Self-Assessment of Lower Urinary Tract Condition in Female Competitive Cyclists.

During cycling, prolonged compression by the bicycle saddle on the anatomical structures located in the perineum area occurs. An additional factor that may have a negative impact on organs located in the pelvic area may be a prolonged sitting position resulting in increased intraabdominal pressure. This situation has the potential to adversely affect pelvic floor function. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the incidence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) in female competitive road cyclists and cross-country cyclists. The study included 76 female competitive road cyclists and cross-country cyclists and 76 women not practising competitive sport. The Core Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Score (CLSS) questionnaire was used to assess the lower urinary tract condition. Female competitive cyclists had a statistically significantly higher LUTSs score (95% CI: 3.12-4.2 vs. 2.31-3.16; p < 0.05) compared to women not practising competitive sports. Female cyclists had a statistically significantly higher overall CLSS score (95% CI: 3.99-5.61 vs. 2.79-3.97; p < 0.05). Female cyclists had a statistically significantly higher incidence and severity of urinary frequency (p < 0.05 and p < 0.02), urge (p < 0.001 and p < 0.02) and stress incontinence (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001), and pain in the bladder (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01), while physically inactive women recorded a statistically higher incidence of slow urinary stream (p < 0.01 and p < 0.04). A statistically significant association was recorded between the years of cycling and the number of hours per week spent on training and the number of symptoms and their severity. The number of natural births experienced by women involved in competitive cycling significantly affects the severity of LUT symptoms. Compared to women not practising competitive sports, competitive female cyclists are found to have a higher prevalence of LUTSs and a greater degree of severity. LUTSs in competitive female cyclists are negatively influenced by years of competitive career and weekly number of training hours and the number of natural births experienced.

Inter- and Intra-Examiner Reliability Study of Two-Point Discrimination Test (TPD) and Two-Point Estimation Task (TPE) in the Sacral Area of Pain-Free Individuals.

Tactile acuity is typically measured by a two-point discrimination test (TPD) and a two-point estimation task (TPE). In the back area, they are only conducted in the lumbar and cervical regions of the spine. Considering that such measurements have not been conducted in the sacral regions, the purpose of this study was to assess the inter- and intra-examiner reliability of the TPD and TPE at the level of the S3 segment. The study included 30 pain-free subjects aged 20-30 years. Tests were performed with a pair of stainless hardened digital calipers. The TPD was measured in two locations: 5 and 15 cm from the midline; for TPE both, points were located inside the measured area. Session 1 involved assessments by two examiners in 10-min intervals. Session 2 was measured by one examiner, at analogous intervals between tests. The TPD inter-rater reliability was excellent for mean measurements (ICC3.2: 0.76-0.8; ICC3.3: 0.8-0.92); the intra-rater reliability was excellent for mean measurements (ICC2.2: 0.79-0.85; ICC2.3: 0.82-0.86). The TPE inter-rater reliability was good to excellent for mean measurements (ICC3.2: 0.65-0.92; ICC3.3: 0.73-0.94); the intra-rater reliability for all studies (ICC2.1, ICC2.2, ICC2.3) was excellent (0.85-0.89). Two measurements are sufficient to achieve good reliability (ICC ≥ 0.75), regardless of the assessed body side.

Effect of Nordic Walking Training on Physical Fitness and Self-Assessment of Health of People with Chronic Non-Specific Lower Back Pain.

