[ relationship between the flexibility of calf muscles and functional status of athletes with ankle injuries]

One of the risk factors in sports injuries is inappropriate flexibility of muscles, which leads to pain, decrease range of motion and functional limitation in sport or daily activities and affects the athletes' quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between flexibility of calf muscles and functional status of athletes with ankle injuries. Thirty male athletes with ankle injuries [mean age +/- SD, 22.63 +/- 3.94; range: 18-40 years] participated in this study. Ankle dorsiflexion of affected and non-affected sides were measured with a goniometer. FAOS [Foot and Ankle Outcome Score] questionnaire was used to evaluate the functional status of ankle. The relationship between flexibility of calf muscles in the affected extremity, and total score of the functional questionnaire, was not statistically significant [P>0.05]. While the relationship between the flexibility of muscles and functional questionnaire's total score in the non injured extremity was significant [P = 0.004, r = 0.51]. This study revealed that although the athletes who have more flexibility of calf muscles, show better functional status of ankle; but there is not necessarily a relationship between inflexibility of the muscles and lowered functional status

application of the health belief model in oral health education

The goal of this study was to determine the application of health belief model in oral health education for 12- year-old children and its effect on oral health behaviors and indexes. A quasi-experimental study was carried out on twelve-year-old girl students [n-291] in the first grade of secondary school, in the central district of Tehran, Iran. Research sample was selected by a multistage cluster sampling. The data was obtained by using a valid reliable questionnaire for measuring the perceptions, a checklist for observing the quality of brushing and dental flossing and health files and clinical observation. First, a descriptive study was applied to individual perceptions, oral behaviors, Oral Hygiene Index [OHI] and Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth Index [DMFTI]. Then an educational planning based on the results and Health Belief Model [HBM] was applied. The procedure was repeated after six months. After education, based on HBM, all the oral health perceptions increased [P<.05]. Correct brushing and flossing are influenced by increased perceptions. A low correlation between the reduction of DMFTI and increased perceived severity and increased perceived barriers are found [r= -0.28, r= 0.43 respectively]. In addition, there was a limited correlation between OHI and increased perceived benefits [r= -0.26]. Using health belief model in oral health education for increasing the likelihood of taking preventive oral health behaviors is applicable

effects and maintenance of constraint-induced therapy on spasticity and function of upper extremity in hemiplegic cerebral palsy children 6 to 12 years old

Cerebral palsy is a non progressive disorder and the most common movement problem in children. Many children with cerebral palsy are of hemiplegic type. One of the important problems of this children is unilateral upper limb dysfunction, that not using the affected side causes forgetfulness and more problems on this side. In this study, effectiveness of Constraint-Induced Therapy [CIT] and the maintainance of this technique on spasticity and performance of upper extremity in hemiplegic cerebral palsy children 6 to 12 years old have been investigated. In this pretest - posttest quasi experimental study, 20 cerebral palsy hemiplegic children 6 to 12 years old [15 boys and 5 girls] with 8.7 years mean age were selected. Interventions were performed about 8 weeks and patients were followed for 4 weeks. Spasticity on the affected side in wrist and elbow were tested by Modified Ashworth Scale and upper extremity function by the Box and Block test. The data were analyzed with the Wilcoxon and paired t- tests. Constraint-Induced Therapy in the affected limb decreases significantly the spasticity of wrist [p = 0.00] and elbow [p = 0.005] and significantly increases performance score [p = 0.00], and the recovery significantly maintained one month after the interventions. Constraint-Induced Therapy of affected upper extremity could possibly decrease limb spasticity and increase function with two mechanisms: Fierstly, The reduction of not using the plegic side and secondly, neuroplasticity in CNS. This improvement may remain viable in the affected limb

[ effects of external load and trunk posture on the electromyographic activity of trunk muscles in healthy females]

Background: epidemiological evidences have showed that low back pain fallowing load-carrying is the most common disorder in musclo-skeletal system and is common in industrialized countries.Moreover, little is known about how muscles are recruited when several option of the accomplishment of task are available. Thus this study aimed to examine the effects of external load and trunk posture on the electromyography activity of trunk muscles

Materials and methods: 10 healthy women with no history of low back pain were enrolled in this study. Two inclinometers and five channel EMG system were used to evaluate the right trunk muscle activities [rectus abdominis, internal and external oblique, erector spine, and multifidus]. Six static tasks while holding three levels of load [0, 6, 12 Kg] in two trunk position [neutral and 30 degree of flexion] were simulated for subjects

Results: with highest external load, the electrical activity of back and abdominal muscles increased significantly and with highest trunk flexion, the electrical activity of back muscles increased significantly [P<0.05]

Conclusions: co-contraction of back and abdominal muscles occurred in response to greater need for biomechanical stability. The increased extensor muscles activity during trunk flexion is necessary for stability and controlling of flexion

effect of changing position on patients' fatigue and satisfaction after coronary angiography

Patients' satisfaction is one of the most important indices for evaluating quality of care. Restricting patients to be bed rest after angiography leads to minimize the complications bleeding which is always accompanied by patient's fatigue and dissatisfaction. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of changing patients' position on the levels of fatigue and satisfaction and to monitor the amount of bleeding and hematoma after angiography. This study was a quasi-experimental design with accessible sampling on Iranian patients [with 18-80 years old] who had undergone non-emergency angiography, were randomly allocated to experimental or control group [35 patients in each group]. A demographic questionnaire, visual analog scale to measure the fatigue intensity and the level of satisfaction, and a specific ruler to measure the amount of bleeding and hematoma were used to collect data. The experimental group was treated with the modified positioning compared to the control group with routine protocol. To analyze the data, t-test, chi square, ANOVA with repeated measure and correlation tests were used. The study finding showed that the control group had significantly higher fatigue scores, and lower satisfaction scores than the experimental group at 3, 6, 8 hours and on the next morning after angiography [P < 0.05]. There also was no significant difference in the amount of bleeding and hematoma in the experimental group compared to the control group [P > 0.05]. According to the study results, modifying positioning of the patients after angiography is associated with decreased level of fatigue and increased satisfaction level without increasing the risk of bleeding and hematoma

effect of continuous consultation care model on rehospitalization and chest pain in patients with coronary artery disease

Cardiovascular disease is one of the major causes of mortality in the world and chest pain is the most common symptoms of coronary atherosclerotic lesion or myocardial ischemia. This condition is the origin of readmission for coronary clients. To investigate the effect of the continuous consultation care model on hospitalization [readmission] and chest pain of coronary artery disease clients. This research was a clinical trial study in which the demographic, self report and check list questionnaires were used before and after the intervention in the two groups of experimental and control cases. A total number of 70 cases were equally divided into two groups and the continuous consultation care model was applied to the experimental group for a period of six months. In the same time, the control group was treated based on routine protocol. The results showed that the mean score of the hospitalizations or readmission before the study was 0.51 which decreased to 0.11 following the intervention in experimental group. In the control group, the mean scores were 0.57 and 0.34 before and after the study, respectively. The independent T test showed a significant difference between the two groups [P<0.03]. The mean score of the chest pain [coronary pain] during the study in the experimental and the control groups were 5 and 8 times, respectively. The independent T test and repeated measurements of ANOVA with [P<0.001] also showed a significant difference between experimental and control groups. The continuous consultation care model showed to affect the two variables of chest pain and readmission rates in coronary artery disease clients