Physioblasts.Org - India's Physiotherapy Community Portal : News

Resistance Training Might Delay Onset Of Dementia

rrvaava@nospam.com (Robin) — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:03:58 -0700

According to a study published in published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, six months of twice-weekly resistance training (RT) improved executive function, associative memory, and regional patterns of functional brain plasticity in a group of older women with probable mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

"We provide novel evidence that RT can benefit multiple domains in those at risk for dementia, We found improvement in both cognitive and brain function with resistance training — not just maintenance — over the 6 months. Thus, our results imply that resistance training can delay the onset of dementia in older adults," first author Teresa Liu-Ambrose, PhD, PT, from the Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, told Medscape Medical News.

"Among individuals with MCI, over half will develop dementia in the next 5 years," Dr. Liu-Ambrose noted. "Our finding is new and greatly extends our current knowledge about the potential benefit of exercise in reducing the risk of dementia in older adults."

The Exercise for Cognition and Everyday Living (EXCEL) study enrolled 86 community-dwelling women aged 70 to 80 years with probable MCI (defined as a score < 26 [of 30] on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and subjective memory symptoms. They were randomly allocated to twice-weekly, instructor-led classes (60 minutes each) of RT (28 women), aerobic training (AT; 28 women) or balance and tone training (BAT; 30 women, control group) for 6 months.

For RT, both a Keiser Pressurized Air system and free weights were used. Participants performed 2 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions, and loading was increased when sets were completed with proper form. The AT program involved walking outdoors at 40% of a participant's age-specific target heart rate and progressed to 70% to 80% of target heart rate. The BAT program comprised stretching, range of motion, balance exercises, and relaxation techniques.

Seventy-seven (89.5%) of the 86 participants completed the trial (26 in the RT group, 24 in the AT group, and 27 in the BAT group). Twenty-two participants were included in a functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis (7 each in the RT and AT groups and 8 in the BAT group).

After 6 months, compared with the BAT group, the RT group showed significantly improved performance on the Stroop test (P = .04), an executive cognitive test of selective attention/conflict resolution, which was the primary outcome. The RT group also performed significantly better on an associative memory task (P = .03). Compared with BAT, RT also led to functional changes in 3 regions of the cortex — the right lingual (P = .03) and occipital-fusiform (P = .02) gyri and the right frontal pole (P = .03) — during the associative memory task. The researchers also found a significant positive correlation between change in hemodynamic activity in the right lingual gyrus and change in behavioral associative memory performance (P = .02). Twice-weekly AT significantly improved general balance (P = .03) and cardiovascular capacity (P = .04) compared with BAT.

"This small study provides evidence that weekly resistance and aerobic training programs can improve brain blood flow and in so doing increase performance on memory tests," Cyrus A. Raji, MD, PhD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Mercy Hospital, Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the study, says. "While the study was limited to elderly females, women as a group are at a higher risk for Alzheimer's, making the findings of the study timely and relevant. Larger studies need to be done looking at combinations of different physical activity regimens across gender and wider age ranges," Dr. Raji added.

Dr. Liu-Ambrose cautioned that although RT was "more beneficial" than AT in promoting both cognitive and brain function, "more research is needed to refine exercise prescription for optimal benefit." Dr. Raji agrees. While this study "seems to suggest that [RT] is more beneficial that [AT], caution must be exercised in interpreting the results because more people dropped out of the [AT] group," he said.

Differences in both the frequency and intensity of AT regimens between the 2 studies may underlie the differing results, Dr. Liu-Ambrose and colleagues note in their report. In addition, the women in their study were older and had lower baseline Mini-Mental State Examination scores.

Sourced from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/763105?sssdmh=dm1.781041&src=nldne

Device to help injured nerves to regrow faster.

rrvaava@nospam.com (Robin) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:09:48 -0700

Nerve damage caused by traumatic accidents may heal faster after researchers at University of Sheffield developed a new method that could make medical devices help the nerves to repair naturally. The devices called nerve guidance conduits or NGCs will help to regrow after injury. The method is based on laser direct writing, which enables the fabrication of complex structures from computer files via the use of CAD/CAM (computer aided design/manufacturing), and has allowed the research team to manufacture NGCs with designs that are far more advanced than previously possible.