In order to determine the impact of a four-week cycle of Nordic Walking (NW) training on the physical fitness of people with chronic non-specific lower back pain and the impact of this form of activity on their self-assessment of health quality, the study included 80 men and women aged 29 to 63 years. The subjects were divided into two equal (40-person) groups: experimental and control. In both study groups the degree of disability in daily activities caused by back pain was assessed with the FFb-H-R questionnaire, the physical fitness was evaluated with the modified Fullerton test and the sense of health quality was assessed with the SF-36 questionnaire. The same tests were repeated after four weeks. In the experimental group NW training was applied between the two studies. During four weeks, 10 training units were carried out, and each training session lasted 60 min with a two-day break between each training. The four-week NW training resulted in a statistically significant sense of disability due to back pain (p < 0.001), significant improvement of physical fitness expressed by improvement in upper (p < 0.001) and lower (p < 0.01) body strength, upper and lower body flexibility (p < 0.001) and ability to walk a longer distance in a 6-min walk test (p < 0.001). The training participants also showed significant improvements in health quality in both physical (p < 0.001) and mental (p < 0.001) components. The four-week NW training has a positive impact on the physical fitness of men and women with chronic lower back pain. Participation in NW training also contributes to a significant reduction in the sense of disability caused by back pain and improvement in the self-assessment of health quality.

The Effectiveness of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Men after Radical Prostatectomy Measured with the Insert Test.

A commonly used physiotherapeutic method for the treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) after radical prostatectomy (RP) is pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PFMT by enhanced biofeedback using the 1h pad-weighing test. The following factors were taken into consideration in the analysis of PFMT effectiveness: the relevance of the patients' age, time from RP, BMI, mental health, functional state, and depression. A total of 60 post-RP patients who underwent 10-week PFMT were studied. They were divided into groups: A (n = 20) and B (n = 20) (random division, time from RP: 2−6 weeks) and group C (time from RP > 6 weeks). Group B had enhanced training using EMG biofeedback. UI improved in all groups: A, p = 0.0000; B, p = 0.0000; and C, p = 0.0001. After the completion of PFMT, complete control over miction was achieved by 60% of the patients in group A, 85% in group B, and 45% in group C. There was no correlation between the results of PFMT efficacy and patients' age, BMI, time from RP, mental health, functional state, and depression. PFMT is highly effective in UI treatment. The enhancement of PFMT by EMG biofeedback seems to increase the effectiveness of the therapy.

Self-Assessment of the Pelvic Floor by Women Practicing Recreational Horseback Riding.

The aim of this study was to compare the condition of the pelvic floor in women who are involved in regular recreational horseback riding, with both physically active women as well as women not undertaking any recreational physical activity. Taking into account horseback riding and physical activity, 140 healthy women aged 17 to 61 were divided into three groups: women practicing horseback riding (WPHR) (46 persons), physically active women (PAW) (47 persons) and women not physically active (WNPA) (47 persons). The Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire (APFQ) was used to measure the extent of pelvic floor dysfunctions in women from all three groups. The lowest average values were found in the group of women practicing recreational horseback riding, and the highest in the group of women not physically active (95% CI: 0.61-1.15 vs. 0.87-1.44 -bladder scores; 0.82-1.32 vs. 1.24-1.8-bowel scores; 0.07-0.33 vs. 0.08-0.35-prolapse of reproductive organs scores; 0.4-1.07 vs. 0.49-1.3-sexual function). Statistically significant intergroup differences were recorded only for the bowel function rate (p = 0.021). The overall pelvic floor dysfunction rate in the WPHR group was lower when compared with both control groups (95% CI: 2.15-3.62 vs. 2.34-3.54 in women from PAW group and vs. 3.0-4.56 in women from WNPA group). Based on this study, it can be concluded that all of the pelvic floor related symptoms, their frequency, and severity levels do not qualify recreational horseback riding as being a risk factor for developing pelvic floor dysfunction in women.

Influence of Stabilization Techniques Used in the Treatment of Low Back Pain on the Level of Kinesiophobia.

The aim of this study was to try to compare the effectiveness of manual therapy techniques in combination with stabilization techniques: the so-called Australian method and the Neurac method in relation to pain sensations and the level of kinesiophobia. A total of 69 people were examined, divided into three groups of 23 people each. The Visual Analogue Scale was used to assess the antalgic effect, and the Kinesiophobia Causes Scale questionnaire was used to assess the level of kinesiophobia. Patients improved over four weeks, during which they were assessed three times. The evaluation of the desired parameters was also performed over a 24-week period to assess long-term performance. Stabilization techniques are an effective extension of manual therapy techniques in patients with low back pain. People in the groups additionally improved in terms of stabilization techniques, which are characterized by a lower level of kinesiophobia. Its lowest level was found in the group additionally improved with the Neurac method. In the long-term study, the level of kinesiophobia in this group was still maintained at a reduced level. The use of stabilization techniques involving patients in action may significantly affect the level of kinesiophobia, and thus have a much wider effect than just pain reduction.

