Effects of progressive muscular relaxation and stretching exercises combination on blood pressure among farmers in rural areas of Indonesia:a randomized study

Objective:Maintaining blood pressure(BP)could improve the quality of life among farmers in agricultural health.The study aims to evaluate the effects of progressive muscular relaxation and stretching exercises(SEs)for BP in farmer subjects in rural areas.Methods:A randomized controlled design was applied for this study.We performed a method,which is the combination of progressive muscle relaxation(PMR)and SEs for participants(30 in the control group and 60 in the intervention group).The intervention group self-practiced PMR and SEs through a video that providing instructions for 15 min.PMR practiced before going to sleeping in the night,and SEs practiced before going to farms in the morning per day for 3-months.Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to measure the difference between systolic blood pressure(SBP)and diastolic blood pressure(DBP)as one pre-and post-test comparison of baseline and 3 months data in control and intervention groups.Results:There were no significant differences between SBP and DBP pre-and post-test in control group(P>0.050).Meanwhile,there were significant differences in reducing SBP(M=126.67;SD=18.07;95%CI=120-147.5 mmHg)and DBP(M=80.67;SD=6.91;95%CI=80-90 mmHg)pre-and post-test combination of PMR and SEs in intervention group(P<0.001).After 3-months of follow-up data,number type SBP and DBP still remained at the same levels of baseline and 3-month data in control group.While,there was an increased number of normal and prehypertension for SBP and DBP(10%vs.10%and 20%vs.31.6%)and reduced of hypertension stage I for SBP and DBP(30%vs.41.6%).Conclusions:This pilot study demonstrated effectively to reduce SBP and DBP among farmers using the combination of PMR and SEs in the agricultural health setting.

Use of ginger versus stretching exercises for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND： Dysmenorrhea is a common gynecologic problem. In some cases, non-medical treatments are considered to be more effective, with fewer side effects. Ginger and exercise are alternative treatments for dysmenorrhea, but in the present study they were not combined. OBJECTIVE： In this study, the effects of ginger and exercise on primary dysmenorrhea were compared. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS： This randomized controlled tdal was performed in Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Two groups of female students were recruited by simple random allocation. In each group, 61 students with moderate to severe primary dysmenorrhea with regular menstrual cycles and without a history of regular exercise were assessed. The ginger group received 250 mg ginger capsules from the onset of menstruation. In the exercise group, belly and pelvic stretching exercises were performed for 10 min, 3 times per week. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Intensity of pain was assessed according to a visual analogue scale after the first and the second month. RESULTS： Exercise was significantly more effective than ginger for pain relief （31.57± 16.03 vs 38.19 ± 20.47, P = 0.02）, severity of dysmenorrhea （63.9% vs 44.3% mild dysmenorrhea, P = 0.02） and decrease in menstrual duration （6.08 ± 1.22 vs 6.67± 1.24, P = 0.006）, in the second cycle. CONCLUSION： Stretching exercises, as a safe and low-cost treatment, are more effective than ginger for pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea.

The Effect of Deep Friction Massage versus Stretching of Wrist Extensor Muscles in the Treatment of Patients with Tennis Elbow

Overuse injuries of the elbow and forearm are very common in athletes. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of muscle stretching and deep friction massage with using wrist joint support during management of tennis elbow. This study included forty patients with tennis elbow divided into two equal groups: the first group with a mean age 38.1 ± 0.294 followed a physical therapy program in form of deep friction massage on the proximal attachment of wrist extensor muscles, the second group with a mean age 37.6 ± 0.253, submitted to stretching exercises of wrist extensors. Both of groups submitted to ultrasonic therapy with wrist splint during treatment period, three sessions per week for six weeks. Outcome measures were universal goniometer, visual analogue scale, and squeezing sphygmomanometer. The results showed that there was a significant improvement in ROM of wrist flexion and wrist extension, and handgrip in second group and it was more than in the first group while no significant difference in pain. This study showed that stretching exercise is more beneficial in the management of patients with tennis elbow.

Combined extracorporeal shockwave therapy and exercise for the treatment of tendinopathy:A narrative review

Tendinopathy is a chronic degenerative musculoskeletal disorder that is common in both athletes and the general population.Exercise and extracorporeal shockwave therapy(ESWT)is among the most common treatments used to mediate tendon healing and regeneration.The review presents the current understanding of mechanisms of action of ESWT and exercise in isolation and briefly synthesises evidence of their effectiveness for various tendinopathies.The central purpose of the review is to synthesize research findings investigating the combination of ESWT and exercise for five common tendinopathies(plantar heel pain,rotator cuff,lateral elbow,Achilles,and patellar tendinopathy)and provide recommendations on clinical applicability.Collectively,the available evidence indicates that ESWT combined with exercise in the form of eccentric training,tissue-specific stretching,or heavy slow resistance training are effective for specific tendinopathies and can therefore be recommended in treatment.Whilst there are at present a limited number of studies investigating combined EWST and exercise approaches,there is evidence to suggest that the combination improves outcomes in the treatment of plantar heel pain,Achilles,lateral elbow,and rotator cuff tendinopathy.However,despite overall positive outcomes in patellar tendinopathy,the combined treatment has not been shown at present to offer additional benefit over eccentric exercise alone.