Kinesio taping as an alternative treatment for manual laborers with carpal tunnel syndrome: A double-blind randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common forms of peripheral neuropathies due to median nerve compression. Occupational factors, such as repetitive hand motions are believed to be associated with this condition. OBJECTIVE: This clinical trial assessed the effect of Kinesio taping (KT) of hand flexor muscles on the management of mild to moderate CTS in Iranian manual laborers. METHODS: Thirty manual laborers with mild to moderate CTS participated in this clinical trial. They were assigned to an intervention or a control group. The treatment consisted of a 2-week KT followed by a 4-week follow-up. The control group received sham KT without tension applied. Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire scores, pinch and grip force tests, and electrophysiological examination of the median nerve were performed for each participant at baseline, 24 to 48 hours, and two to four weeks of follow-up. The statistical analysis of variance was performed (2 groups × 5 times) for all participants, comparing differences in the data within and between the two groups. RESULTS: The baseline assessment revealed no inter-group differences in the clinical outcomes (P> 0.05). Comparisons of the changes in the electro-physiological and functional variables indicated significantly greater improvement in the KT group than in the sham counterpart (P< 0.05). No statically significant improvement was evident by the electrodiagnostic criteria in the sham-KT group (P> 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: KT is an effective, safe, reliable, and conservative therapeutic choice for the management of patients with CTS. The treatment does not restrict the daily activities of patients nor has it any side effects.

Massage enhances recovery following exercise-induced muscle damage in older adults.

To examine efficacy of cold water immersion (CWI) and massage as recovery techniques on joint position sense, balance, and fear of falling following exercise-induced muscle damage in older adults. Seventy-eight older men and women performed a single bout of strength training on the calf muscles (3 exercises with 4 sets of 10 reps with 75% of 1RM) to induce muscle damage. After the damaging exercise, participants received either a 15-minute massage on calf muscles, or a CWI of the lower limb in cold water (15 ± 1°C) for 15 minute, or passive rest. Interventions were applied immediately after the exercise protocol and at 24, 48, and 72 hours post-exercise. Muscle pain, calf muscle strength, joint position sense, dynamic balance, postural sway, and fear of falling were measured at each time point. Repeated application of massage after EIMD relieved muscle pain, attenuated the loss of muscle strength and joint position senses, reduce balance impairments, and fear of falling in older adults (P ≤ .05). However, repeated applications of CWI, despite relieving muscle pain (P ≤ .05), did not attenuate the loss of muscle strength, joint position senses, balance impairments, and fear of falling. CWI had only some modest effects on muscle pain, but massage attenuated EIMD symptoms and the related impairments in muscle strength, joint position sense, balance, and postural sway in untrained older individuals. Therefore, older exercisers who plan to participate in strength training can benefit from massage for recovery from muscle damage indices and balance to decrease falling risk during the days following strength training.

Relationships Between Hoffman Reflex Parameters, Trait Stress, and Athletic Performance.

This study evaluated the relationships between trait stress, Hoffman reflex, and performance among 36 healthy amateur male athletes. We first obtained a trait stress questionnaire from participants and then assigned them to high- and low-stress groups. We next recorded Hoffman reflex data from the soleus and lateral gastrocnemius muscles and then examined their athletic performance on testing protocols separated by a 72-hour washout period. Performance testing utilized vertical jump height, 20 -m sprint time, and standing stork tests. There were significant correlations between (a) the standing stork test, vertical jump height, and trait stress and (b) Hmax/ Mmax ratios, threshold intensity ( Hth), the intensity of the Hmax, and the intensity of the Hlast. Hth, the intensity of Hmax, and the intensity of Hlast were significantly higher among the low-stress compared with the high-stress participant groups ( p < .05), despite participants' similar training history. We suggest that self-perceived psychological stress affects performance through neural adaptation.

Whole-body vibration and the prevention and treatment of delayed-onset muscle soreness.

CONTEXT: Numerous recovery strategies have been used in an attempt to minimize the symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Whole-body vibration (WBV) has been suggested as a viable warm-up for athletes. However, scientific evidence to support the protective effects of WBV training (WBVT) on muscle damage is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the acute effect of WBVT applied before eccentric exercise in the prevention of DOMS. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: University laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A total of 32 healthy, untrained volunteers were randomly assigned to either the WBVT (n  =  15) or control (n  =  17) group. INTERVENTION(S): Volunteers performed 6 sets of 10 maximal isokinetic (60°/s) eccentric contractions of the dominant-limb knee extensors on a dynamometer. In the WBVT group, the training was applied using a vibratory platform (35 Hz, 5 mm peak to peak) with 100° of knee flexion for 60 seconds before eccentric exercise. No vibration was applied in the control group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Muscle soreness, thigh circumference, and pressure pain threshold were recorded at baseline and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 14 days postexercise. Maximal voluntary isometric and isokinetic knee extensor strength were assessed at baseline, immediately after exercise, and at 1, 2, 7, and 14 days postexercise. Serum creatine kinase was measured at baseline and at 1, 2, and 7 days postexercise. RESULTS: The WBVT group showed a reduction in DOMS symptoms in the form of less maximal isometric and isokinetic voluntary strength loss, lower creatine kinase levels, and less pressure pain threshold and muscle soreness (P < .05) compared with the control group. However, no effect on thigh circumference was evident (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Administered before eccentric exercise, WBVT may reduce DOMS via muscle function improvement. Further investigation should be undertaken to ascertain the effectiveness of WBVT in attenuating DOMS in athletes.

Influence of vibration on delayed onset of muscle soreness following eccentric exercise.

UNLABELLED: Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which may occur after eccentric exercise, may cause some reduction in ability in sport activities. For this reason, several studies have been designed on preventing and controlling DOMS. As vibration training (VT) may improve muscle performance, we designed this study to investigate the effect of VT on controlling and preventing DOMS after eccentric exercise. METHODS: Fifty healthy non-athletic volunteers were assigned randomly into two experimental, VT (n = 25) and non-VT (n = 25) groups. A vibrator was used to apply 50 Hz vibration on the left and right quadriceps, hamstring and calf muscles for 1 min in the VT group, while no vibration was applied in the non-VT group. Then, both groups walked downhill on a 10 degrees declined treadmill at a speed of 4 km/hour. The measurements included the isometric maximum voluntary contraction force (IMVC) of left and right quadriceps muscles, pressure pain threshold (PPT) 5, 10 and 15 cm above the patella and mid-line of the calf muscles of both lower limbs before and the day after treadmill walking. After 24 hours, the serum levels of creatine-kinase (CK), and DOMS level by visual analogue scale were measured. RESULTS: The results showed decreased IMVC force (P = 0.006), reduced PPT (P = 0.0001) and significantly increased mean of DOMS and CK levels in the non-VT group, compared to the VT group (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: A comparison by experimental groups indicates that VT before eccentric exercise may prevent and control DOMS. Further studies should be undertaken to ascertain the stability and effectiveness of VT in athletics.