Assessment of manual dysfunction in occupationally active women with carpal tunnel syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate 2-point discrimination sense (2PD), strength and kinesthetic differentiation of strength (KDS), range of motion (ROM) and kinesthetic differentiation of movement (KDM) dysfunctions in occupationally active women with mild and moderate forms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) compared to a healthy group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 2PD sense, muscle strength and KDS, as well as the ROM and KDM of the radiocarpal articulation were assessed. RESULTS: The results of the 2PD sense assessment showed significantly higher values in all the examined fingers in the CTS women group compared to healthy women (p < 0.01). There was a significant difference in the percentage value of error in the strength and KDS of pincer and cylindrical grips (p < 0.01) in the CTS women group compared to healthy women. There was no difference in the ROM of flexion and extension between studied groups (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference in the percentage value of error in the KDM of flexion and extension movement of the radiocarpal articulation (p < 0.01) between the studied groups. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant differences in the 2PD sense, KDS and KDM in occupationally active women with mild and moderate forms of CTS compared to healthy women. There are no significant differences in ROM in professionally active women with mild and moderate forms of CTS compared to healthy women. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(2):185-96.

Tactile Precision Remains Intact When Acute Neck Pain Is Induced.

A growing body of evidence suggests that chronic pain is associated with perceptual changes, such as impaired tactile acuity and laterality judgements. A recent study on low back pain showed that tactile acuity was decreased immediately after acute pain induction. Biologically, acute pain should lead to enhanced rather than disruptive changes in tactile acuity to meaningfully respond to potentially damaging nociceptive stimuli. In this double-blinded experiment, 30 healthy volunteers attended 3 experimental sessions (injection, sham injection, and control condition) separated by 1 week each, to investigate the effect of acute nociception on tactile precision and laterality judgements. In the real injection condition, acute pain was induced by hypertonic saline solution injected into the mid portion of the trapezius muscle. Tactile acuity (2-point discrimination and an estimation task) and laterality judgements were measured before and during pain perception. In the sham condition, the injection was mimicked by a sham procedure (without piercing the skin), and in the control condition no intervention took place. Results showed that tactile acuity remained intact (P = .92), indicating that experimentally induced neck pain did not affect tactile precision. The time needed to complete the laterality judgement task improved over time in all conditions, reflecting a learning effect (P = .05). We conclude that acute neck pain does not result in perceptual distortions, possibly reflecting a higher protection demand for the neck, a body region in close anatomic proximity to neural centers responsible for vital functions. These data-in the context of existing evidence-indicates that tactile acuity may respond differently to noxious stimulation in different anatomic regions. PERSPECTIVE: In this study, a sensory adaptation to acute neck pain was investigated. It was found that experimental neck pain did not elicit changes in the sensory axis, leaving tactile acuity intact in otherwise healthy participants. These data support site-specific sensory adaptation to pain.

Preliminary Validation of a Two-Point Estimation Task for the Measurement of Sensory Dissociation in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain.