Currently patients with severe traumatic nerve damage suffer a devastating loss of sensation and/or movement in the affected limb. The traditional course of action, where possible, is to surgically suture or graft the nerve endings together. However, reconstructive surgery often does not result in complete recovery.

"When nerves in the arms or legs are injured they have the ability to re-grow, unlike in the spinal cord; however, they need assistance to do this," said University of Sheffield Professor of Bioengineering, John Haycock. "We are designing scaffold implants that can bridge an injury site and provide a range of physical and chemical cues for stimulating this regrowth," he stated.

The new conduit is made from a biodegradable synthetic polymer material based on polylactic acid and has been designed to guide damaged nerves to re-grow through a number of small channels.

"Nerves aren't just like one long cable, they're made up of lots of small cables, similar to how an electrical wire is constructed," said lead author Dr Frederik Claeyssens, of the University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering. "Using our new technique we can make a conduit with individual strands so the nerve fibres can form a similar structure to an undamaged nerve," Claeyssens added. Once the nerve is fully regrown, the conduit biodegrades naturally.

The team hopes that this approach will significantly increase recovery for a wide range of peripheral nerve injuries. In laboratory experiments, nerve cells added to the polymer conduit grew naturally within its channelled structure and the research team is now working towards clinical trials.

"If successful we anticipate these scaffolds will not just be applicable to peripheral nerve injury, but could also be developed for other types of nerve damage too. The technique of laser direct writing may ultimately allow production of scaffolds that could help in the treatment of spinal cord injury," said Dr Claeyssens. "What's exciting about this work is that not only have we designed a new method for making nerve guide scaffolds which support nerve growth, we've also developed a method of easily reproducing them through micromolding. This technology could make a huge difference to patients suffering severe nerve damage," he added.

Sourced from : http://www.medindia.net

Employment Rate Decreases For Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury After One Year.

rrvaava@nospam.com (Robin) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:41:05 -0700

Most patients after traumatic brain injury tends to get rehired in the period of 3 months to 1 year after the injury, and that rate goes down after the initial year. The study conducted by Grauwmeijer. E of Netherland and his team also reveals that patients who develop cognitive impairements are at an increased risk of being unemployable.

The subjects of the study were patients with moderate and severe TBI discharged from the neurosurgery departments of 3 level 1 trauma centers in The Netherlands. The Patient group was aged 18 to 65 years (N=113; mean age ± SD, 33.2±13.1y; 73% men) who were hospitalized with moderate (26% of patients) to severe (74% of patients) TBI. A total of ninety-four patients (83%) completed the 3-year follow-up.The main outcome measure of the study was employment status. Potential predictors included patient characteristics, injury severity factors, functional outcome measured at discharge from the acute hospital with the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), Barthel Index (BI), and FIM, and cognitive functioning measured with the Functional Assessment Measure (FAM).

According to the study, the employment rate dropped from 80% preinjury to 15% at 3 months postinjury and gradually increased to 55% after 3 years. The employment rate significantly increased from 3 months up to 1 year, but it did not change significantly from 1 to 3 years postinjury. Age, length of hospital stay, discharge to a nursing home (vs home), psychiatric symptoms, and BI, GOS, FIM, and FAM scores were found to be significant univariate determinants for employment status. By using multiple logistic regression analysis, the FAM score (adjusted odds ratio 1.1; P<.000) and psychiatric symptoms (adjusted odds ratio .08; P<.019) were selected as independent predictors for employment status. A FAM cutoff score of less than 65 to identify patients at risk of long-term unemployment had a good diagnostic value.

Patients with TBI with psychiatric symptoms and impaired cognitive functioning at hospital discharge are at the highest risk of long-term unemployment. The authors considers that these factors should be the focus of vocational rehabilitation for such patients.

Authors of the study: Grauwmeijer E, Heijenbrok-Kal MH, Haitsma IK, Ribbers GM.

