Work, lifestyle and the potential for disability at King Faisal Specialist: nonexperimental study

The high number of visits of hospital employees to the family-medicine clinic, draws attention toward studying the relationship between work lifestyle and employee complaints and/or physical disabilities. The relationship between different job physical, mental requirements and duration of work hours and type of repeated injuries, may lead to sound understanding of the causative factors of such injuries. The aim of this survey study was to become familiarized with the etiology of work-related disorders in King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center and determine their relationship to the design of the workplace. A questionnaire in both Arabic and English language was distributed among employees at different educational occasions, and received the filled-in one. The questions were coded and inserted in an excel sheet for analytical statistics. The results suggested that there is a strong relationship between: Age and sites of complaint pain. Common injuries and work physical and mental stresses, Common injuries and nature of work. Physical disability and repeated injuries at work

Effect of different ankle positions on knee extensor muscle force in healthy subjects

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different ankle positions on knee extensor muscle force in healthy subjects. Twenty healthy male subjects with age range from 18 to 24 years participated in the study. The values of isometric knee extensor force were tested using a hand-held dynamometer [HHD]. Results showed nonsignificant differences in the isometric knee extensor force between neutral ankle position and both ankle inversion and eversion. Whereas, there were significant differences in the isometric knee extensor force between neutral ankle position and both dorsi-flexion and planter-flexion. The study concluded that both ankle dorsi-flexion and planter-flexion could be used to facilitate quadriceps muscle force in the rehabilitation program

Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on nerve excitation between dominant and nondominant forearm.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS] on nerve excitation threshold [sensory, motor and pain threshold] between dominant and non-dominant forearm. Twenty-five healthy male volunteers ranged in age from 18 to 24 years participated in this study. Conventional type TENS [100 Hz frequency, 100 microseconds pulse duration] was applied over the median nerve on both forearms in all subjects. The intensity in milliamperes was recoded at threshold on both forearms. The results revealed insignificant differences in the excitation threshold between the two forearms. It was postulated that on the application of 100 Hz TENS, there was no alteration in current intensity to stimulate sensory, motor and pain threshold between dominant and non-dominant forearm

Neural combined with static stretching techniques and their effects on hamstring muscle flexibility

Static stretching exercises have been used to regain muscle flexibility. Slump stretching is a neural stretching technique affecting neural structures aiming to increase its physiological function. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of slump stretch combined with static stretch in increasing hamstring flexibility. 45 healthy male subjects, between the ages of 18 and 30 years participated in the study. They have tight [loss of] hamstring muscle flexibility with positive response to the slump test. Subjects were randomly assigned to 3 groups: Group I served as a control group, no stretching was performed for them. Group 2 was assigned to participate in static stretch activities. Group 3 was assigned to participate in slump stretch followed by static stretch. Before and after 4 weeks of training program, flexibility of the hamstring muscle was evaluated in the three groups by measuring knee extension range of motion. Results showed a significant increase in the hamstring flexibility occurred in the third group subjected to slump stretch combined with static stretch [gain= 13.3°] compared with the second group who performed static stretch alone [gain= 8.9°], while the control group did not show any significant change. We can conclude that the application of slump stretch can produce neurogenic effects that may have its therapeutic value in increasing muscle flexibility