OBJECTIVES: Sensory dissociation (SEDI), the discrepancy between perception and actual size or shape of a painful body part, is a frequently observed finding in patients with chronic low back pain. However, the current methods of evaluating SEDI have several limitations, such as a qualitative nature and weak evidence supporting their reliability. In the current study, the reliability of two versions (manual and verbal) of a novel test, a two-point estimation task (TPE), was investigated. METHODS: To perform the manual version of the task, patients estimated the distance between two tactile stimuli delivered to their back using callipers, whereas in the verbal version they verbally reported the estimated distance. RESULTS: The manual version of TPE showed greater interexaminer reliability than the verbal version, and the mean of the two repeated measurements was sufficient for reaching excellent reliability for the pain-free (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.77-0.97) and painful (ICC = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.65-0.94) sides. Intra-examiner reliability was moderate to excellent (ICC = 0.66-0.96) for the manual version performed at the pain-free and painful sides. Distribution, duration, and intensity of pain significantly predicted SEDI and accounted for 42% of the total variance (corrected R2 = 0.42, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: TPE showed higher reliability coefficients compared with tools previously suggested in the literature and can therefore be used clinically and experimentally by one or more examiners. Further research is required to investigate the validity of this new test.

Sensory dissociation in chronic low back pain: Two case reports.

Patients with chronic low back pain often report that they do not perceive their painful back accurately. Previous studies confirmed that sensory dissociation and/or discrepancy between perceived body image and actual size is one of the specific traits of patients with chronic pain. Current approaches for measuring sensory dissociation are limited to two-point-discrimination or rely on pain drawings not allowing for quantitative analysis. This case study reports the sensory dissociation of two cases with chronic low back pain using a recently published test (point-to-point-test (PTP)) and a newly developed test (two-point-estimation (TPE)). Both patients mislocalized tactile stimuli delivered to the painful location compared to non-painful locations (PTP test). In addition, both patients perceived their painful lumbar region differently from non-painful sites above and below and contralateral to the painful site. TPE data showed two distinct clinical patterns of sensory dissociation: one patient perceived the two-point distance in the painful area as expanded, while the other patient perceived it as shrunk. The latter pattern of sensory dissociation (i.e., pattern shrunk) is likely to respond to sensory training. Whether enlarged patterns of sensory dissociation are more resistant to treatment remains unknown but would explain the low effectiveness of previous studies using sensory training in chronic low back pain populations. Subgrouping patients according to their sensory discrimination pattern could contribute to the choice and effectiveness of the treatment approach.

Lumbar Tactile Acuity in Patients With Low Back Pain and Healthy Controls: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Diminished tactile acuity in chronic non-neuropathic pain syndromes has been attributed to central pain processing and cortical reorganization. The latter was recently targeted in clinical trials that demonstrated no clear advantages over traditional approaches for the reduction of nonspecific low back pain (LBP). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize the current evidence on tactile acuity in LBP and pain-free controls. METHODS: Six databases were independently searched by 2 researchers. Nineteen studies with either case-control, cross-sectional, or baseline lumbar tactile acuity data collected before an intervention were included in the qualitative and quantitative synthesis. All pooled analyses were based on random effects models. Risk of bias was assessed using the Downs and Black scale and selection criteria were verified independently by 2 assessors. RESULTS: Data on patients (n=547) and controls (n=346) were summarized. Studies on patients included data on nonspecific chronic LBP only; no data on acute LBP were identified. There was a significant mean difference between patients and controls for lumbar tactile acuity including (11.74 mm; 95% confidence interval, 8.61-14.87) and excluding (9.49 mm; 95% confidence interval, 3.64-15.34) higher risk of bias studies. DISCUSSION: A gap of knowledge regarding tactile acuity in populations with acute and chronic non-neuropathic LBP needs to be addressed in future research as this may significantly help the understanding of the causality of tactile acuity alterations.

Tactile acuity (dys)function in acute nociceptive low back pain: a double-blind experiment.