Sourced from : http://www.archives-pmr.org

Physiotherapists Not To Treat, But Advice Patients With Low Back Pain In Nottingham; Hint Of Things To Come?

rrvaava@nospam.com (Robin) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:19:44 -0700

Another proof of insurance or a second hand funding becoming a hurdle at times in getting the right treatment for the insured. As long as a third party decides the duration of the treatment, or the number of sessions, or the treatment techniques, there would certainly be incidents like this happening. With the whole world facing serious financial woes and trying cost cutting measures, health industry will not be far behind in taking quick actions. In the end, more than the moneybaggers being affected, it will be the patients who will be.

Patients referred to physiotherapists for treatment in Nottingham will no longer receive hands-on treatment - but will be directed to websites where they can learn exercises for themselves. Patients in Rushcliffe are given "advice and guidance" and directed to websites and information leaflets where they can learn exercises for themselves.

Phil Gray, chief executive of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: "They seem to have invented a new form of physiotherapy that no one has heard of - do-not-touch physiotherapy. Physiotherapists can't actually physically touch you at all under this system. It is deeply unscientific, there is no research or evidence to back up hands-off physiotherapy. Patients have been reporting back to GPs a very strong disapointment, and the physiotherapists providing this service are saying that basically 'you are preventing us from doing a professional job. It is a completely barmy form of treating people, which means that the only solution will be to go to the private sector and pay for themselves."

Before January 1, 2011, the Principia clinical commissioning group, which plans and buys healthcare services in Rushcliffe, offered one assessment and up to four treatments for physiotherapy patients. This includes patients who are suffering from soft tissue injuries and pain in their back, neck or joints. But, following a review of services, it changed from a treatment service to an advice and guidance service.This means that physiotherapists are no longer allowed to touch patients, and instead give advice on what exercises they should be doing and information on how to manage their condition themselves.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy asked all primary care trusts in the country about their physiotherapy services and any budget cuts. Mr Gray said that Principia was the only group not to offer a hands-on treatment to physiotherapy patients. Patients in Rushcliffe are also capped to a maximum of two physiotherapy appointments a year and have to visit their GP twice, six weeks apart, to get a physiotherapy referral in the first place.

Mr Gray said this was too long to wait. He added: "Getting people quickly into early intervention services makes a real difference to their ability to go back to work. The less treatment they go on to have and the longer it is left, the more complex problems it causes for people."

Barbara Venes, of the Local Improvement Network, which represents patients in Notts, also raised concerns. She said: "I think it is just awful. If you need physiotherapy, you need the treatment, not just advice. They are pushing people into paying privately and some people cannot afford to pay for it and so won't get treatment." She added that older patients may struggle to access information online, and that people needed practical demonstrations of how physiotherapy exercises should be done - to ensure that they were doing them correctly. "If you need physiotherapy, it is painful when you start." she said. "If you are doing it with a physiotherapist, then they can reassure you that it is normal to get some pain. But if you are doing it yourself, then people are afraid that if it is painful then they are going to get more damage."

A spokesman for Principia said that the change in service had not been a cost-cutting measure, and that costs were broadly the same as before. She said that "more vulnerable" patients received treatment through other means, such as a hospital specialist. She said: "Following a review, the service was changed to one of advice and guidance to encourage patients to self-care prior to further review by the GP. In some parts of the county this is done by web-based advice or in group sessions, and is the important first step in patients with back and neck problems." She added: "Once a decision to refer to a specialist is made by a GP, patients are seen quickly by a physiotherapist. With the advice and guidance service, patients are given practical advice to help them self manage their condition. This includes exercises to alleviate and manage their symptoms. This service enables all patients to take control of their condition and get better quicker."

Sourced from: www.Telegraph.co.uk

Neuroprosthesis Which Would Work With Just Thoughts From Brain Alone, A Near Future Possibility.

rrvaava@nospam.com (Robin) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:53:15 -0700

Opening the door to the development of thought-controlled prosthetic devices to help people with spinal cord injuries, amputations and other impairments, neuroscientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Champalimaud Center for the Unknown in Portugal have demonstrated that the brain is more flexible and trainable than previously thought.

