in sport horses and selection of treatment can be based on the advantages and disadvantages of each modality dependent on the patient and situation.
Urinary incontinence is one of the major health problems in menopause women and pregnancy. Incont... more Urinary incontinence is one of the major health problems in menopause women and pregnancy. Incontinence in menopause can occur from several causes. Activities such as coughing, sneezing, laughing or stairs increase intra-abdominal pressure and result in leakage especially in those with pelvic floor muscles weakness. Feeling of anxiety and embarrassment often occur in this population. Correct knowledge and understanding of pelvic floor muscles exercise are essential in women. The aim of this study was to produce pelvic floor exercise multimedia for continence women age between 40-60 years old and pregnancy. The length of multimedia was 12 .20 minutes. Knowledge was compared between pre-post training and control and training groups in pregnancy at baseline, immediately after viewing the multimedia and at 12 weeks follow up. There were 82 volunteers at the beginning but 79 (96.3 %) completed the study. This included 59 continence women, and 20 pregnant women. The results showed that knowledge related to urinary incontinence and pelvic floor exercise was improved after viewing the multimedia and was able to maintain for 12 weeks in training groups. Volunteers were satisfied with the program and able to use of the multimedia as a teaching tool for others women. In conclusion, the multimedia produce in this study can help to improve knowledge of urinary incontinence of women age 40-60 years and pregnancy. Although the topic of urinary incontinence is difficult to understand, producing a multimedia for delivering the knowledge will help these women to teach others in the community, improve the quality of pelvic floor muscles, prevent urinary incontinence problem and promote and fulfill the quality of life of these women. Keywords: Pelvic floor muscle, VCD, Pelvic floor exercises, Urinary incontinence, Pregnancy
To compare lateral abdominal muscle thickness between weightlifters and matched controls. A case ... more To compare lateral abdominal muscle thickness between weightlifters and matched controls. A case control study design. University laboratory. 16 female Thai national weightlifters and 16 matched controls participated in this study. Ultrasound imaging with a 12-MHz linear array was used to measure the resting thickness of transversus abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO) and total thickness (Total) of lateral abdominal muscle (LAM) on the right side of abdominal wall. The absolute muscle thickness and the relative contribution of each muscle to the total thickness were determined. Weightlifters had significantly thicker absolute TrA and IO muscles than matched controls (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.01). Further, the relative thickness of the IO was significantly greater in weightlifters than matched controls (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05). The findings of this study suggest that routine Olympic style weight training among female weightlifters appears to result in preferential hypertrophy or adaptation of the IO muscle.
Background: Backpack loads produce changes in standing posture when compared with unloaded postur... more Background: Backpack loads produce changes in standing posture when compared with unloaded posture. Although 'poor' unloaded standing posture has been related to spinal pain, there is little evidence of whether, and how much, exposure to posterior load produces injurious effects on spinal tissue. The objective of this study was to describe the effect on adolescent sagittal plane standing posture of different loads and positions of a common design of school backpack. The underlying study aim was to test the appropriateness of two adult 'rules-of-thumb'-that for postural efficiency, backpacks should be worn high on the spine, and loads should be limited to 10% of body weight. Method: A randomised controlled experimental study was conducted on 250 adolescents (12-18 years), randomly selected from five South Australian metropolitan high schools. Sagittal view anatomical points were marked on head, neck, shoulder, hip, thigh, knee and ankle. There were nine experimental conditions: combinations of backpack loads (3, 5 or 10% of body weight) and positions (backpack centred at T7, T12 or L3). Sagittal plane photographs were taken of unloaded standing posture (baseline), and standing posture under the experimental conditions. Posture was quantified from the x (horizontal) coordinate of each anatomical point under each experimental condition. Differences in postural response were described, and differences between conditions were determined using Analysis of Variance models. Results: Neither age nor gender was a significant factor when comparing postural response to backpack loads or conditions. Backpacks positioned at T7 produced the largest forward (horizontal) displacement at all the anatomical points. The horizontal position of all anatomical points increased linearly with load. Conclusion: There is evidence refuting the 'rule-of-thumb' to carry the backpack high on the back. Typical school backpacks should be positioned with the centre at waist or hip level. There is no evidence for the 10% body weight limit.