Research shows that chronic pain is related to cortical alterations that can be reflected in reduced tactile acuity, but whether acute pain perception influences tactile acuity has not been tested. Considering the biological role of nociception, it was hypothesized that nociceptive pain will lead to a rapid improvement in tactile acuity and that this effect is correlated with pain intensity and pain distribution. In this randomised double-blind controlled experiment (trial no. NCT03021278), healthy participants were exposed to 1 of 3 experimental conditions: acute, nociceptive low back pain induced by saline injection, a sham injection (without piercing the skin) potentially inducing nocebo pain, or no intervention. Tactile acuity was measured by a battery of tests, including two-point discrimination threshold (TPD), before, during the pain experience, and after it subsided. We found that TPD did not improve but deteriorated during pain induction in the experimental group compared with the control group (P < 0.001; η = 0.20) and changed from 56.94 mm (95% confidence interval: 53.43-60.44) at baseline to 64.22 mm (95% confidence interval: 60.42-68.02) during the pain experience. Maximum reported pain was a significant predictor (ß = 0.55, P = 0.01) and accounted for 26% of the variance in TPD (P < 0.05). Other tests, point-to-point test and two-point estimation task, changed with a similar trend but did not reach significance. We concluded that acute, nociceptive pain does not improve but deteriorates tactile acuity linearly. The biological role of the observed phenomenon is unknown, and therefore, future studies should address this question.

Ultrasound Assessment of the Abdominal Muscles at Rest and During the ASLR Test Among Adolescents With Scoliosis.

STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. OBJECTIVE: Are there deviations in the thickness of abdominal muscles at rest in individuals with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)? Are there deviations in abdominal muscular activity in people with AIS during the active straight leg raise (ASLR) test? SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Ultrasound imaging can be used to assess the lateral abdominal muscle. Some authors suggest that scoliosis develops through a weakness or improper functioning of the abdominal muscles that cannot provide adequate support to the spinal segments. However, the literature lacks studies on the functioning of the abdominal muscles in individuals with spinal deviations. This study focuses on the evaluation of the thickness of the external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and transversus abdominalis (TrA) muscles of individuals with AIS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one healthy adolescents and 71 patients with AIS, all aged 10-16 years, were studied. The thickness of the muscles at rest was measured at the end of normal exhalation in millimeters. Muscular activity during the ASLR test was measured in the final position, and the standards were normalized with the thickness produced at rest. Muscular activity during the ASLR test was represented as a percentage change in the muscle thickness. RESULTS: The AIS group demonstrated a smaller resting thickness of all tested muscles of both sides (P<0.01). All the muscles on the right side of the body showed higher activity in the AIS group during the ASLR test (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AIS had thinner EO, IO, and TrA at rest in the supine position. During the ASLR test, the AIS patients displayed higher activity of the EO, IO, and TrA muscles on the right side.

Reliability and number of trials of Y Balance Test in adolescent athletes.

BACKGROUND: The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is commonly used to evaluate dynamic equilibrium. The Y Balance Test (Y-BT) is a shortened version of the SEBT where a Y- Balance Kit is commonly used. To date, research concerning the protocol and reliability of the SEBT and Y-BT has been conducted only for adults. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the protocol (the necessary number of trials to stabilize the results) and reliability of the Y-BT in adolescent athletes. DESIGN: One-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and reliability study. METHOD: The sample of 38 athletes (mean age: 15.6 years) was selected from a football club. A Y-Balance test kit was applied for the evaluation of dynamic balance. The analysis used the values normalized to the relative length of the lower limbs. RESULTS: After six attempts, three consecutive ones achieved stability for all directions and both extremities (p > 0.05). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC3,1), standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change values for the three attempts ranged from 0.57 to 0.82, from 3 to less than 6% and from 7.68 to 13.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In the study of adolescent dynamic equilibrium using the Y-BT, it is recommended to perform nine attempts (including six trial attempts and three measurements). In order to increase reliability it is recommended that the average of the three measured attempts is analysed.