Their new study, to be published in the advanced online publication of the journal Nature, shows that through a process called plasticity, parts of the brain can be trained to do something it normally does not do. The same brain circuits employed in the learning of motor skills, such as riding a bike or driving a car, can be used to master purely mental tasks, even arbitrary ones.

Over the past decade, tapping into brain waves to control disembodied objects has moved out of the realm of parlor tricks and parapsychology and into the emerging field of neuroprosthetics. This new study advances work by researchers who have been studying the brain circuits used in natural movement in order to mimic them for the development of prosthetic devices.

"What we hope is that our new insights into the brain's wiring will lead to a wider range of better prostheses that feel as close to natural as possible," said Jose Carmena, UC Berkeley associate professor of electrical engineering, cognitive science and neuroscience. "They suggest that learning to control a BMI (brain-machine interface), which is inherently unnatural, may feel completely normal to a person, because this learning is using the brain's existing built-in circuits for natural motor control."

Carmena and co-lead author Aaron Koralek, a UC Berkeley graduate student in Carmena's lab, collaborated on this study with Rui Costa, co-principal investigator of the study and principal investigator at the Champalimaud Neuroscience Program, and co-lead author Xin Jin, a post-doctoral fellow in Costa's lab.

Previous studies have failed to rule out the role of physical movement when learning to use a prosthetic device.

"This is key for people who can't move," said Carmena, who is also co-director of the UC Berkeley-UCSF Center for Neural Engineering and Prostheses. "Most brain-machine interface studies have been done in healthy, able-bodied animals. What our study shows is that neuroprosthetic control is possible, even if physical movement is not involved."

To clarify these issues, the scientists set up a clever experiment in which rats could only complete an abstract task if overt physical movement was not involved. The researchers decoupled the role of the targeted motor neurons needed for whisker twitching with the action necessary to get a food reward.

The rats were fitted with a brain-machine interface that converted brain waves into auditory tones. To get the food reward - either sugar-water or pellets - the rats had to modulate their thought patterns within a specific brain circuit in order to raise or lower the pitch of the signal.

Auditory feedback was given to the rats so that they learned to associate specific thought patterns with a specific pitch. Over a period of just two weeks, the rats quickly learned that to get food pellets, they would have to create a high-pitched tone, and to get sugar water, they needed to create a low-pitched tone.

If the group of neurons in the task were used for their typical function - whisker twitching - there would be no pitch change to the auditory tone, and no food reward.

"This is something that is not natural for the rats," said Costa. "This tells us that it's possible to craft a prosthesis in ways that do not have to mimic the anatomy of the natural motor system in order to work."

The study was also set up in a way that demonstrated intentional, as opposed to habitual, behavior. The rats were able to vary the amount of pellets or sugar water received based upon their own level of hunger or thirst.

"The rats were aware; they knew that controlling the pitch of the tone was what gave them the reward, so they controlled how much sugar water or how many pellets to take, when to do it, and how to do it in absence of any physical movement," said Costa.

Researchers hope these findings will lead to a new generation of prosthetic devices that feel natural.

Sourced from:

University of California - Berkeley. "Brain Flexibility Gives Hope For Natural-Feeling Neuroprosthetics." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 6 Mar. 2012. Web.

28 Mar. 2012.

Image: www. imperial.ac.uk

Identifying The Right Patients For Robotic Gait Training Is As Important As The Gait Training Itself.

rrvaava@nospam.com (Robin) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:33:10 -0700

According to a study published in Stroke, A Journal of the American Heart Association, severely impaired stroke survivors could walk better when a robotic assist system was added to conventional rehabilitation. Italian researchers evaluated two-year mobility outcomes in 48 stroke survivors who had been discharged from a hospital and were unable to walk at the study's start. Half underwent conventional overground gait rehabilitation and half had conventional rehab plus electromechanical robotic gait training for several months.

