[Effects of progressive muscular relaxation training on anxiety level and health related quality of life in anxious patients after coronary artery bypass surgery]

There is a lack of clinical trials studying the effects of relaxation techniques as a basis of stress management on anxiety and quality of life in anxious patients after heart surgery. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of progressive muscular relaxation training on reducing anxiety and improving quality of life among patients with high levels of anxiety after coronary artery bypass graft surgery [CABG]. A randomized controlled trial with a prospective pretest-posttest experimental design was used. One hundred ten patients with threatening anxiety level, 6 weeks after coronary artery bypass surgery were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received progressive muscular relaxation [PMR] training, and the control group received only routine cardiac rehabilitation care. State/trait anxiety was measured with the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and quality of life was measured with the SF-36 questionnaire. There were significant reductions in state anxiety] P=0.001] and trait anxiety[P=0.001] in the experimental group when compared with the controls after the intervention. Significant improvements were found in the following quality of life measures after participating in progressive muscular relaxation training: physical functioning[P=0.00001], role-physical [P=0.03], bodily pain[P=0.00001], general health[P=0.00001], vitality[P=0.00001], social functioning[P=0.001], role-emotional [P=0.00001] and mental health[P=0.00001]. Teaching relaxation techniques could serve as a resource for improving heart patients' psychological health and quality of life

Study of relationship between low back pain relation and foot disorders

Low back pain [LBP] has a high prevalence in any society. Although the relation between LBP and foot disorders is improbable, however, knowing this subject that each part of the foot has a role in body balance and this has a significant relationship with cooperation of body muscles, and any change in foot parts can affect the entered forces to the muscles and change them. The purpose of this study was to determine the relation between chronic LBP and foot disorders in two groups of healthy and LBP affected subjects. This is a case-control study, in which the relation between LBP and some foot disorders like Hallux valagus, Hallax rigidus, flat foot, calf muscle tightness and foot dimensions in subjects with and without LBP was studied. These subjects were selected with simple nonrandomized sampling and there were 83 subjects in each group. Findings showed a significant relation between Hallux valgus, Hallux rigidus, flat foot and solcus tightness with chronic LBP, but no significant relationship between foot dimensions [except width of right sole] and gastrocnemius tightness with chronic LBP was found. According to these results it can concluded the foot and ankle disorders due to their effects on posture, balance and gait, in long time, may cause chroic LBP