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Background and aim: Neck muscles contract dynamically in the majority of daily activities. Athletes, agricultures and industrial labors are predisposed to muscular fatigue. Aim: The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of dynamic fatigue on power and frequency domains of EMG spectrum.
Material and methods: In this study 20 healthy young men contracted neck muscles dynamically, until muscular fatigue occurs. Surface electromyography was recorded of levator scapula, neck paraspinals and upper trapezius, as neck extensors. The effects of dynamic contraction on frequency (Median Frequency) and Power domains(RMS) were compared before and after fatigue.
Results: The results of the present study indicated that MedF decreases following dynamic fatigue (P<0.05). After dynamic fatigue, RMS of levator scapula and upper trapezius increased significantly (P<0.05). Regarding to significant decrease of RMS and increase of MedF, paraspinals encountered with force reduction .
Conclusion: Changes of MedF and RMS indicated that a continuous dynamic contraction tends to exhaust levator scapula and upper trapezius but decreases paraspinals force.

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Background and aim: One of the main problems in learning is ignoring the teaching in small group discussion.So, today, teaching in student-based methods such as work in small group is emphasized. Nevertheless, this method is not used for teaching physiotherapy students. This study was performed to determine the effect of teaching in small group on satisfaction and learning level of second- year students in physiotherapy in comparison  with lecture teaching.
Materials and methods: An experimental study was performed on 29 physiotherapy students. The students were randomly classified into two groups lecture (14 people) and work in small group (15 people). Students were educated for 4 sessions. Two separate questionnaires were used to assess learning and satisfaction levels.
Results: Overall satisfaction in small group was significantly greater than lecture group (P<0.0001). However, there was no significant difference between learning levels of the methods (p>0.05). 86.7% of students in small groups preferred to be educated in the future semesters using this teaching method.
Conclusion: This study showed the role of small group teaching on increasing students' satisfaction level. Due to increased satisfaction in small group, despite the lack of significant difference between the two methods of learning, learning process can be facilitated .Thus this method is recommended for education of the undergraduate students.

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Backgroung and aim: Neck pain is one of three common complains of neuromuscular system. There are three subsystem to maintain stability of spine: passive subsystem, active (muscles) subsystem and control subsystem. Detection of postural muscle response during postural perturbation like fast arm movement can be utilized to analyse of postural control. Wearing cervical collars is a way to prevent or cure cervical pain. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of soft cervical collar on movement response and duration of activity and recruitment pattern of cervical muscles. 

Materials and methods: Twenty healthy young women participated in this study. They flex right shoulder in response to sound stimulus with and without wearing soft cervical collar. Surface Electromyography (EMG) used to assess postural muscle activity in following muscles: Deltoid , Trapezius , Cervical Erector spinae and  Sternocleidomastoid. The effect of soft cervical collar on reaction time, onset and duration of activity of cervical muscles was calculated.

Results: Wearing soft cervical collar increased reaction time of arm flexion  (P< 0.05) and decreased duration of activity of cervical extensor, trapezius and erector spinae (P< 0.05). During shoulder flexion with additional load, onset activity of trapezius muscle was significantly earlier than other neck muscles but cervical erector spinae and sternocleidomastoid exhibit coactivation pattern in response to perturbation .

Conclusion: During fast arm movement that leads to postural perturbation, soft cervical collar alleviates the response and reduce activity of muscles. The strategy of motor control centers in response to perturbation in cervical spine is coactivation of flexor and extensor muscles to maintain stability. 

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Background and Aim: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demylinating disease that due to the involvement of multiple areas in central nervous system, including sensorimotor system can impair the patients' balance. The aim of the present study was to determine the balance, extremities muscular strength and disability rate in Iranian patients with MS and to investigate the relationship between these parameters. 

Materials and Methods: Sixty eight patients with MS participated voluntarily in this study. The berg balance scale (BBS), Motricity index (MI) and self report patient determined disease steps (PDDS) were used for assessing the balance, extremities muscular strength and patients' disability rate, respectively 

Results: Fifty six of patients showed balance impairment. Balance values were significantly correlated with muscular strength of upper (p=0.011) and lower (p<0.001) extremities in patients with balance impairment. But, the relation between balance and muscular strength in patients without balance impairment was not significant (p>0.05).There was a negative correlation between balance and disability rate (p<0.001).

