scholarly journals Effects of Tai Chi versus Proprioception Exercise Program on Neuromuscular Function of the Ankle in Elderly People: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Liu ◽  
Xue-Qiang Wang ◽  
Jie-Jiao Zheng ◽  
Yu-Jian Pan ◽  
Ying-Hui Hua ◽  
...  

Background. Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese medicine exercise used for improving neuromuscular function. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Tai Chi versus proprioception exercise program on neuromuscular function of the ankle in elderly people.Methods. Sixty elderly subjects were randomly allocated into three groups of 20 subjects per group. For 16 consecutive weeks, subjects participated in Tai Chi, proprioception exercise, or no structured exercise. Primary outcome measures included joint position sense and muscle strength of ankle. Subjects completed a satisfaction questionnaire upon study completion in Tai Chi and proprioception groups.Results. (1) Both Tai Chi group and proprioception exercise group were significantly better than control group in joint position sense of ankle, and there were no significant differences in joint position sense of ankle between TC group and PE group. (2) There were no significant differences in muscle strength of ankle among groups. (3) Subjects expressed more satisfaction with Tai Chi than with proprioception exercise program.Conclusions. None of the outcome measures on neuromuscular function at the ankle showed significant change posttraining in the two structured exercise groups. However, the subjects expressed more interest in and satisfaction with Tai Chi than proprioception exercise.

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany Switlick ◽  
Thomas W. Kernozek ◽  
Stacey Meardon

Context:A relationship between altered postural control and injury has been reported in sports. Sensorimotor function serves a fundamental role in postural control and is not often studied in runners. Persons who sustain running injury may have altered sensorimotor function contributing to risk of injury or reinjury.Objectives:To determine if differences in knee and ankle proprioception or plantar sensation exist between injured and noninjured runners.Design:Retrospective case-control study.Setting:University campus.Participants:Twenty runners with a history of lower-extremity overuse injury and 20 noninjured runners were examined. Injured runners were subcategorized into 2 groups based on site of injury: foot/ankle and knee/hip.Main Outcome Measures:Active absolute joint-repositioning error of the ankle at 20° inversion and 10° eversion and the knee at 15° and 40° flexion was assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer. Vibratory threshold at the calcaneus, arch, and great toe was determined for each subject using a handheld electric sensory threshold instrument.Results:Runners in the injured-foot/ankle group had increased absolute error during ankle-eversion repositioning (6.55° ± 3.58°) compared with those in the noninjured (4.04° ± 1.78°, P = .01) and the hip/knee (3.63° ± 2.2°, P = .01) groups. Runners in the injured group, as a whole, had greater sensitivity in the arch of the plantar surface (2.94 ± 0.52 V) than noninjured runners (2.38 ± 0.53 V, P = .02).Conclusions:Differences in ankle-eversion proprioception between runners with a history of ankle and foot injuries and noninjured runners were observed. Runners with a history of injury also displayed an increased vibratory threshold in the arch region compared with noninjured runners. Poor ankle-joint-position sense and increased plantar sensitivity suggest altered sensorimotor function after injury. These factors may influence underlying postural control and contribute to altered loading responses commonly observed in injured runners.


Author(s):  
Jing Liu ◽  
Albert Yeung ◽  
Tao Xiao ◽  
Xiaopei Tian ◽  
Zhaowei Kong ◽  
...  

Tai Chi (TC) can be considered safe and effective intervention to improve pain and pain-related functional disability. However, it is unclear that whether aging individuals with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain (CNS-LBP) can achieve positive results. This study, therefore, attempted to explore the effects of TC on pain and functional disability in CNS-LBP patients aged 50 years old or above. Forty-three individuals (aged 50 years old or above) with CNS-LBP were randomly assigned into three groups: Chen-Style TC group (n = 15), Core Stabilization training (CST) group (n = 15), and control group (n = 13). Participants in the TC group participated in Chen-style TC training program (three 60-min sessions per week for 12 weeks), individuals in CST group received 12-week Core Stabilization exercise on the Swiss ball, whereas individuals in the control group maintained their unaltered lifestyle. Pain intensity as primary outcome was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), A BiodexSystem 3 isokinetic dynamometer was used to measure knee and ankle joint position sense (JPS) as secondary outcomes at baseline and after the 12-week intervention. TC and CST have significant effects in VAS for CNS-LBP patients (p< 0.01, TC group OR CST group versus control group in mean of the post-minus-pre assessment). However, the feature of joint position sense (JPS) of ankle inversion, ankle eversion and knee flexion did not occur, it showed no significant effects with TC and CST. TC was found to reduce pain, but not improve lower limb proprioception in patients with CNS-LBP. Future research with larger sample sizes will be needed to achieve more definitive findings on the effects of TC on both pain and lower limb proprioception in this population.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 29-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carly May Green ◽  
Paul Comfort ◽  
Lee Herrington