We enjoyed reading the published manuscript entitled ‘Immediate and lasting improvements in weigh... more We enjoyed reading the published manuscript entitled ‘Immediate and lasting improvements in weight distribution seen in baropodometry following a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust manipulation of the sacroiliac joint.’ by Grassi et al. (2011) .W e thought of sharing our views on the published article. The authors took a common clinical concept and related it eloquently to sacroiliac joint dysfunction and after effects of sacroiliac manipulation. We would like to comment on few aspects related to record the weight distribution to the feet. Although, use of baropodometry measures are still considered superior compared to using digital weighing scale, the method adopted in the present study creates much interest and queries. The authors collected baropodometry variables such as peak pressure at feet and contact area of feet in standing. We would like to question why the baropodometry measurement was taken in standing and not during walking. This is because the influence of mobility of the sacroiliac joint may be higher during walking rather than standing. Walking is more functional compared to standing. Furthermore, during walking, the sacroiliac joint may be exposed to single leg stance phase where the load might be more exposed to the involved sacroiliac joint as the other side sacroiliac joint remains in swing phase of gait. One may also question the clinical reasoning behind taking pressure difference between the feet as measurement. It is interesting to raise the query why the authors did not consider taking mean peak pressure of the foot concerned with the involved sacroiliac joint. Instead, the authors considered the difference between the feet before and after sacroiliac joint manipulation. As the authors compared the weight distribution to feet before and after sacroiliac joint manipulation, perhaps, it may be appropriate to compare the peak pressure at the foot of the manipulated sacroiliac joint rather than comparing the difference between the feet. We believe that the study will be more interesting if the mean peak pressure or contact area of foot of the involved and uninvolved sacroiliac joint are presented separately. This would provide some reference values for practitioners and enable other researchers to cite such a paper. The validity of the diagnostic criteria used to identify sacroiliac joint restriction and dysfunction patients is another questionable fact. As a battery of clinical tests are suggested to identify patients with sacroiliac dysfunction (Arab et al., 2009), one would query the rationale for choosing only long sitting test and other two complementary screening tests. The reason for choosing paired t test instead of one way repeated ANOVA is questionable as the measurement were taken at three different situations. Also, rationale for using a non-parametric test (Spearman test) and parametric test (paired t test) for analyzing the same variable raises queries. Absence of intervention effect size and no p value for correlation tests makes it difficult for readers to apply the study findings in clinical practice. We appreciate the meticulous work by the authors and thank the editor for publishing such informative articles.
Alteration in the posterior oblique chain (POC) muscle activity is one of the abnormal biomechani... more Alteration in the posterior oblique chain (POC) muscle activity is one of the abnormal biomechanical patterns among patients with low back pain. However an understanding on the alteration of the POC muscles in sacroiliac joint dysfunction (SJD) is not known. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the amplitude of muscle contraction of POC among patients with SJD. A total of 40 participants (20 with SJD and 20 healthy participants as matched controls) were recruited in this study. The amplitude of muscle contraction of the POC which includes biceps femoris (BF), gluteus maximus (GM), contralateral lattissimusdorsi (LD) and contralateral upper trapezius (UT) were measured using a multi-channeled surface electromyography during a prone hip extension task. The amplitude of muscle contraction of POC was compared between ipsilateral and contralateral side among participants with SJD and as well as with healthy participants. Parametric and non-parametric statistics were used to analyze the data. The results showed significant higher amplitude of muscle contraction for BF (p=0.001) when compared between two sides among SJD participants and also when compared with healthy controls. Although there is a trend of higher amplitude of muscle contraction in other POC muscles, the differences in the contraction were not statistically significant. In conclusion, only BF in the POC showed higher amplitude of the muscle contraction during prone hip extension task which might be an alteration in POC and a compensatory mechanism among participants with SJD.
