[The effect of elastic taping on patients with patellofemoral syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of elastic taping on patients with patellofemoral pain and its impact on the onset time of vastusmedialis and vastuslateralis. METHODS: Eligible patients were assigned into the treatment and control groups randomly. Patients in the treatment group received a 5-day taping with therapeutic stretch. Patients in the control group were give placebo taping without therapeutic stretch. Ultrasound therapy was applied to all of the participants as a basic treatment. The levels of pain and surface electromyography were evaluated before treatment, after the first taping and on the Gh day (without taping). RESULTS: Patients in the treatment group experienced immediate improvement in pain and onset time of vastusmedialis and vastuslateralis compared with the controls. On the 6th day (without taping), further improvement was achieved in pain and onset time of vastusmedialis and vastuslateralis in the treatment group compared with the controls (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Elastic taping can effectively improve pain and onset time of vastusmedialis and vastuslateralis.

[The therapeutic effect of Neurac training on patients with cervical radiculopathy: a randomized control trial].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effect of Neurac training on patients with cervical radiculopathy (CR). METHODS: Sixty patients with CR were enrolled and randomly assigned into control group (CG) and Neurac training group (NG) with 30 patients for each group. The patients in CG group received conventional treatments for 2 weeks, including cervical traction, manual therapy and electrical therapy. The patients in NG group received Neurac training as well as conservative treatments for 2 weeks. The pain level and it impact on daily life were assessed by the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) and the neck disability index (NDI) before the treatments and at the time of 1 week, 2 weeks after the treatments, respectively. RESULTS: Following the treatment, significant improvements for NPRS and NDI were observed in both the two groups at the end of the first and second week. The improvements for both NPRS and NDI were higher in the NG than those in the CG, with P < 0.05. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that Neurac training can bring additional therapeutic benefits to conventional treatments for patients with CR.

[Effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields on biomechanical properties of femur in ovariectomized rats].

OBJECTIVE: To test the effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) with different length of treatment on the biomechanical properties of femurs in ovariectomized rats. METHODS: Fifty female SD rats were randomly divided into five groups: (1) SHAM control (no PEMFs treatment), (2) OVXo control (no PEMFs treatment), (3) OVX(I) (PEMFs treatment at 8 Hz frequency with 3.8 mT intensity, 20 min daily for 30 days), (4) OVX(II) (PEMFs treatment at 8 Hz frequency with 3. 8 mT intensity, 40 min daily for 30 days), and (5) OVX(III) (PEMFs treatment at 8 Hz frequency with 3.8 mT intensity, 60 min daily for 30 days). All of the rats were subject to bilateral overiectomy except those in the SHAM control group. The biomechanical properties of the femurs were assessed at the end of the PEMFs treatment. RESULTS: The rats in the OVX0 control group had significantly lower values in the biomechanical properties than the rats in the other four groups (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The rats treated with PEMFs showed no significant differences in the biomechanical properties compared with the sham controls (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: PEMFs therapy at 8 Hz and 3.8 mT magnetic intensity for 20 to 60 min everyday prevents decline in biomechanical properties of femurs in ovariectomized rat.

[Effects of different intensity pulsed electromagnetic fields on serum estradiol of ovariectomized rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of different intensity pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on serum estradiol in ovariectomized rats. METHODS: Fifty female SD rats were randomly divided into five groups: sham-operated control (no PEMF treatment), ovariectomized control(no PEMF treatment),ovariectomized group I, II, III (PEMF treatment at 8 Hz frequency and 0.77 mT, 3.82 mT, 9.87 mT intensity, 40 min daily for 30 days). Except for the sham-operated control rats, a standardized ovariectomy was used on every rat of other groups. The serum estradiol(E2) of rats was assessed at 30 days after PEMF treatment. RESULTS: The E2 values of the SHAM control group were significantly higher than those of other four groups (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but the difference in E2 values was not significant among the other four groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: PEMFs can not improve the serum estradiol level of ovariectomized rat, it shows that the therapeutical effect of PEMFs is not due to improve the serum estradiol level.