"After two years, five times more patients who underwent robotic assistance training were able to walk without assistance, but only the most severely impaired," said Giovanni Morone, M.D., lead researcher and a physiatrist specialist and temporary assistant professor at the Santa Lucia Foundation, Institute for Research Hospitalization and Health Care in Rome. "In others it seemed to make little difference, so the patient selection for this type of treatment is most important."

Earlier studies have shown similar advantages combining robotic and conventional therapy early on, but this is the first study to examine whether or not these improvements persist. The robotic devices are electromechanical platforms attached to a patient's feet that are controlled by a physical therapist. The therapist uses a controller to carefully measure a patient's status and to progressively set bearing weight and their walking pace.

In the new study, patients were evaluated during their hospital stay, at discharge, and two years later. They were classified by the degree of their disability, and separated into either high- or low- mobility groups. The team used three standard tests to evaluate patients' ability to walk and other task performance, including normal daily activities.

During treatment, all patients underwent two therapy sessions each day for five days per week for three months. The robotic gait assistance group also had 20 sessions of robotic gait training during the first month along with abbreviated conventional therapy for the extended period. Only patients with the greatest degree of motor impairment who underwent robotic training showed improvement in walking without assistance two years after their discharge.

Although other studies have found robotic assistance can help improve patients for six months, larger trials in patients who could still walk have found that training with either robotic assistance devices or body-weight supported treadmill training are not superior to having patients walk outdoors, and may even be less effective. "It could be time to change the research question from whether or not robotic-assisted walking training is effective, to who will benefit the most," said Morone. "Doctors need to select the right patients and remember that this is an adjunct to traditional gait training."

Future studies should attempt to more finely correlate these treatment options with the degree of motor impairment, as well as the stroke post-onset timeline for recovery, he added.

Courtesy:

Article:American Heart Association. "Immobilized Stroke Survivors Benefit From Robotic Therapy." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 19 Dec. 2011. Web.

24 Mar. 2012.

Image: advanceweb.com

Exercise Capacity And Adherence Increased By Cooling The Palms.

rrvaava@nospam.com (Robin) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:11:21 -0700

According to a new study, cooling the palms of your hands to pull heat off your body while working out could help one stick with a physical activity program. The study was presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2012 Scientific Sessions.

In the study, obese women who exercised while using the AvaCore Rapid Thermal Exchange (RTX palm cooling device) improved their exercise tolerance and cardiovascular fitness. "Obese women often complain about sweating and getting tired because they're walking around with extra insulation," said Stacy T. Sims, Ph.D., the study's lead researcher and exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist at Stanford University in California. "If you can slow the rate internal temperature rises and cool someone who is obese, they don't store as much heat and don't feel as uncomfortable. They can do more work."

The cooling devices cooled the palms of the hand and circulating blood, thus pulling heat off the body. Sims suggested that holding a bottle of cold water may also cool palms and help exercisers feel cooler, less sweaty and less fatigued — allowing them to work out longer and make them more likely to stick with their exercise regimen.

For 12 weeks, researchers studied 24 women, 30-45 years old, who had a body mass index between 30 and 34.9, which is considered obese. Half worked out with their hands in a cylinder containing water at 60.8 degrees Fahrenheit. The other half used the same device with water at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Participants didn't know the difference in their devices and did the same fitness activities, starting with push-ups, lunges and then progressing to using the treadmill, which contained the device. The goal was to increase exercise duration up to 45-minute stretches at 80 percent of their maximum heart rates.

"The control group dropped out quite early," Sims said. "The women who had the cooling device continued to participate and didn't have an issue with attrition because they finally didn't feel uncomfortable exercising."

During the three-month study, the control group's data remained almost the same while the cooling group reduced an average five minutes off the time to walk 1.5 miles, dropped almost three inches off their waists, had lower resting blood pressure and greater exercise heart rate.

Sourced from: www.medindia.net

‘Erode To Austria’- Tale Of A Bus Conductor’s Son.

rrvaava@nospam.com (Robin) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:53:43 -0800

It is a tale of determination and focus. Sathiyaseelan. PT., who hails from Erode, Tamilnadu, completed his Masters in Sports Physiotherapy in 2011 from Guru Nanak Dev University, Punjab with a University second rank.

