Background and Aim: Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in industrial society. There are complex changes in motor control of cervical spine in neck pain patients. The aim of this study was to compare the latency of activation of neck muscles during upper limb movement between neck pain patients and healthy subjects.

Materials and Methods: Eighteen chronic non-specific neck pain patients and eighteen healthy subjects who were matched in age, weight and height participated in this study. Subjects were standing on the ground and performed flexion and abduction movement of the right arm until at least 90 degree in five trials and consequently surface electromyography of neck muscles was recorded. Activation time of neck muscles was determined in comparison with the activation time of deltoid muscle (as an event) and then compared between two groups.  

Results: Findings of this study showed that in patients with chronic neck pain and healthy subjects during upper limb flexion and abduction movements, the superficial neck muscles were activated after deltoid activation. As well as in the neck pain patients compared to the healthy subjects superficial neck muscles onset was significantly appeared with delayed (P<0.05).

Conclusion: In patients with neck pain compared to healthy controls, the neck muscles were significantly delayed in responses to the internal perturbations of fast upper limb movements. It may be to increase the risk of injuries of neck region during fast upper limb movements.

Background and Aim: Proprioception is a type of feedback from limbs to CNS which defines a sensory tools to contribute position sense and movement sense.

Precise and controlled movements are important sections of sports and activity daily living which needs to accurate information of proprioception.

High concentration of proprioceptors are reported in cervical spine, sacroiliac and ankle joint. The purpose of this study was to compare repositioning error of cervical spine on high level badminton and basketball players and healthy subjects.

Materials and Methods: Twenty female basketball players (23.40 years old), 20 female badminton players (24.81years old) and 20 healthy female (24,95years old) subjects were recruited to participate in this study. Cervical total range of motion (ROM) and repositioning error in target angle (30% of full ROM in each movement) of flexion, extension, right and left lateral flexion and rotation were measured by CROM apparatus.

Results : Our results indicate that two groups of athletes has significant differences with non-athletic subjects in flexion, extension, left lateral flexion and ro tation and there were significant differences in right lateral flexion and right rotation between badminton players and non-athletic subjects (P<0.005).

Conclusion : Cervical proprioception may improve with specific sport movements. Basketball and badminton are non-contact sports that needs to eye and hand coordination, as our results showed that the cervical repositioning error was decreased in athletics related to non-athletic subjects, the mentioned sports may improve proprioception.

Key Words: Proprioception, Cervical, Repositioning error, Basketball, Badminton

Background and Aim: Regarding to high prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in athletes and its effect on their athletic function, an accurate evaluation before planning the rehabilitation program seems necessary in athletes with LBP. It should be considered that human movements are like as a kinetic chain. It means that any problems in every parts of this chain can cause dysfunction in the other parts of the chain. Not taking attention to the relationships between different parts of this chain may result in suboptimal rehabilitation. Therefore, focusing treatment on the entire parts of the kinetic chain besides the injured part, may prevent recurrenceof the dysfunction. Since in the kinetic chain hip muscles act as a link between lower extremities and trunk, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate and compare muscles strength of hip joint in female athletes with and without non-specific chronic LBP.

Materials and Methods: Fifteen healthy female athletes and 15 female athletes with non-specific chronic LBP participated in this study. Their age was between 18-30 years. Hip extension, abduction and external rotation strength in all participants were measured. A hand-held dynamometer (HHD) was used to measure muscle strength. Since fixing HHD by examiner’s hand is fraught with error, it is fixed by a stable frame.

Results: The maximum strength value of hip extension and abduction in female athletes with LBP were significantly lower than these measures in healthy group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were seen in the maximum value of hip external rotation strength between two groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: The results of the present study show that hip extension and abduction strength in female athletes with LBP were lower than these measures in healthy group. Therefore, hip strength measurements besides the examination of the spinal column seem to be necessary in evaluation and rehabilitation of the patients with LBP.

Key Words: Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain, Hip Muscles Strength, Athlete

Background and Aim : Trauma or micro-trauma over prolonged period of time can lead to

  pathoanatomical changes and passive instability of the sacroiliac joint. These subjects often reluctant to bear full weight through the impaired side of the pelvis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of exercise therapy on symmetric distribution of weight in sacroiliac joint instability in standing and walking through Alfoot device.

Materials and Methods : In this study, 17 subjects with sacroiliac joint instability with age range of 20-40 years were selected by simple sampling. Subjects performed a single session of training that involve five tasks in 3 sets, including sitting on gym ball, lying on gym ball, quadruped, standing near wall and standing on tilt board. Before, immediately after, 5 and 10 minutes after intervention , scanning the both feet were recorded during standing and walking.

Results : The amount of weight on both feet in bipedal stance position were significantly different before and immediately after the intervention. But this difference , 5 minutes (p =0.058) and 10 minutes (p =0.110) was not significantly different after exercise therapy. The pressure on the middle part of the foot during walking significantly increased immediately after the intervention and it continues up to 10 minutes .

Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that training of lumbopelvic muscles can be an effective way to improve weight distribution on the affected side in patients with sacroiliac joint instability .