2023 CiteScore: 0.5
pISSN: 2538-385X
eISSN: 2538-3868
Editor-in-Chief:
Kazem Malmir, Ph.D.
Vol 10 No 1 (2016)
Research Article(s)
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Introduction: Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are one of the main characteristics of musculoskeletal disorders. The main purpose of this study was to compare the long-term effects of dry needling (DN) and physical therapy modalities (PT) on the MTrPs of upper trapezius muscle.
Material and Methods: A total of 34 subjects with upper trapezius MTrP participated in this study. Subjects were randomly assigned into two groups of DN (N = 17) and PT (N = 17). DN group was treated two sessions per week, and PT group was treated three sessions per week. Pain intensity, pressure pain threshold (PPT), cervical range of motion (CROM), and function of upper limbs were assessed every session.
Results: Significant decrease of pain (P = 0.002), increase of CROM (P = 0.002), PPT (P = 0.003), and functional improvement of upper limbs (P = 0.001) after treatment occurred in both groups. DN group revealed more improvement than the PT group (P = 0.001).
Conclusion: Although both of PT and DN are effective treatments for MTrP, the DN seems to be more effective. -
Introduction: Prevention and control of cross infections for the personnel of dental offices and clinics are a critical issue in dental practice. In this study, a standardized questionnaire was developed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the oral health-care workers in Tehran University Dental School regarding the blood-transmitted diseases and its validity and reliability were determined.
Material and Methods: The draft of the questionnaire was assessed by two experts and the necessary corrections were done. The questionnaire content validity was measured by 10 faculty members of Tehran University Dental School regarding relevance, simplicity, clarity, and importance of the questions. Furthermore, the reliability of the questions was assessed by 21 dental nurses. Inter-rater agreement (IRA) values were reported by both the conservative and less conservative approaches for the relevance, simplicity, clarity, and importance. Content validity items and the percentage of the reliable questions were determined according to the nurses’ responses to each question.
Results: Content validity values were 90.24%, 73.17%, 73.17% and 39.02% for the relevance, simplicity, clarity and importance, respectively, using the general consensus approach. IRAvalues in two conservative and less conservative approaches were 90.24% and 92.68% for the relevance; 73.17% and 85.37% for the simplicity; 73.17% and 85.37% for the clarity, and 39.02% and 51.22% for the importance, respectively. The percentage of reliable questions was within the range of 80.9-100%.
Conclusion: The questionnaire had acceptable reliability. -
Introduction: Counting is of the most basic mathematical abilities. Many researches have demonstrated that different perceptual abilities can affect counting skills. We investigated the impact of visual search (VS) and visuoumotor organization (VMO) on counting speed.
Material and Methods: A total of 40 people in two groups of borderline and normal intellectual ability (20 subjects in each group) participated in the study. Three areas were evaluated: (1) VS, (2) VMO, and (3) counting speed. We used three self-designed evaluation softwares to examine VS and counting speed. VMO was assessed by Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment.
Results: We calculated the Pearson rank correlation in both groups, to investigate the relation between counting speed and two other variables. According to the results, the speed of counting was related to VMO (P < 0.050). However, VS was correlated to counting speed just in normal people (P < 0.050). In contrast, the effect of VMO on counting speed was influenced by the spatial distribution of the objects in each set.
Conclusion: Counting in different sets of objects is influenced by VMO and VS depending on their characteristics such as spatial distribution and the number of contents. -
Introduction: Assessing quality of life for patients with shoulder instability may be essential because of the negative impacts of the disease on patient’s life. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to assess the internal validity and consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity of the Persian version of the Oxford Shoulder Instability Score (OSIS).
Material and Methods: A total of 150 patients with shoulder instability completed the Persian OSIS, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH), and visual analog scale (VAS) to test convergent validity. 50 randomly selected patients completed the OSIS, 48 hours later, for the second time.
Results: Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the Persian OSIS was 0.90. The Persian OSIS showed excellent test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient 0.94 (P < 0.01). The Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the Persian OSIS and DASH and VAS was 0.84 and 0.79, respectively (P < 0.01), indicating a good convergent validity.
Conclusion: The Persian OSIS is a reliable and valid instrument to measure health-related quality of life and functional disability in Persian-speaking patients with shoulder instability in Iran. -
Introduction: Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) forces the use of the affected side by restraining the unaffected side. The purpose of this article is to explore the changes of motor and functional performance after modified CIMT (mCIMT) in comparison with traditional rehabilitation (TR) in chronic post-stroke patients.