From the modest life of a common man, his dedication, hard work and determination found acceptance among the physiotherapy community when his papers were accepted by international journals and bodies.

Sathiyaseelan credits his success to his humble upbringing and the values put into him by both his father K. Ganesan who is a bus conductor and a well-respected union leader and his mother G. Velumani. He adds that he is indebted to both of them as well as his younger brother for the sacrifices and support they made for him to succeed.

Sathiyaseelan was pushed into the limelight when his paper titled ‘Neurofeedback training enhances psycho-physiological and performance level of university archery players’ found a place in the German Medical Science Journal. He was invited to present his paper in the 7th European Sports Medicine Congress held in Salzburg, Austria in 2011. Adding another feather for his hard work was acceptance of his another study titled ‘Analysis of Low-Beta Waves and Heart Rate in Three Different Conditions of Archery Performance' and invitation for presentation of the paper at the Australasian Cognitive Neurosciences Conference- 2011, Sydney- Australia.

The best of times came his way when the Junior Chamber International- Erode Metro recognised the talent in this young physiotherapist and awarded him the Outstanding Young Citizenship Award by the year 2011. He remembers that it was the article written by Timothy Harkness, sports psychologist, on Indian ace shooter Abhinav Bindra and his training based on neurofeedback that motivated him to study more about the same. He does not forget to mention the help he received from Ms. Maman Paul, Lecturer & In-charge of Sports Psychology Lab, Prof. Dr. Jaspal Singh Sandhu, HOD and Dean both from GNDU as well as his friend Mr. Joel Varghese Simon from University of South Australia for their contribution for the study. The paper is also accepted to be published in the upcoming issue of Ibnosina Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Science.

Sathiyaseelan is so impressed with neurofeedback and its effect in enhancing human performance such that he is contemplating to pursue PhD in Sports Science or in Sports Psychology or even a second Masters degree in Cognitive Neuroscience. And he chooses Europe for further studies since he feels that opportunity is wider than anywhere else and also the institutes have a greater reputation in research works.

Despite all the success on the academic front, things were not that easy for the man who came from a very austere background. Finding funds for the paper presentation trip to Austria and Australia was the biggest hurdle. Though he could not make his trip to Australia due to lack of funds, he is still grateful to few people who made it possible for him to travel to Austria. He does not forget to mention the names of his dear friend Mr. Praveen Kumar, Mrs & Mr. Karthik, Dr. Chitra Thangavel, Mr. Sriram, Dr. Natarajan, Dr. Natesan, Dr.Innocent and S.P.Subramanian who all contributed towards his dream come true trip. He also mentions about his relatives who chipped in immensely for the same.

He adds that the core of any scientific field is its curriculum and that it needs to be developed and updated at regular interval. He feels that it is high time that physiotherapy curriculum in our country needs to be developed in a research oriented platform. For those in the research field, he tips that ‘critical thinking’ is the best and the most important tool.

Sathiyaseelan presently works at Navodaya College of Physiotherapy, Raichur, Karnataka, as a lecturer. He previously worked at AVM College of Physiotherapy, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. He also mentions about his teachers, colleagues and friends who had been part of his journey till now and thanks them for every bit of help. He hopes to continue this journey further and make good strides in physiotherapy.

Literature Review Suggests Cold Bath Reduces Delayed-Onset Of Muscle Soreness

rrvaava@nospam.com (Robin) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:57:10 -0800

Chris Bleakley, PhD, from Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Ulster, School of Health Sciences, United Kingdom, and colleagues reported that cold water immersion may reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness after exercise, even though the best method of immersion and potential harms associated with the approach remain unclear. The review findings were reported in an article published online in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

"Having started in elite level sport, cold water immersion is becoming increasingly popular amongst amateur athletes," the authors wrote. Immediately after exercise, athletes immerse themselves in cold water, although duration and temperature may vary.

