Extracorporeal shock wave for plantar flexor spasticity in spinal cord injury:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Approximately 65%-78%of patients with a spinal cord injury(SCI)develop any symptom of spasticity.The aim of this study was to investigate the tolerability and short-term effects of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy(r ESWT)on plantar flexor spasticity in a patient with incomplete SCI.CASE SUMMARY An 18-year-old man with an incomplete SCI completed five sessions of r ESWT.The primary outcomes were the changes in ankle-passive range of motion(APROM)and passive resistive force to ankle dorsiflexion.The outcomes were assessed at baseline(T0),immediately after treatment(T1)and 1 wk after the end of treatment(T2).The A-PROM increased by 15 degrees at T1 and 25 degrees at T2 compared with T0.The passive resistive force to ankle dorsiflexion at low velocity decreased by 33%at T1 and 55%at T2 in the gastrocnemius muscle and by 41%at T1 and 39%at T2 in the soleus muscle compared with T0.At high velocity,it also decreased by 44%at T1 and 30%at T2 in the gastrocnemius muscle compared with T0.However,in the soleus muscle,the change was minor,with a decrease of 12%at T1 and increased by 39%at T2 compared with T0.CONCLUSION In this patient,the findings showed that r ESWT combined with conventional therapy was well-tolerated and could be effective in improving A-PROM and passive resistive force to ankle dorsiflexion in the short-term.Further randomized controlled clinical trials with longer period of follow-up are necessary to confirm the results obtained in patients with SCI.

Signal Processing and AI-based Assessment of Rehabilitation Exercises for Diastasis Recti Abdominis

Diastasis Recti Abdominis(DRA)is the separation of abdominal recti muscles which occurs in women during their pregnancy and postpartum time.This is because of the stretching of the linea alba,a fibrous connective tissue on the abdominal wall.The Linea Alba is elastic and retracts back after the delivery of the baby.When this tissue gets overstretched,it loses its elasticity and the gap in the abdominals may not be closed leading to DRA.The motive of this research is to analyze the postpartum rehabilitation for signals from Inertial Measurement Unit(IMU)sensors.The conservative treatment for women who are experiencing DRA is given in the form of physiotherapy.These physiotherapy exercises focus on the recti abdominis muscle to bring back the Linea alba together.It will be a difficult process for the physiotherapist to monitor,whether patients did the exercises correctly or not.If the exercises are not correct,they will not be effective in the reduction of inter-recti distance.This research aims to analyze the effectiveness of IMU signals in classifying the correct and incorrect exercises.It was inferred that the IMU signals are effective in classifying the correct and incorrect exercises with an accuracy of 92%.

Physical exercise in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

Dementia is one of the greatest global challenges for health and social care in the 21st century.Alzheimer’s disease(AD),the most common type of dementia,is by no means an inevitable consequence of growing old.Several lifestyle factors may increase,or reduce,an individual’s risk of developing AD.Much has been written over the ages about the benefits of exercise and physical activity.Among the risk factors associated with AD is a low level of physical activity.The relationship between physical and mental health was established several years ago.In this review,we discuss the role of exercise(aerobic and resistance)training as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment and prevention of AD.Older adults who exercise are more likely to maintain cognition.We address the main protective mechanism on brain function modulated by physical exercise by examining both human and animal studies.We will pay especial attention to the potential role of exercise in the modulation of amyloid b turnover,inflammation,synthesis and release of neurotrophins,and improvements in cerebral blood flow.Promoting changes in lifestyle in presymptomatic and predementia disease stages may have the potential for delaying one-third of dementias worldwide.Multimodal interventions that include the adoption of an active lifestyle should be recommended for older populations.

Commentary on“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on erectile function in Chinese CP/CPPS patients”

The existing literature recognizes the varied effects of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic on human health,including its impact on mental functioning and sexual health.A study conducted by Song et al.1 provides valuable insights into this relationship by specifically examining a group of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome(CP/CPPS)patients.This research adds new evidence to the current body of knowledge and is of significant interests to a global audience.