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that more than 50% of patients have balance impairment. Furthermore, the importance of evaluating muscle strength in order to predict the falling risk in MS patients were identified.

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Background and Aim: Perceptual abilities (reaction time and anticipatory skill) are essential for successful performance in daily activities. Training in dynamic and unpredicted sport domains such as volleyball might make changes in perceptual abilities of athletes compared to non-athletes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare reaction time and anticipatory skill of volleyball players versus non-athletes.

 Materials and Methods: Eleven female volleyball players and 11 female non-athletes participated in this study. Auditory choice reaction time, auditory complex choice reaction time, visual choice reaction time, visual complex choice reaction time, anticipatory skill of the high speed of the ball and anticipatory skill of the low speed of ball of both groups were analyzed by a software (Speed Anticipation Reaction Test (SART)).

Results: Statistical analysis did not show any significant differences between two groups in both auditory reaction time tests (P> 0.05). However, volleyball players showed better results in visual choice reaction time, visual complex choice reaction time, anticipatory skill of the high speed of the ball and anticipatory skill of the low speed of ball tests (P> 0.05).

Conclusion: Volleyball players acquire extensive knowledge of sport specific patterns of perceptual abilities due to experiences within the volleyball domain and due to the efficient extraction of this knowledge in similar conditions such as, computerized neurocognitive tests, they have superior perceptual skills than non-athletes.

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Background and Aim: One of the risk factors in sports injuries is inappropriate flexibility of muscles, which leads to pain, decrease range of motion and functional limitation in sport or daily activities and affects the athletes’ quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between flexibility of calf muscles and functional status of athletes with ankle injuries.
Materials and Methods: Thirty male athletes with ankle injuries (mean age ± SD, 22.63 ± 3.94 range: 18-40 years) participated in this study. Ankle dorsiflexion of affected and non-affected sides were measured with a goniometer. FAOS (Foot and Ankle Outcome Score) questionnaire was used to evaluate the functional status of ankle.
Results: The relationship between flexibility of calf muscles in the affected extremity, and total score of the functional questionnaire, was not statistically significant (P>0.05). While the relationship between the flexibility of muscles and functional questionnaire's total score in the non injured extremity was significant (P = 0.004, r = 0.51).
Conclusion: This study revealed that although the athletes who have more flexibility of calf muscles, show better functional status of ankle but there is not necessarily a relationship between inflexibility of the muscles and lowered functional status.

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Background and Aim : Athletes from different sport fields are needed to lower extremity dynamic balance for their specific skills. The question can be raised is whether athletes from different sport fields are different in lower extremity dynamic balance? The aim of this study was to compare the dynamic balance of lower extremity of football, handball and taekwondo athletes with functional tests.

  

Material and Methods : Ten football, 10 handball, and 10 taekwondo healthy male athletes with the mean age of 23.83±0.06 years participated voluntarily in this study . The lower extremity dynamic balance was assessed by Shuttle Run test (SR), figure of 8 Hop test (FEH), Side to Side Hop test(SSH) and Agility Hop test (AH). All analyses were conducted using SPSS version 19.

  

Results : The scores of SR, FEH and AH tests were higher in taekwondo players compared to football and handball players (7.11± 0.26, 9.86±1.09 and 9.2 ±1.31, respectively). Football players gained the highest score in SSH test (7.52±0.84). The FEH test score in handball players was higher than football players (9.59±0.94). Statistical analysis showed significant differences between three groups on two tests (SR P=0/03 and AH P=0/01).

  

Conclusion : This study showed that lower extremity function of athletes from different fields of sport may be different. It seems that football and handball players need more agility and speed than taekwondo players for doing their own skills. This issue should be considered in designing the sport specific training protocol for athletes.

 

Key words : Functional test, Football, Handball, Taekwondo

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Background and Aim: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is responsible for physical and somatosensory function. It is expected that additional sensory information improves dynamic balance of ACL reconstruction patients. This study is aimed to determine the effect of sensory information on knee dynamic balance after ACL reconstruction in comparison with normal people.

