Physical Therapy in Sport

Editorial Board

2010-08-01

Plagiarism: The plague of digital media?

Zoe Hudson — 2010-07-05

Speak to anyone working in an academic setting and you will most likely hear about plagiarism being a problem at both undergraduate and post graduate levels. Academic disciplinary boards up and down the UK are inundated with cases of plagiarism. Indeed, it is common practice to have guidelines on plagiarism and students are requested to sign a disclaimer at the start of a course to declare that they have read and understood the guidelines and the penalties that will be incurred if these are transgressed.

Neck strength recovery after a single bout of specific strengthening exercise

Kevin Netto, Greg Carstairs, Dawson Kidgell, Brad Aisbett — 2010-03-29

Abstract: Objective: To determine the level of neck strength decrement and the rate of strength recovery of the neck muscles after a single bout of specific neck conditioning exercise in both males and females.Hypothesis: A decrement in neck strength may be evident after a bout of strengthening exercise.Design: Intervention study with pre-and-post design.Setting: Biomechanics laboratory.Participants: Twenty healthy participants (10 male and 10 female, mean ± standard deviation age 22 ± 1.2 years).Main Outcome Measures: Participants performed a single bout of neck strengthening exercise. Neck strength testing using an isokinetic dynamometer was performed pre and at five time points (1 h, one, three, five and seven days) post-exercise to assess the level of neck strength decrement and neck strength recovery rate from pre-exercise levels.Results: Statistically significant (p ≥ 0.036) decreases in neck extension strength were recorded in all participants 1 h and one day post-exercise. The level of neck extension strength returned to pre-exercise levels three days post-exercise and surpassed pre-exercise levels five and seven days post-exercise. The male participants' neck flexion strength decrement and recovery followed a similar pattern to that displayed in neck extension but more variability in neck flexion strength recovery rates were recorded in the female participants in this study.Conclusion: The consistent strength recovery times for the male participants recorded in this study idealise the prescription of neck strengthening exercises in a periodised fashion. More investigation needs to be instigated for the female neck musculature as consistent strength recovery rates were not identified in this study.

Correlation of three different knee joint position sense measures

Dayanand Kiran, Mary Carlson, Daniel Medrano, Darla R. Smith — 2010-07-05

Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate correlation during concurrent measurement among three knee joint position sense (JPS) measures in sitting position and between two measures in standing position.Methods: Isokinetic dynamometer, electrogoniometer, and two dimensional (2D) video analysis were used for measuring knee JPS. The JPS was measured both in sitting and standing positions. All three measures were employed concurrently to measure knee JPS in sitting position; however, only the electrogoniometer and 2D video analysis were concurrently used in the standing position. The knee JPS was recorded in sitting position at 15°, 30°, and 45° and in standing at high, mid and low knee flexion positions.Results: The results of the study suggest excellent correlation (0.94–0.98) between the electrogoniometer and 2D video analysis measures in standing position. In sitting position, good to excellent correlation (0.63–0.92) was found between the isokinetic dynamometer and electrogoniometer; however, fair to good correlation was found between 2D video analysis and either of the two measures (electrogoniometer [0.52–0.57] and isokinetic dynamometer [0.41–0.63].Conclusion: Either 2D video or an electrogoniometer may be used to measure JPS in standing position; however, in sitting position 2D video should not be used if the camera is required to be placed at 10° from the plane of motion.