Efficacy of Manual Therapy Including Neurodynamic Techniques for the Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this randomized trial was to compare the efficacy of manual therapy, including the use of neurodynamic techniques, with electrophysical modalities on patients with mild and moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHODS: The study included 140 CTS patients who were randomly assigned to the manual therapy (MT) group, which included the use of neurodynamic techniques, functional massage, and carpal bone mobilizations techniques, or to the electrophysical modalities (EM) group, which included laser and ultrasound therapy. Nerve conduction, pain severity, symptom severity, and functional status measured by the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire were assessed before and after treatment. Therapy was conducted twice weekly and both groups received 20 therapy sessions. RESULTS: A baseline assessment revealed group differences in sensory conduction of the median nerve (P < .01) but not in motor conduction (P = .82). Four weeks after the last treatment procedure, nerve conduction was examined again. In the MT group, median nerve sensory conduction velocity increased by 34% and motor conduction velocity by 6% (in both cases, P < .01). There was no change in median nerve sensory and motor conduction velocities in the EM. Distal motor latency was decreased (P < .01) in both groups. A baseline assessment revealed no group differences in pain severity, symptom severity, or functional status. Immediately after therapy, analysis of variance revealed group differences in pain severity (P < .01), with a reduction in pain in both groups (MT: 290%, P < .01; EM: 47%, P < .01). There were group differences in symptom severity (P < .01) and function (P < .01) on the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. Both groups had an improvement in functional status (MT: 47%, P < .01; EM: 9%, P < .01) and a reduction in subjective CTS symptoms (MT: 67%, P < .01; EM: 15%, P < .01). CONCLUSION: Both therapies had a positive effect on nerve conduction, pain reduction, functional status, and subjective symptoms in individuals with CTS. However, the results regarding pain reduction, subjective symptoms, and functional status were better in the MT group.

Overall health status in patients with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome: A case-control study.

STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study. INTRODUCTION: There are no reports in the literature that evaluate the overall health status (OHS) of patients with mild to moderate forms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) using 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To assess OHS in patients with mild to moderate CTS, in comparison with healthy subjects. METHODS: The study involved 273 healthy people and 140 people diagnosed with CTS. The CTS diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical examinations and nerve conduction studies. OHS was assessed using the SF-36. RESULTS: In the assessment of physical components of OHS, in the CTS group (compared with healthy subjects), the results show significantly lower values in physical functioning, role limitations because of physical health problems, bodily pain, and general health perceptions by 7.44, 23.2, 18.9, and 4.1, respectively. Mental components were lower (in CTS group) only in relation to vitality and social functioning by 4.1 and 5.5, respectively. In the assessment of physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS), the results show significantly lower values of PCS (by 13 in CTS group) and no significant differences in the assessment of MCS between patients with CTS and healthy subjects. DISCUSSION: The perception of the OHS in CTS patients is diminished. Hence, when evaluating the effects of the therapy, not only disease-specific scales should be used, but also the OHS. This will allow an assessment of the impact of CTS on OHS and the impact of applied therapy, not only in terms of a reduction in the main symptoms of the condition. CONCLUSIONS: Mild and moderate forms of CTS significantly affected the PCS of the OHS and all its subcomponents (physical functioning, role limitations because of physical health problems, bodily pain, and general health perceptions) but did not affect the MCS of OHS evaluated as a whole. There were significant differences in the mental component in the evaluation of vitality and social functioning. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

Assessment of the abdominal muscles at rest and during abdominal drawing-in manoeuvre in adolescent physically active girls: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: An impact of regular physical activity (RPA) on the abdominal muscles may be significant when comparing various symptomatic groups. However, there is lack comprehensive information in this field. The objective of this study was to assess the lateral abdominal wall at rest and during abdominal drawing-in manoeuvre in adolescent physically active girls in different body positions. METHODS: One hundred and forty-four female students, 13-17 years of age, participated in the study. Participants were divided into 2 groups based on a physical activity (PA) statement. Measurements of the thickness of the abdominal muscles at rest and during abdominal drawing-in manoeuvre were made in the supine and standing positions by ultrasound imaging. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, activities of the obliquus internus and transversus abdominis muscles were higher in the regular PA group by 8.9% (95%CI: 3.1-14.7) and 36% (95%CI: 19.1-47.5), respectively. In the RPA group, the transversus abdominis preferential activation ratio was greater by 0.03 (95%CI: 0.01-0.04), and the contraction ratio was greater by a mean value of 0.35 (95%CI: 0.18-0.46). CONCLUSION: RPA does not have any effect on the resting thickness of the abdominal muscles in the supine and standing positions. Girls performing RPA have a greater ability to perform an independent activation and greater contractions of the transversus abdominis.