High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) is an alternative technique that should provide better result... more High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) is an alternative technique that should provide better results than therapeutic ultrasound in the treatment of tendinitis. However, there has not yet been a study to support this hypothesis in horses, especially in polo ponies. This study aims to follow up the outcomes of high-intensity laser therapy and therapeutic ultrasound in tendinitis polo ponies in Thailand. Twelve limbs with tendinitis from 10 ponies were included in the study after lameness examination; the limbs were confirmed to have tendinitis via ultrasonography. The ponies were randomized to high-intensity laser therapy and therapeutic ultrasound group. Recordings of the severity of the cross-sectional area (CSA), echogenicity score, fiber alignment score (FAS), lameness examination and pain responsive were performed on day 0, day 8, day 30 and day 60. The samples were randomized to six limbs in each treatment group. The results show that there was no significantly change in the CSA ...
Research article Adolescent standing postural response to backpack loads: a randomised controlled... more Research article Adolescent standing postural response to backpack loads: a randomised controlled experimental study
OBJECTIVE Lumbo-pelvic core stabilization training (LPST) is one of the therapeutic exercises com... more OBJECTIVE Lumbo-pelvic core stabilization training (LPST) is one of the therapeutic exercises common in practice for rehabilitation of patients with chronic low back pain. This study was carried out to examine the therapeutic effects of LPST on the muscle thickness of transversus abdominis (TrA) at rest and during contraction among patients with chronic non-specific low back pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 25 participants (7 males and 18 females) with chronic non-specific low back pain participated in a within-subject, repeated measures, double-blinded, placebo-controlled comparisons trial. The participants received three different types of experimental therapeutic training conditions which includes the lumbo-pelvic core stabilization training (LPST), the placebo treatment with passive cycling (PC) and a controlled intervention with rest (CI). The interventions were carried out by randomization with 48 hours between the sessions. The effectiveness of interventions was studied...
Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2021
Objective This review evaluates the evidence on the strength of causal relationship between categ... more Objective This review evaluates the evidence on the strength of causal relationship between categories of risk factors (RFs) and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) among professional drivers. Background A compilation of evidence on the causal relationship between RFs and WRMSDs among professional drivers is lacking. Methods A systematic search of the literature was conducted in major electronic data bases that include Medline (1946 + via OvidSP), Embase (1974 + OvidSP), CINAHL (1982+), AMED, and Web of Science. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed and scored. A descriptive analysis on the categories of RFs associated with WRMSDs was conducted. The Bradford–Hill causation criteria and evidence interpretation tool were used to evaluate the causal relationship between RFs and WRMSDs in professional drivers. Results Among the 54 studies reviewed, a strong evidence suggests a causal relationship between RFs such as whole-body vibration, awkward postures, li...