Context:A reduction in joint position sense (JPS) is sometimes a consequence of shoulder injury that may adversely affect the ability to maintain dynamic joint stability.Objective:To compare shoulder JPS between previously injured and noninjured judokas.Design:Cohort study.Participants:Twenty-nine noninjured subjects (10.93 ± 3.45 years) and eleven injured subjects (15.09 ± 3.39 years).Main Outcome Measures:JPS was tested at 45° and 80°of shoulder external rotation at 90° of abduction.Results:No signifcant difference in JPS was found between previously injured and noninjured judokas at either joint position.Conclusion:Despite evidence that JPS acuity decreases following shoulder injury, this study did not demonstrate a difference in average error between previously injured and noninjured judokas. Uncontrolled confounding factors, such as age and time since injury, may have affected the results. Sport-specifc shoulder joint loading patterns may also be an important factor that affects JPS.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-507
Author(s):  
Akina HIGUCHI ◽  
Miku HONMA ◽  
Miyu YAMAMOTO ◽  
Yasuo TANAKA ◽  
Rena HAMANO ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffery L. Huston ◽  
Michelle A. Sandrey ◽  
Mathew W. Lively ◽  
Kevin Kotsko

Context:There is limited information on the effect of dynamic fatiguing of the plantar flexors on joint-position sense (JPS).Objective:To examine the effects of fatigue on JPS for ankle plantar flexion (PF) and dorsiflexion (DF).Design:A 2 × 2 factorial design.Setting:Research laboratory.Participants:20 healthy subjects (10 men, 10 women; age 21.75 ± 1.48 years).Interventions:The subjects were tested at 10° DF and 20° PF in the nonfatigued and fatigued conditions on a custom-built JPS device. To induce fatigue, subjects stood with both feet in the plantar-flexed position until they could no longer hold the posture.Main Outcome Measures:JPS absolute error was measured at 10° DF and 20° PF.Results:There was no significant main effect for condition, measurement, or interaction between condition and measurement.Conclusion:With no difference between conditions, the main controller of conscious JPS of the lower extremity might be the tibialis anterior.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Moradi ◽  
Malihe Hadadnezhad ◽  
Amir Letafatkar ◽  
Zohre Khosrokiani ◽  
Julien S. Baker

Abstract Background The Glenohumeral internal-rotation deficit (GIRD) is related to the altered eccentric external-rotator (ER), the concentric internal-rotator (IR), muscle strength, and the ER: IR ratio. GIRD has been documented as a risk factor for shoulder injuries. However, few studies have investigated the effect of an exercise training on these parameters in athletes with GIRD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an 8-week throwing exercise with a TheraBand for retraining the rotator cuff on Electromyography (EMG) activity of selected muscles, rotator cuff muscle strength, the glenohumeral (GH) joint IR range of motion (ROM) and GH joint position sense in asymptomatic male volleyball players with GIRD. Methods Sixty male volleyball players with GIRD were randomized into either a training group or a control group. The experimental group underwent an 8-week throwing exercise with a TheraBand including 5 sessions of stretching and 3 sessions of strengthening exercises per week. The control group received an active self-exercise program. EMG (onset time and muscle activation), shoulder range of motion (ROMs), strength and GH joint position sense were all assessed pre and post trainings. Results There were statistically significant within-group differences in the EMG activity of the anterior deltoid (p = 0.005), middle deltoid (p = 0.007), posterior deltoid (p = 0.004), infraspinatus (p = 0.001) and supraspinatus (p = 0.001) muscles, IR ROM (p = 0.001), rotator cuff muscle strength ratio (p = 0.001), and GH joint position sense (p = 0.033) in the experimental group. A 2 × 2 analysis of variance with a mixed model design and independent and paired t-tests were used for statistical analysis. Conclusions Throwing exercise with a TheraBand improved shoulder muscle activation, IR ROM, rotator cuff muscle strength ratio and GH joint position sense in participants with GIRD. These findings may improve the treatment of GIRD in a clinical setting. Although the results are significant, further studies should follow up the long-term effects of the Throwing exercise with a TheraBand on GIRD. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials using the UMIN-RCT website with ID number of, UMIN000038416 “Retrospectively registered” at 2019/10/29.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document