Athletes have used cold water therapy in the past to reduce pain and swelling resulting from acute soft tissue injuries, such as sprains. "It is proposed that cooling tissue immediately after exercise could have the same anti-inflammatory effect, thereby reducing the potential for delayed-onset muscle soreness," the authors note.

The study sought to determine the effects of cold water immersion in the management of muscle soreness after exercise by conducting a search of the literature and reviewing studies on the topic. The authors searched various databases for randomized or quasi-randomized trials testing cold water immersion. They identified 17 trials that included 366 participants. Water temperatures and immersion time ranged between 5°C and 15°C and from 3 to 24 minutes, respectively.According to the researchers, the overall quality of the studies available was low. Of the trials, 14 compared cold water immersion applied after exercise with passive treatment involving rest or no treatment.

These trials indicated that cold water immersion reduced muscle soreness at 24, 48, 72, and even 96 hours after exercise compared with passive treatment.Four trials suggested that participants considered that cold water immersion improved recovery or reduced fatigue immediately afterward. Complications and adverse effects were not evaluated in the trials. Therefore, Dr. Bleakley and colleagues could draw no conclusions about the safety of this approach.

According to the authors, only limited data in 5 studies were available for comparing cold water immersion vs other active recovery techniques such as warm or contrasting (alternative warm/cold) water immersion, light jogging, and compression stockings. These comparisons showed no appreciable differences.

"This review provides some evidence that cold-water immersion reduces delayed onset muscle soreness after exercise when compared with passive interventions involving rest or no intervention," the authors conclude. "It is not clear whether such variations in treatment parameters affect clinical outcomes," they add. "Interestingly, our subgroup analysis found no differences between single and multiple cold-water immersions based on muscle soreness outcome."

'Serving The Community Brings Me A Lot Of Satisfaction', Says Pradip Rai.

rrvaava@nospam.com (Robin) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:51:32 -0800

Not many will look for a job in the rural countryside when the lure of a high paying job is available in the cities. But for Mr. Pradip Rai, the ability to reach out to the masses in the rural community where the need for any such help is massive, is one which made him to concentrate in the middle to low class families in the villages of Nepal.

Pradip, who graduated from Dr. M.V. Shetty College, Karnataka with a Bachelors degree in Physiotherapy, had been steadfast in his approach to help the community in a large scale. Pradip works with Hope Disability Center, a NGO in Gulmi, Nepal ever since his graduation. He had been successful in extending the reach of the HDC to the rural masses and is looking forward to have his focus in community based rehabilitation itself. HDC has partnered with many other organizations and trusts in channeling funds in rehabilitating and promoting the welfare of the weaker sections of the society.

Pradip says that his primary job is to concentrate on the welfare of the disabled sections of the society. He had been a key figure in the effort of HDC to deliver projects such as orthotic and prosthetic supply to the disabled as well as vocational training for them inorder to bring their life back on track. He does not forget to mention about the impact organisations such as MEND, ABILIS, ALTSO, Rotary Club etc., have made for HDC.

“The success of HDC to the constant efforts by every member of the team from top to bottom” says Pradip Rai, who is also the Clinical Manager of HDC, Gulmi. He adds that one do not have to look into the cities for job, there are many opportunities for a physiotherapist in the rural untouched areas of the society. He sees that there is more potential for professionals like physiotherapists in ‘community based rehabilitation’ and encourages other physiotherapists to look into it. He says it brings more job satisfaction than he thought it would have.

He credits his success in this profession to Dr. Ifthikar Ali, well renowned professor at his college as well as his teachers and friends there. He added that he takes inspiration from Miss. Ganga Rayamajhi, manager of the HDC, Gulmi, who despite her physical limitations managed to show the way ahead by leading the programs at the center.

Pradip, who is very much content with what he is able to do for the society, also is upbeat on the newly setup ‘Ideal Health Center’ by the HDC. He is also looking forward to have several small rehabilitation units set up across Nepal and mobile units which could make treatment reach to every part of the country. He also feels that this project of his could bring jobs to many other therapists as well. He looks forward for a better future with a solid vision.