Side differences of the lateral abdominal wall in supine rest position in mild adolescent idiopathic thoracolumbar scoliosis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the thickness of the abdominal muscles on both sides in patients with mild adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and to assess the absolute and relative thickness of oblique external (OE), oblique internal (OI), and transversus abdominis (TrA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 84 participants underwent ultrasonographic examination of the abdominal muscles in the supine resting position. All participants were divided into two groups including AIS group (n=42) and control group (n=42). The absolute and relative thicknesses of OE, OI, and TrA were recorded. RESULTS: In the AIS group, the TrA on the left side was significantly thicker by 0.30 mm (95% CI 0.01-0.7) than the right side. For relative values, the percentage contribution to the structure of the lateral abdominal wall of the OE on the right and the TrA on the left was significantly higher by 3.2% (95% CI 0.9-5.5) and 3.1% (95% CI 1.1-5.0), respectively, in the AIS group. CONCLUSION: Our study results show that, in the supine resting position, the muscles of the lateral abdominal wall are thinner in AIS patients. In addition, side-to-side differences in the percentage contribution of the OE and TrA to the structure of the lateral abdominal wall are seen in this patient population, although these differences are independent of the direction of the scoliosis.

Body Mass Normalization for Ultrasound Measurements of Adolescent Lateral Abdominal Muscle Thickness.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the value of the allometric parameter for ultrasound measurements of the thickness of the oblique external (OE), internal (OI), and transversus abdominis (TrA) muscles in the adolescent population. The allometric parameter is the slope of the linear regression line between the log transformed body mass and log transformed muscle size measurement. METHODS: The study included 321 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 17, consisting of 160 boys and 161 girls. The participants were recruited from local schools and attended regular school classes at normal grade levels. All individuals with no signs of scoliosis (screening with use of a scoliometer), and no surgical procedures performed on the trunk area were included. A real-time ultrasound B-scanner with a linear array transducer was used to obtain images of the lateral abdominal muscles from both sides of the body. RESULTS: The correlation between body mass and the OE muscle was r = 0.69; the OI muscle r = 0.68; and the TrA muscle r = 0.53 (in all cases, P < .0001). The allometric parameter for the OE was 0.88296; the OI 0.718756; and the TrA 0.60986. Using these parameters, no significant correlations were found between body mass and the allometric-scaled thickness of the lateral abdominal muscles. CONCLUSIONS: Significant positive correlations exist between body mass and lateral abdominal muscle thickness assessed by ultrasound imaging. Therefore, it is reasonable to advise that the values of the allometric parameters for OE, OI, and TrA obtained in this study should be used in other studies performed on adolescents.

The Effect of Specific Sling Exercises on the Functional Movement Screen Score in Adolescent Volleyball Players: A Preliminary Study.

The existing data indicate that the result of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) test influences the likelihood of subsequent injury in professional athletes. Therefore, exercises increasing test scores of the FMS may be useful at various stages of sports activity. This study evaluated the effects of the NEURAC sling exercises method on the FMS test score in teenage volleyball players. The study was conducted on 15 volleyball players aged 14 years. The FMS test was performed three times interspersed with a two-month interval. Between the first and the second assessment, neither additional treatment nor training was applied, while between the second and the third assessment, the participants performed stabilisation exercises based on the NEURAC method. Training was carried out twice a week, for eight weeks. The analysis showed that between the first and the second measurement, no significant differences occurred. The use of specific sling exercises caused a significant improvement in FMS results (p ≤ 0.01) between the first and the third, as well as the second and the third measurement. The applied stabilisation exercises based on the NEURAC method positively influenced the FMS test result in male subjects practicing volleyball. Performance of such exercises also resulted in more than 90% of the subjects having a total FMS test score ≥ 17, which may be important in the prevention of injuries. The preliminary results indicate that this type of exercise should be included in a teenage volleyball training routine.