Journal of Medical Technology and Physical Therapy วารสารเทคนิคการแพทย์และกายภาพบำบัด, Dec 20, 2013
Urinary incontinence is one of the major health problems in menopause women and pregnancy. Incont... more Urinary incontinence is one of the major health problems in menopause women and pregnancy. Incontinence in menopause can occur from several causes. Activities such as coughing, sneezing, laughing or stairs increase intra-abdominal pressure and result in leakage especially in those with pelvic floor muscles weakness. Feeling of anxiety and embarrassment often occur in this population. Correct knowledge and understanding of pelvic floor muscles exercise are essential in women. The aim of this study was to produce pelvic floor exercise multimedia for continence women age between 40-60 years old and pregnancy. The length of multimedia was 12 .20 minutes. Knowledge was compared between pre-post training and control and training groups in pregnancy at baseline, immediately after viewing the multimedia and at 12 weeks follow up. There were 82 volunteers at the beginning but 79 (96.3 %) completed the study. This included 59 continence women, and 20 pregnant women. The results showed that knowledge related to urinary incontinence and pelvic floor exercise was improved after viewing the multimedia and was able to maintain for 12 weeks in training groups. Volunteers were satisfied with the program and able to use of the multimedia as a teaching tool for others women. In conclusion, the multimedia produce in this study can help to improve knowledge of urinary incontinence of women age 40-60 years and pregnancy. Although the topic of urinary incontinence is difficult to understand, producing a multimedia for delivering the knowledge will help these women to teach others in the community, improve the quality of pelvic floor muscles, prevent urinary incontinence problem and promote and fulfill the quality of life of these women. Keywords: Pelvic floor muscle, VCD, Pelvic floor exercises, Urinary incontinence, Pregnancy
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, Apr 15, 2021
Purpose Professional bus drivers risk developing musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and disability due to... more Purpose Professional bus drivers risk developing musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and disability due to their working condition. The current study investigates the prevalence rate of MSP and disability among professional bus drivers. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 83 professional bus drivers. The prevalence rate of MSP was evaluated using a standardized Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. The disabilities due to the MSP were evaluated using neck disability index (NDI), Oswestry disability index (ODI) and shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) tools. Prevalence of MSP was presented with 95% of confidence interval (CI) at an alpha level of 0.05. The 12 months and 7 days prevalence of MSP were tabulated for analysing the trend of MSP between the upper and lower body regions. Results The drivers had a mean driving experience of 10.07 ± 7.26 years. The mean driving hours/week were 50.25 ± 12.82 h. Neck and back were the most affected regions with a prevalence rate of 81.9% (N = 68) and 80.7% (N = 67) at 12 months. Back region recorded the highest 7 days prevalence rate for MSP with 53% (N = 44). Approximately one fourth of the bus drivers population (23.9%, N = 16) had moderate disability in back region. More than half with MSP in the neck region presented mild disability (54.4%, N = 37). Conclusion The bus drivers reported a high prevalence rate of MSP in the neck, back and shoulder regions with mild to moderate disabilities. Appropriate health care and rehabilitation programs are necessary for the prevention and management of MSP among the bus drivers.
Background: There are no previously reported studies on the health care intervention programs to ... more Background: There are no previously reported studies on the health care intervention programs to manage knee pain among elite weightlifters. Objectives: The current study investigated the effects of an eight week multimodal knee care intervention (MKCI) program on the intensity of knee pain (IKP), knee functional ability (KFA), pain free knee extension strength (P-KES), pain free single leg functional strength (P-SLS), pain free double leg functional strength (PDLS) and the quality of professional weightlifting (QOPL) among elite weightlifters. Methods: A total of eleven national Olympic weightlifters with knee pain (age: 21.55 ± 3.91 years, height: 161.09 ± 11.14 cm, and weight: 69.18 ± 15.99 kg) participated in a within subject, repeated measures, single blinded, self-controlled comparative study for a total period of 16 weeks. The first four weeks of the study was set as a self-controlled phase whereas the MKCI was started at the fourth week and continued over for a period of another eight weeks until 12th week. The IKP, KFA, P-KES, P-SLS and P-DLS and QOPL were measured repeatedly at first week (pre-baseline), fourth week (pre-intervention), 12th week (post-intervention) and 16th week (follow-up). Wilcoxon signed rank test and Friedman test were used to analyze the study measures. Results: The IKP, KFA, P-KES, P-SLS and P-DLS significantly improved by 16th week when compared to fourth week (P < 0.05). The KSC improved significantly by 12th week and 16th week (P < 0.05). The QOPL showed a trend of improvement over the study period. Conclusions: MKCI was a feasible program which showed positive effects in improving IKP, KFA, P-KES, P-SLS, P-DLS and KSC among elite weightlifters with knee pain.
