RESUMO
Background: Cerebral palsy in children is considered a non-progressive brain injury due to abnormal brain development. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of aquatic exercises on muscle strength in children with cerebral palsy. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on three boys with cerebral palsy with a mean age of 6.5 years. In this research, a single case study method with A1-B-A2 design has been used. After determining the position of the baseline, the intervention began and during 24 sessions of individual intervention, aquatic exercises were presented to the subjects and all three subjects were followed up for 2 consecutive weeks and one month after the end of the intervention. The strength of the flexor muscles of the arms and legs was measured by a power track dynamometer made by JTECK with a threshold of 4.4 N. Results: Based on the indicators of descriptive statistics and visual analysis, the intervention was effective for all three participants in muscle strength, and the strength of individuals after the intervention has improved compared to the baseline stage (percentage). Information overlap for the first and second participant in the strength of right thigh flexors was 75% and for the third participant was 100%. The strength of the upper and lower torso muscles improved after the end of the training compared to the basic stage. Conclusion: Aquatic exercises can increase the strength of children with cerebral palsy and provide a favorable environment for children with cerebral palsy.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The current survey investigates the effect of 12 weeks yoga training on headache frequency, severity, duration and blood nitric oxide levels as well as headache impacts on female migraineurs' lives. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two female patients with migraine took part and were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (n = 14) received medication and the yoga group (n = 18) participated in 12 weeks yoga training in addition to receiving the same medication as that of the control group. Frequency and duration of headache were assessed by a questionnaire. Visual Analogue Scale was used to measure the severity of headache, and the metabolite of NO also was measured by Griess reaction. Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) was also used to assess the impact of headache on patients' lives. Data were analyzed by t-test mean variance. RESULTS: After 3 months intervention, in the yoga group, there was a significant reduction in the impact of headache on patients' lives, headache frequency, and severity and a non-significant reduction in headache duration in the yoga group. There was no significant difference in the plasma levels of NO between yoga and control groups before and after the study. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, yoga could be recommended as a complementary method to migraine patients.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Migraine is a neurovascular disorder and any interventions improving endothelial function may contribute to its treatment and prevention of vascular complications like ischemic stroke. Yoga has been shown to have several beneficial effects on cardiovascular systems. However, no randomized controlled studies to date have investigated its effects on endothelial function of migraineurs. METHODS: A total of 42 women patients with migraine were enrolled and randomized into either a Yoga exercise group or a control group. The control group received only medication for 12 weeks and the Yoga group was placed in yoga training program in addition to the same medical treatment. Blood test was given from all patients in order to measure plasma levels intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) after yoga training program. RESULTS: Totally 32 patients were participated in the final analyses (yoga: n = 18, control: n = 14). By analyzing data between yoga and control groups after the treatment period, there was a significant decreased in plasma level of VCAM in yoga group compare with the control group (15.29 ± 2.1 ng/ml vs. 21.70 ± 3.0 ng/ml, P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference in ICAM level between groups (19.1 ± 1.8 ng/ml vs. 20.97 ± 1.9 ng/ml P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It seems that yoga exercises, as a complementary treatment beside pharmacological treatments, can be potentially an effective way of improving vascular functions in migraineurs.
