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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Exercise and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 16331

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Markus Tilp

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Guest Editor

Institute of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
Interests: movement and training science

Dr. Annika Kruse

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Guest Editor

Institute of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
Interests: development and evaluation of effective treatment strategies for individuals with cerebral palsy; effects of training programs on muscle-tendon properties and behaviour; movement science

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Musculoskeletal disorders arise from different illnesses such as stroke or cerebral palsy, or from chronic overload, e.g., at the workplace. Malfunction of the musculoskeletal system is a great burden and significantly reduces quality of life—individuals suffer from pain and have difficulties participating in activities in their daily life. Furthermore, musculoskeletal disorders often lead to secondary problems such as anxiety, sleeping problems, and overall fatigue. Great economic costs due to receiving treatment as well as sickness absences and reduced productivity are associated with these disorders.

Besides classical treatments with pharmaceuticals and/or surgeries, physical exercise has proven to have a positive effect. The main advantage of exercise is the lack of adverse effects if applied correctly. Despite the overall positive effects of exercise on musculoskeletal disorders, many details such as the optimal type, intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise are still unclear.

This Special Issue aims to provide evidence that physical exercise is a strong alternative to classical treatments in order to prevent and/or improve musculoskeletal disorders. We invite researchers to submit their experimental work or reviews on the effects of exercise on neuromusculoskeletal disorders.

Prof. Dr. Markus Tilp
Dr. Annika Kruse
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

muscle
tendon
bone
gait
hand
leg
cerebral palsy
stroke
osteoarthritis
workplace
overuse
injury

Published Papers (5 papers)

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12 pages, 1485 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Acute Effects of Static and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching of the Plantar Flexors on Ankle Range of Motion and Muscle-Tendon Behavior in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy—A Randomized Clinical Trial

by Annika Kruse, Andreas Habersack, Richard T. Jaspers, Norbert Schrapf, Guido Weide, Martin Svehlik and Markus Tilp

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11599; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811599 - 15 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3768

Abstract

Stretching is considered a clinically effective way to prevent muscle contracture development in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Therefore, in this study, we assessed the effects of a single session of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) or static stretching (SS) on ankle joint range of motion (RoM) and gastrocnemius muscle-tendon behavior in children with CP. During the SS (n = 8), the ankle joint was held in maximum dorsiflexion (30 s). During the PNF stretching (n = 10), an isometric contraction (3–5 s) was performed, followed by stretching (~25 s). Ten stretches were applied in total. We collected data via dynamometry, 3D motion capture, 2D ultrasound, and electromyography, before and after the stretching sessions. A mixed ANOVA was used for the statistical analysis. Both ankle RoM and maximum dorsiflexion increased over time (F(1,16) = 7.261, p < 0.05, η² = 0.312; and F(1,16) = 4.900, p < 0.05, η² = 0.234, respectively), without any difference between groups. An interaction effect (F(1,12) = 4.768, p = 0.05, η² = 0.284) was observed for muscle-tendon unit elongation (PNF: −8.8%; SS: +14.6%). These findings suggest a positive acute effect of stretching on ankle function. However, SS acutely increased muscle-tendon unit elongation, while this decreased after PNF stretching, indicating different effects on the spastic muscles. Whether PNF stretching has the potential to cause positive alterations in individuals with CP should be elucidated in future studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exercises and Musculoskeletal Disorders)

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17 pages, 2169 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Post-Stroke Treatment with Neuromuscular Functional Electrostimulation of Antagonistic Muscles and Kinesiotherapy Evaluated with Electromyography and Clinical Studies in a Two-Month Follow-Up

by Juliusz Huber, Katarzyna Kaczmarek, Katarzyna Leszczyńska and Przemysław Daroszewski

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(2), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020964 - 15 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3273

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the sustained influence of personalized neuromuscular functional electrical stimulation (NMFES) combined with kinesiotherapy (mainly, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)) on the activity of muscle motor units acting antagonistically at the wrist and the ankle in a large population of post-stroke patients. Clinical evaluations of spasticity (Ashworth scale), manual muscle testing (Lovett scale), and surface electromyography recordings at rest (rEMG) and during attempts of maximal muscle contraction (mcEMG) were performed three times in 120 post-stroke patients (T0: up to 7 days after the incidence; T1: after 21 days of treatment; T2: after 60 days of treatment). Patients (N = 120) were divided into two subgroups—60 patients received personalized NMFES and PNF treatment (NMFES+K), and the other 60 received only PNF (K). The NMFES+K therapy resulted in a decrease in spasticity and an increase in muscle strength of mainly flexor muscles, in comparison with the K group. A positive correlation between the increase of rEMG amplitudes and high Ashworth scale scores and a positive correlation between low amplitudes of mcEMG and low Lovett scale scores were found in the wrist flexors and calf muscles on the paretic side. Negative correlations were found between the rEMG and mcEMG amplitudes in the recordings. The five-grade alternate activity score of the antagonists’ actions improved in the NMFES+K group. These improvements in the results of controlled NMFES treatment combined with PNF in patients having experienced an ischemic stroke, in comparison to the use of kinesiotherapy alone, might justify the application of conjoined rehabilitation procedures based on neurophysiological approaches. Considering the results of clinical and neurophysiological studies, we suppose that NMFES of the antagonistic muscle groups acting at the wrist and the ankle may evoke its positive effects in post-stroke patients by the modulation of the activity more in the spinal motor centers, including the level of Ia inhibitory neurons, than only at the muscular level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exercises and Musculoskeletal Disorders)