Material and Methods: A total of 12 patients randomly assigned into two treatment groups. Six patients in the mCIMT group received intensive training in a more affected limb for 2 hours daily, 5 days/week using shaping method over a period of 21 days. Participants less affected limb were restrained in arm - hand splint with a target of wearing it for 5 hours daily. The patients in TR group received bimanual and unilateral activities, stretching, strengthening and coordination exercises of the impaired side, tone modification and coordination exercises of the affected side. The focus was to increase independence in activities of daily living activities using affected side. The motor activity log (MAL), wolf motor function test (WMFT), and modified ashworth scale were measured at pre-test (1 day before training), post- test (1 day after training) and follow-up in 3 weeks after training.
Results: The Friedman test found significant differences between pre-test, post-test, and follow-up in MAL and WMFT in mCIMT group. Furthermore, mCIMT group showed significant decreased spasticity (P = 0.030) that measured by ash worth scale. The effect sizes between post-test and pre-test in the above-mentioned outcome measures were moderate to large in mCIMT, ranging from 0.3 to 0.76, but in TR group the effect size were small, ranging from 0 to 0.2.
Conclusion: Therefore, it seems that the mCIMT treatment was more effective than TR in improving some parameters. -
Introduction: Transtibial amputation is the most common amputation in lower limbs. Volume loss of residual limb occurs during daily use of prostheses, which results in pistoning between residual limb and prosthetic socket. The goal of this study was to design and fabricate a pneumatic suspension system in transtibial supracondylar prostheses and to evaluate its effect on residual limb pistoning.
Material and Methods: Five unilateral transtibial amputees were participated in this study. After designing and fabricating pneumatic suspension system, its effect on residual limb pistoning was evaluated using photographic method in five static stages including full weight bearing, semi weight bearing, non-weight bearing, 30 N and 50 N loads.
Results: Residual limb pistoning was reduced using pneumatic suspension system during non- weight bearing, 30 N and 50 N static loading.
Conclusion: The use of pneumatic suspension system would reduce pistoning in supracondylar transtibial prostheses. -
Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common disabling diseases in young adults. Common manifestations include fatigue, bladder and bowel disorders, pain, mobility problems, and cognitive impairment. These symptoms seriously affect the activity of daily living (ADL) of people with MS. The purpose of this study to investigate relationship between disability severity and ADL in people with MS.
Material and Methods: A total of 112 people with MS enrolled in this study. These people were evaluated by Barthel index, Mini Mental Status Examination, the Extended Disability Status Scale for ADL, cognitive ability and severity of disability.
Results: In linear regression analysis, independence in ADL is the best of predictor (69%) of disability severity in people with MS. The Pearson correlation test between the severity of disability and independence in ADL showed a significant relationship.
Conclusion: Independence in performing ADL can predict disability severity in people with MS. -
Introduction: Physical activity causes postural instability in patients with stroke and healthy subjects, but the impact of the type of physical activity and its durability on postural control in patients with stroke is not clear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effect of two types of speedy and endurance walking on postural control and the time for returning of postural control to baseline after walking in patients with chronic stroke and healthy subjects.
Material and Methods: In this non-experimental case-control study, 12 chronic stroke patients (4 female, 8 male; 4 with right hemiparesis and 8 with left hemiparesis) by mean age of 54.16 ± 12.18) years and mean passed duration of injury 28.66 ± 25.11) months and 12 height-, weight-, age- and sex-matched healthy subjects by mean age of 54.33 ± 13.04)years were selected by simple non-probability method. Walking for 6 minutes at maximum speed and walking for 18 minutes at normal speed were considered as speedy and endurance walking, respectively. Mean velocity and path length parameters of postural sway were measured by force platform in tandem standing before walking and immediately, 15 and 30 minutes after walking.
Results: The results of this study showed that the main effect of group was not significant in mean velocity (P = 0.487, F = 0.499) and path length parameters (P = 0.375, F = 0.818) while the both mean velocity (P = 0.016, F = 6.83) and path length (P = 0.034, F = 5.13) were greater in speedy walking than endurance walking. Furthermore, the main effect of time was significant in mean velocity (P = 0.017, F = 4.26) and path length (P = 0.002, F = 5.31). None of the interaction effects was significant in any of postural sway parameters.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that speedy walking results in postural instability more than endurance walking in both patients with chronic stroke and healthy subjects. Time for returning of postural stability to the baseline was 30 minutes after both speedy and endurance walking in both patients with chronic stroke and healthy subjects.
