Enhance range-of-motion and hypotensive effect in elderly submitted to three manual therapy techniques: Cross-over study.

The present study has two objectives: 1) to verify the effect of Maitland mobilization, manual massage (MM), and static stretching (SS) on the acute range-of-motion (ROM) responses, over 30 min, in the elderly; 2) to verify the effect of Maitland's mobilization, MM, and SS on blood pressure (BP) responses, over 60 min, in the elderly. Sixteen inactive elderly men were recruited. After familiarization, all subjects performed the experimental conditions throughout four remaining sessions. Each session included two baselines ROM measures in randomized order. After baseline, participants completed the control group, Maitland, MM, and SS conditions and retesting immediately (Post-0) e again throughout 30-min following intervention. All conditions increased ankle, hip, and shoulder ROM for at least 10-min post-intervention. Systolic BP hypotensive effects were found for all experimental protocols when compared to baseline values. In conclusion, it was observed that Maitland, MM, and SS conditions enhance ROM and promote hypotensive effect post-intervention. These results have a practical prescription and rehabilitation implications and may be used in the elderly population, since a movement limitation can be treated by global interventions in a non-limited, as well as promoting cardiovascular protection through the hypotensive effects in the same experimental session.

Principal components of frequency domain electromyograms for muscular fatigue analysis.

The parameters commonly employed for muscular fatigue (MF) analysis, the mean frequency (F(mean)) and median frequency (F(median)) of surface EMG (SEMG) spectra, did not present consistent results for exercises performed at low to moderate intensities. For overcoming this limitation, the present study proposes the use of principal component (PC) analysis of SEMG spectra for MF monitoring. The SEMG from vastus lateralis muscle of 24 young male subjects were recorded during a maximal effort test in cycle ergometer. Epochs of 200 ms SEMG, extracted from each period of muscle activation of each subject were used for estimating the amplitude spectra, which were employed to obtain the first two PCs. The PC coefficients from the first 40 spectra were used as a reference for calculating the standard distance. This index presented a consistent increase along the exercise, while the values of F(mean) and F(median) did not present any pattern. Comparisons between initial and final values from all subjects show no significant changes in F(mean) and F(median) (Student t test, P > 0.05) and a significant increase (P < 10(-3)) in standard distance, indicating this index as an alternative to MF analysis in cyclical exercises.