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.

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.