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10 pages, 1021 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Kinematic and Kinetic Gait Parameters Can Distinguish between Idiopathic and Neurologic Toe-Walking

by Andreas Habersack, Stefan Franz Fischerauer, Tanja Kraus, Hans-Peter Holzer and Martin Svehlik

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(2), 804; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020804 - 12 Jan 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2184

Abstract

The differentiation between mild forms of toe-walking (equinus) in cerebral palsy (CP) and idiopathic toe-walking (ITW) is often clinically challenging. This study aims to define kinematic and kinetic parameters using 3D gait analysis to facilitate and secure the diagnosis of “idiopathic toe-walking”. We conducted a retrospective controlled stratified cohort study. 12 toe-walking subjects per group diagnosed as ITW or CP were included and stratified according to age, gender and maximal dorsiflexion in stance. We collected kinematic and kinetic data using a three-dimensional optical motion analysis system with integrated floor force plates. Pairwise comparison between ITW and CP gait data was performed, and discriminant factor analysis was conducted. Both groups were compared with typically developing peers (TD). We found kinematic and kinetic parameters having a high discriminatory power and sensitivity to distinguish between ITW and CP groups (e.g., knee angle at initial contact (91% sensitivity, 73% specificity) and foot progression angle at midstance (82% sensitivity, 73% specificity)). The strength of this study is a high discriminatory power between ITW and CP toe-walking groups. Described kinematic parameters are easy to examine even without high-tech equipment; therefore, it is directly transferable to everyday praxis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exercises and Musculoskeletal Disorders)

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13 pages, 6793 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electroneurographic Evaluation of Neural Impulse Transmission in Patients after Ischemic Stroke Following Functional Electrical Stimulation of Antagonistic Muscles at Wrist and Ankle in Two-Month Follow-Up

by Katarzyna Kaczmarek, Juliusz Huber, Katarzyna Leszczyńska and Przemysław Daroszewski

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(2), 713; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020713 - 09 Jan 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1781

Abstract

The available data from electroneurography (ENG) studies on the transmission of neural impulses in the motor fibers of upper and lower extremity nerves following neuromuscular functional electrical stimulation (NMFES) combined with kinesiotherapy in post-stroke patients during sixty-day observation do not provide convincing results. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of an NMFES of antagonistic muscle groups at the wrist and ankle and kinesiotherapy based mainly on proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF). An ENG was performed once in a group of 60 healthy volunteers and three times in 120 patients after stroke (T0, up to 7 days after the incident; T1, after 21 days of treatment; and T2, after 60 days of treatment); 60 subjects received personalized NMFES and PNF treatment (NMFES+K), while the other 60 received only PNF (K). An ENG studied peripheral (M-wave recordings), C8 and L5 ventral root (F-wave recordings) neural impulse transmission in the peroneal and the ulnar nerves on the hemiparetic side. Both groups statistically differed in their amplitudes of M-wave recording parameters after peroneal nerve stimulation performed at T0 and T2 compared with the control group. After 60 days of treatment, only the patients from the NMFES+K group showed significant improvement in M-wave recordings. The application of the proposed NMFES electrostimulation algorithm combined with PNF improved the peripheral neural transmission in peroneal but not ulnar motor nerve fibers in patients after ischemic stroke. Combined kinesiotherapy and safe, personalized, controlled electrotherapy after stroke give better results than kinesiotherapy alone. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exercises and Musculoskeletal Disorders)

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11 pages, 2235 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Kinesiological Treatment of Early Spine Osteoarthritis in a Motorcyclist

by Federico Roggio, Bruno Trovato, Caterina Ledda, Venerando Rapisarda and Giuseppe Musumeci

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(2), 961; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020961 - 15 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4632

Abstract

This case report speculates that the prolonged vibrations from enduro off-road sports are deleterious to the spine. The results of this case report may also aid sports physicians in better understanding this complex and relatively unknown phenomenon. No published data are present in the current literature that demonstrate the correlation between early spine osteoarthritis from enduro motorcycle overuse and the long-term management effects of a non-invasive kinesiological approach to reduce pain and inflammation and improve spine mobility and muscle strength. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exercises and Musculoskeletal Disorders)

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