Warming-up before sporting activity improves knee position sense

Tiago Magalhães, Fernando Ribeiro, Ana Pinheiro, José Oliveira — 2010-07-01

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the effects of a warm-up program on knee joint position sense in karatekas.Design: Repeated measures design.Setting: Research laboratory. Participants: Ten young amateur karatekas (17.6 ± 4.0 years of age).Main Outcome Measures: Knee joint position sense evaluated before and immediately after a warm-up program through active repositioning in open kinetic chain (OKC) and closed kinetic chain (CKC).Results: At baseline testing no differences were observed between OKC and CKC in absolute (4.1 ± 1.6° vs. 3.4 ± 2.0°) and relative angular errors (2.4 ± 3.4° vs. 2.1 ± 3.5°). After the warm-up program, a significant decrease in absolute angular error was observed only in CKC (from 3.4 ± 2.0° to 1.8 ± 0.5, p < 0.05). Additionally, in CKC the subjects reduced the relative angular error to approximately zero (from 2.1 ± 3.5° to −0.01 ± 1.6°) and decreased the variability of the responses, expressed by the decrease in standard deviation of the relative errors.Conclusions: The warm-up program enhanced knee joint position sense only in CKC. Since no effects were detected in OKC, the evaluation of the effects of warm-up on knee joint position sense using merely an OKC technique would underestimate the valuable role of warm-up.

Clinical massage and modified Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation stretching in males with latent myofascial trigger points

2010-05-06

Abstract: Objectives: To determine the immediate effects of modified Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching (group I) versus Myofascial Trigger Point (MTrP) therapy plus modified PNF stretching (group II) in comparison to a control group receiving no treatment.Design: Randomized, assessor-blind, (3 × 4) mixed-model repeated measures.Setting: University laboratory.Participants: Thirty physically active males with tight hamstrings and at least one latent MTrP on muscles innervated by the lumbosacral, sciatic, tibial and common peroneal nerves.Main outcome measures: Knee range of motion (ROM), stretch perception, pressure pain threshold (PPT) and subjective pain intensity. Outcomes were evaluated at baseline, immediately after treatment, at 10 and 30 min.Results: Significant changes over time occurred for group II in all outcomes (p ≤ 0.001). Group II also showed lower pain intensity scores than group I immediately post-treatment (p = 0.045) and a strong clinical effect over group I in ROM at all follow-ups (effect sizes = 0.9–1.0, p ≤ 0.05). Other differences were found between both stretching groups as compared to the control group (p ≤ 0.05).Conclusion: The results indicate immediate pre- to post-treatment benefits from MTrP therapy combined with modified PNF stretching in young and physically active males with latent MTrPs.

Short and mid-term results of a comprehensive treatment program for longstanding adductor-related groin pain in athletes: A case series

Adam Weir, Jaap Jansen, Joyce van Keulen, Jan Mens, Frank Backx, Henk Stam — 2010-07-26

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate short and mid-term results of active physical therapy in athletes with longstanding groin pain.Design: Case series.Setting: Primary care physical therapy practice.Participants: A total of 44 athletes suffering longstanding adductor-related groin pain.Intervention: A combination of passive (joint mobilization) and active (exercises) physical therapy interventions.Main outcome measurements: Return to (the same level of) sports, restriction in sports, and recurrence.Results: Directly after treatment, return to the same level and type of sport was successful in 38 athletes (86%), and without symptoms in 34 athletes (77%). At 6.5–51 months follow up, 10/38 (26%) of those that returned to sports had experienced a relapse; 22 (50%) athletes were able to participate in sports without any restrictions at the mid-term follow-up.Conclusions: For athletes with longstanding groin pain, short term results of physical therapy seem positive, whereas mid-term results are moderately positive. The risk for recurrence is high.

An Illustrated Guide to Taping Techniques. Principles and Practice

Colin Paterson — 2010-02-12

The use of taping techniques is seen as a key skill for all therapists working in sport, but is often a less utilised technique in other clinical situations. This book clearly meets its intentions of providing its readers with clear, logical and reasoned approaches to taping in a sporting context. Section 1 concentrates on the principles of taping; choosing the correct type of tape, the assessment process, application process and key taping techniques which later on in the book are applied to different anatomical regions, thus allowing the reader to develop their clinical reasoning skills to apply to different situations. The book concentrates on ‘traditional’ taping techniques and does not discuss specific techniques relating to current Kinesiotaping and fascial taping techniques.

Diary dates

2010-08-01

2010 19–21 August