 

Materials and Methods: The study was designed as a randomized clinical trial. Thirty two men (16 men with unilateral ACL reconstruction and 16 healthy men), assigned in three groups: ACLR, reconstructed knee ACLR, non-reconstructed knee and normal. All participants received tactile information during functional tests. Dynamic postural stability was assessed by two functional tests including: Star Excursion Balance test and Cross over Hop for distance. The functional tests scores were conducted both pre and post applying sensory information in ACLR and normal people.

  

Results: The data showed that tactile information improves functional performance of ACLR patients. There were significant difference in reconstructed knee’s SEBT scores in medial (p=0.005) and posteromedial (p=0.034) directions by adding touch information. Significant difference in dynamic balance by addition of touch sense, in COH scores of ACLR people and normal population was found.

  

Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that additional sensory information improves dynamic balance in ACLR patients. The positive effect of tactile information supports to apply additional sensory information as a new method for increasing dynamic balance.

  

Key words: Anterior cruciate ligament, Sensory information, Dynamic balance.

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Background and Aim: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is common in sports competition and training. Following ACL rupture, neuromuscular system performance is disrupted. Perturbation training can improve the function of patients with ACL reconstruction. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of perturbation training on ground reaction force and functional status of these patients .

  

Materials and Methods: Twenty patients with ACL reconstruction were randomly assigned into intervention (mean age: 24/2 ±3/4 years) and control (mean age: 27/1 ± 2/5 years) groups. The intervention group performed ten sessions perturbation training with rocker board, wobble board and Bosu. Peak vertical ground reaction force (GRF) and time to peak vertical GRF were recorded by KISTLER force plate during single leg landing from a 30cm height step. In addition, cross hop test also was evaluated as a functional test.

  

Results: Before perturbation training, both GRF and time to peak vertical GRF in reconstructed knee had not significant difference between two groups (P>0/05). In addition, functional test score had not significant difference between the groups (P=0/62). Following perturbation training, peak vertical GRF in reconstructed knee was greater than that in control groups (P<0/003).Although time to peak vertical GRF in reconstructed knee increased, there was not statistically significant difference between two groups (P=0/50). Furthermore, functional test score was statistically greater in intervention group (P=0/03).

  

Conclusion: This s tudy showed that perturbation training can improve functional status in patients with ACL reconstruction. In addition, force plate findings indicated that the patients tolerated more forces at longer time in single leg landing.

  

Key words: Perturbation training, Ground reaction force, ACL reconstruction, Function

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Background and Aim: Shoulder injury is one of the most common injuries in overhead sports. Impingement syndrome is most frequent cause of these injures. Scapular has important biomechanical role in normal shoulder function .Muscle imbalance changes normal scapular arthrokinematic and as a result the risk of injury is high. One of the treatment methods which is used in athletes with impingement syndrome is kinesio taping. Goals of this study was to investigate the effects of kinesio taping of trapezius muscles on pain , functional movements of shouhder joint and lateral scapular slide in athletes with impingement syndrome.

Materials and Methods: Fifteen athletes with a mean age of 30.53±3.56 with impingement syndrome participated in this study. Pain with visual analog scale , functional movements and lateral scapular slide test in 3 positions was  assessed . Then kinesio taping was used for trapezius muscles .Repeated evaluation was performed in 3 different periods of : 20 minutes , 72 hours , 6 days  after first session.

Results: Mean of  pain was reduced in 72 hours and 6 days after kinesio taping (p=0.003) .  Ext.rot + abd movement after kinesio taping was improved and the most improvement was 6 days after kinesio taping (p=0.004). Int.rot+add movement after kinesio taping was improved and the most improvement was 6 days after kinesio taping (p=0.001). Lateral scapular slide test in first position and second position improved significantly. In third position test did not change significantly after kinesiotaping.

Conclusion: Kinesio taping of trapezius muscles in athletes with impingement syndrome has effects on pain reduction, improvement of functional movement of shoulder and improvement of scapular kinematic. Therefore kinesio taping can be used as a treatment in athletes with impingement syndrome.

Keywords: Kinesio taping, Trapezius muscles, Impingement syndrome.