Search results

Comparison of wheelchair wheels in terms of vibration and spasticity in people with spinal cord injury

A wheelchair undergoes vibrations while traveling over obstacles and uneven surfaces, resulting in whole body vibration of the person sitting in the wheelchair. According to clinicians, people with spinal cord injury (SCI) report that vibration evokes spasticity. The relatively new Spinergy wheelchair wheels (Spinergy, Inc; San Diego, California) are claimed to absorb more road shock then conventional steel-spoked wheelchair wheels. If this claim is true, this wheel might also reduce spasticity in people with SCI. We hypothesized that Spinergy wheels would absorb vibration, reduce perceived spasticity, and improve comfort in individuals with SCI more than standard steel-spoked wheels. To test this hypothesis, 22 nondisabled subjects performed a passive ramp test so that we could more closely examine the dampening characteristics of the Spinergy versus traditional wheels. Furthermore, 13 subjects with SCI performed an obstacle test with both wheel types. Vibrations were measured with accelerometers, and spasticity and comfort were assessed with subject-reported visual analog scales. The results of the study showed that, within the current experimental setup, the Spinergy wheels neither reduced vibration or perceived spasticity nor improved comfort in people with SCI more than the conventional steel-spoked wheels.

Complicaties na behandeling van de cervicale wervelkolom middels manuele technieken

Patientkarakteristieken in relatie tot bijwerkingen van manipulaties en mobilisaties

Cervicale mobilisaties en manipulatiesworden frequent en effectief uitgevoerd bijpatiënten met nek- en hoofdpijn. Slechtszeer zelden is er sprake van een calamiteit(zware complicatie) na een cervicaletechniek. Premanipulatieve tests gerichtop arteriële integriteit en ligamentairestabiliteit lijken niet voldoende valide enniet voldoende betrouwbaar te zijn. Hetzou daarom waardevol zijn als patiëntenmet een verhoogd risico voorafgaande aaneen cervicale handeling geïdentificeerdkunnen worden aan de hand van specifiekekenmerken. In deze review wordende karakteristieken in kaart gebracht vanpatiënten, behandelaren, het behandelprocesen de complicaties.

Adverse events following cervical manual physical therapy techniques

Effects of trunk muscle activation on trunk stability, arm power, blood pressure and performance in wheelchair rugby players with a spinal cord injury

In wheelchair rugby (WR) athletes with tetraplegia, wheelchair performance may be impaired due to (partial) loss of innervation of upper extremity and trunk muscles, and low blood pressure (BP). The objective was to assess the effects of electrical stimulation (ES)-induced co-contraction of trunk muscles on trunk stability, arm force/power, BP, and WR performance.

Optimization of protocols using neuromuscular electrical stimulation for paralyzed lower-limb muscles to increase energy expenditure in people with spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if using surface neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for paralyzed lower-limb muscles results in an increase in energy expenditure and if the number of activated muscles and duty cycle affect the potential increase.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.RESULTS: Energy expenditure during all NMES protocols was significantly higher than the condition without NMES (1.2 ± 0.2 kcal/min), with the highest increase (+ 51%; +0.7 kcal/min, 95% CI: 0.3 - 1.2) for the protocol with more muscles activated and the duty cycle with a shorter rest period. A significant decrease in muscle contraction size during NMES was found with a longer stimulation time, more muscles activated or the duty cycle with a shorter rest period.CONCLUSION: Using NMES for paralyzed lower-limb muscles can significantly increase the energy expenditure compared to sitting without NMES with the highest increase for the protocol with more muscles activated and the duty cycle with a shorter rest period. Muscle fatigue occurred significantly with the more intense NMES protocols which might cause a lower energy expenditure in a longer protocol. Future studies should further optimize the NMES parameters and investigate the long-term effects of NMES on weight management in people with SCI.