Background: Chronic low back pain is a common problem found in transfer workers. Back education a... more Background: Chronic low back pain is a common problem found in transfer workers. Back education and back exercise program may help to decrease pain intensity and improve functional capacity in transfer workers. Objectives: To examine the effects of educational and back exercise program on pain intensity, functional capacity, and back pain knowledge in transfer workers with chronic low back pain. Materials and methods: Forty male transfer workers with chronic low back pain were randomly assigned to intervention group (n=20 mean age 40.25±10.6) and control group (n=20 mean age 37.55±10.6). Participants in the intervention group received back educational program which composed of 1 hour of lecture and 3 hours of practical session. Then, they performed back exercise program at home for 20 minutes per session, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. Pain intensity, functional capacity and back pain knowledge were evaluated using visual analog scale, Oswestry disability index, and knowledge test respectively. All evaluations were performed before and after 12 weeks periods. Differences between and within groups in pain intensity were analyzed using independent t-test and paired t-test. Nonparametric statistics were used to analyze functional capacity and back pain knowledge. Significance level was set at p<0.05. Results: At 12-week of educational and back exercise program, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvement in functional capacity and back pain knowledge when compared to baseline (p<0.05) and control group (p<0.05). However, no significant difference in pain intensity was found for both within and between group comparisons (p>0.05). Conclusion: Back education and back exercise of 20 minutes per session, 3 times a week for 12 weeks could improve functional capacity and back pain knowledge in transfer workers with chronic low back pain.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of a heart rate maximizer ... more Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of a heart rate maximizer test using jumping jack to evaluate cardiovascular fitness in young adults. Materials and methods: Twenty healthy young adults (mean age 21.20±0.95 years) underwent two minutes of the heart rate maximizer test, followed by 10 minutes of seated rest on two occasions separated by seven days. Variables included resting heart rate (HRrest), peak heart rate (HRpeak), heart rate after testing at 1st and 2nd minute, heart rate recovery at 1st and 2nd minute (HRR1 and HRR2), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were evaluated. Reliability of the test was analyzed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurements (SEMs) and coefficient of variation (CV). Results: All HR variables were excellent reliable (ICC = 0.90-0.98; SEMs = 1.14%-7.89%) as well as SBP variables (ICC = 0.90-0.91; SEMs = 2.87%-3.70%) with less than 15% of CV except HRR1 (CV = 29.8%). RPE measurements were slightly less reliable (ICC = 0.62-0.75; SEMs = 3.13%-7.42%; CV = 5.1%-14.8%) than HR and SBP measurements. Therefore, both HR and SBP variables can be reliably applied in the heart rate maximizer test. Conclusion: Heart rate maximizer test using jumping jack showed high reliability and it could be useful for accessing cardiovascular fitness in healthy young adults.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate overall and sex differences of cardiovas... more Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate overall and sex differences of cardiovascular function, rating of perceived exertion, energy expenditure and the level of exercise testing to the heart rate maximizer test in both sexes of healthy young adults. Methods: One-hundred healthy young adults including 50 males (mean age 22.7±3.1 years) and 50 females (mean age 22.7±3.3 years) participated in the study. Participants completed two minutes of the heart rate maximizer test. Measurements included heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), energy expenditure (EE) at baseline, during testing and 5 minutes of recovery period. A heart rate recovery (HRR) was calculated. Results: During performing the heart rate maximizer test, HR, SBP and RPE increased dramatically and reached the peak at two minutes of the test which is about 90% maximal HR (HR Max) and RPE of 16, respectively. For period of recovery, HR, RPE and SBP decreased rapidly then HR became plateau at 4 th and 5 th minute of recovery. All variables, however, still be higher than at baseline. Although trends of all variables looked similar between gender, HRR in first minute, SBP and EE were significantly higher and RPE in second minute of recovery was significantly lower in males compared to females (p<0.05). Conclusion: The heart rate maximizer test can be used as a safe vigorous exercise testing for evaluating of cardiovascular system. Despite similar trends were observed in most parameters for both genders, sex differences in cardiovascular function can be found in this study by considering HRR in first minute, SBP, EE and RPE.
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