Balance Control Comparison between Subjects with and without Non-specific Low Back Pain

Objective:To compare the balance ability between normal people and non-specific low back pain(nsLBP) patients and explore the relationship between balance ability and muscle function in nsLBP patients.Method:Ten nsLBP patients as nsLBP group and 10 age and gender-matched healthy control subjects as control group were investigated.Posturography on balance platform and surface electromyography(sEMG) were performed to assess all the subjects' function of equilibrium and muscle activities of erector spinea(ES),multifidus(MF),abdominal external oblique(EO),hamstring(HS) and maximal gluteus(MG) bilaterally.Result:The nsLBP subjects had greater sway on anterior-posterior direction(Y-speed and Y-extension,P=0.05) on feet-together posture and bigger main axis(P=0.023) on nature standing with eyes closed when compared with controls.The iEMG ratios of right MG in nature standing(eyes closed)/nature standing(eyes open) and feet-together(eyes open)/nature standing(eyes open) in control group were significant higher than that in nsLBP group(P=0.03 and P=0.013).Conclusion:Balance evaluation combined with sEMG measurement on trank and lower limb muscles provided some quantitative information about functional deficits such as postural control and muscle activities in nsLBP patients.This relationship should be emphasized in prevention and rehabilitation of nsLBP.

OBSERVATION ON THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF ACU-MOXIBUSTION OF DIFFERENT ACUPOINT GROUPS IN STROKE PATIENTS IN CONVALESCENCE STAGE

Objective: To observe and compare clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion at different acupoint groups in stroke patients in the convalescence stage. Methods: Sixty stroke patients were evenly randomized into yin-meridian group and yang-meridian group. On the basis of the treatment with Chinese and Western medicines, these stroke patients of two groups were treated mainly by acupuncture of acupoints of yin meridians such as Jiquan (极泉HT 1), Tongli (通里HT 5), Neiguan (内关PC 6), etc., and those of yang meridians as Jianyu (NFDA1 LI 15), Quchi (曲池 LI 11), Shousanli (手三里LI 10), etc. respectively. After 30 days’ treatment, the therapeutic effect was evaluated by using American National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Hamilton Depression (HAMD) Rating Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Barthel Index and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Scale. Results: Following treatment, the therapeutic effect of yin-meridian group was significantly superior to that of yang-meridian group in improving stroke patients’ neurological deficits [Level B: 50% (15/30) vs 20% (6/30)] and ADL [Level Ⅱ: 40% (12/30) vs 13.3% (4/30)]. No significant difference was found between two groups in the neurological impairment domains. Conclusion: Acu-moxibustion of acupoints of yin meridians is superior to acupoints of yang meridians in improving stroke patients’ neurological impairment and daily living activities.

Clinical observation on muscle regions of meridians needling method in improving upper limb function for children with cerebral palsy of spastic hemiplegia type

Objective:To observe the improving effect of muscle regions of meridians needling method on the upper limb function in children with cerebral palsy of spastic hemiplegic type.Methods:A total of 100 children with cerebral palsy of spastic hemiplegia type were divided into a treatment group and a control group according to the visiting sequence,with 50 cases in each group.The control group was treated with conventional rehabilitation plus conventional acupuncture treatment.The treatment group was treated with conventional rehabilitation plus muscle regions of meridians needling method.The electromyography(EMG)signal values of triceps brachii and pronator teres were detected before treatment,and 3 months and 6 months after treatment.The clinical efficacy was evaluated by Peabody developmental motor scale-fine motor(PDMS-FM)and fine motor function measure(FMFM).Results:Three and six months after treatment,the EMG signal values of triceps brachii and pronator teres,grasping scores and visual-motor integrated scores of PDMS-FM and the FMFM scores in both groups increased to varying degrees compared with the same group before treatment,and the intra-group differences were all statistically significant(all P<0.05).Six months after treatment,the results of the above three items in the treatment group were all better than those in the control group,and the differences between the groups were statistically significant(all P<0.05).Conclusion:Muscle regions of meridians needling method added on the basis of conventional rehabilitation can effectively reduce the muscle tone of upper limb and enhance the muscle strength,and improve the upper limb function in children with cerebral palsy of spastic hemiplegia type.The efficacy is superior to that of the conventional rehabilitation plus conventional acupuncture treatment.