The Age-Related Association of Movement in Irish Adolescent Youth

(1) Background: Research has shown that post-primary Irish youth are insufficiently active and fail to reach a level of proficiency across basic movement skills. The purpose of the current research was to gather cross-sectional baseline data on Irish adolescent youth, specifically the prevalence of movement skills and patterns, in order to generate an overall perspective of movement within the first three years (Junior Certificate level) of post-primary education. (2) Methods: Data were collected on adolescents (N = 181; mean age: 14.42 ± 0.98 years), attending two, mixed-gender schools. Data collection included 10 fundamental movement skills (FMS) and the seven tests within the Functional Movement Screen (FMS™). The data set was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for Windows. (3) Results: Overall, levels of actual mastery within fundamental and functional movement were low. There were statistically significant age-related differences observed, with a progressive decline as age increased in both the object control (p = 0.002) FMS sub-domain, and the in-line lunge (p = 0.048) test of the FMS™. (4) Conclusion: In summary, we found emerging evidence that school year group is significantly associated with mastery of movement skills and patterns. Results from the current study suggest that developing a specifically tailored movement-oriented intervention would be a strategic step towards improving the low levels of adolescent fundamental and functional movement proficiency

The Effect of Muscular Fatigue on Neck Proprioception Performance between Elite Athletes and Non-Athletes

Introduction: The poor performance of neck proprioception is a risky factor for athlete’s head and neck injury. Muscle fatigue as an inevitable factor of any physical activity can cause disorder in proprioception performance. This study intends to investigate the effect of cervical muscular fatigue on neck proprioception performance in elite karate athletes in comparison to non-athletes. Materials and Methods: Sixteen professional karate athletes and sixteen non-athletes participated in this study. Cervicocephalic relocation test measuring angle repositioning error during active cervical extension and rotation movements was used to assess neck proprioception ability, before and after isotonic muscular fatigue. Data were analyzed by independent T-test and paired T-test with SPSS (version 20) and alpha level set at 0/05. Results: There is no significant difference in neck sense status before and after neck muscular fatigue in both groups. Also, there is significant difference in neck proprioception performance between karate athletes and non-athletes following extension (P<0.05). In addition, athletes had greater joint position errors than non-athletes. Discussion: Although muscular fatigue did not affect proprioceptive neck performance, probably the effects of degenerative changes in neck proprioception and the acceleration repeated movements in karate athletes weaken their neck proprioception function in some direction in comparison to non-athletes. Therefore, it is important to improve the performance of neck proprioception in karate athlete's trough special neck proprioception training.Key words: Martial Arts, Proprioception, Muscle Fatigu

Do Irish adolescents have adequate functional movement skill and confidence?

Recent research has shown that post-primary Irish youth are insufficiently active and fail to reach a level of proficiency across basic fundamental movement skills. The purpose of the current research was to gather cross-sectional data on adolescent youth, differentiated by gender, specifically to inform the development of a targeted movement-oriented intervention. Data were collected on adolescents (N=219; mean age: 14.45 ± 0.96 years), within two, mixed gender schools. Data collection included actual and perceived movement measurements; comprising of fundamental movement skills, the functional movement screen, perceived movement confidence and perceived functional confidence. Overall, levels of actual mastery within fundamental and functional movement were low, with significant gender differences observed. Adolescent males scored higher in the overall fundamental movement skill domain (male mean score = 70.87 ± 7.05; female mean score = 65.53 ± 7.13), yet lower within the functional movement screen (male mean score = 13.58 ± 2.59), in comparison to their female counterparts (female mean score = 14.70 ± 2.16). There were high levels of perceived confidence reported within fundamental and functional movement scales. Future intervention strategies should combat the low levels of actual movement skill proficiency, whilst identifying the reasons for higher perceived movement confidence within adolescents

Preseason Functional Movement Screen Component Tests Predict Severe Contact Injuries in Professional Rugby Union Players.

Tee, JC, Klingbiel, JFG, Collins, R, Lambert, MI, and Coopoo, Y. Preseason Functional Movement Screen component tests predict severe contact injuries in professional rugby union players. J Strength Cond Res 30(11): 3194-3203, 2016-Rugby union is a collision sport with a relatively high risk of injury. The ability of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) or its component tests to predict the occurrence of severe (≥28 days) injuries in professional players was assessed. Ninety FMS test observations from 62 players across 4 different time periods were compared with severe injuries sustained during 6 months after FMS testing. Mean composite FMS scores were significantly lower in players who sustained severe injury (injured 13.2 ± 1.5 vs. noninjured 14.5 ± 1.4, Effect Size = 0.83, large) because of differences in in-line lunge (ILL) and active straight leg raise scores (ASLR). Receiver-operated characteristic curves and 2 × 2 contingency tables were used to determine that ASLR (cut-off 2/3) was the injury predictor with the greatest sensitivity (0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.79-1.0). Adding the ILL in combination with ASLR (ILL + ASLR) improved the specificity of the injury prediction model (ASLR specificity = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.18-0.43 vs. ASLR + ILL specificity = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.39-0.66, p ≤ 0.05). Further analysis was performed to determine whether FMS tests could predict contact and noncontact injuries. The FMS composite score and various combinations of component tests (deep squat [DS] + ILL, ILL + ASLR, and DS + ILL + ASLR) were all significant predictors of contact injury. The FMS composite score also predicted noncontact injury, but no component test or combination thereof produced a similar result. These findings indicate that low scores on various FMS component tests are risk factors for injury in professional rugby players

Comparison of Physical therapy with and without Positional Release Techniques on the pain, disability and range of motion of patients with chronic low back pain

 Aims and background: Muscle trigger points are one of the main sites of chronic pain in the musculoskeletal system. The activity of the trigger points of the quadrates lamborum muscles are a very common cause of low back pain. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Physical therapy with and without Positional Release Techniques on the pain, disability and range of motion of patients with chronic low back pain. Materials and methods: The target population was people who had chronic back pain in the trigger points in the lumbar muscles. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. The first group received Physical therapy with Positional Release Techniques and the second group, received only standard Physical therapy. Each group received 12 sessions of treatment over a period of three weeks. Pain was assessed before and after treatment by a Visual analogue scale (VAS) and the OSWESTRY disability questionnaire. Range of motion at the waist was evaluated by Schuber’s adjusted test both before and 48 hours after treatment. ANOVA with repeated measures was employed for data analyses and the results were considered significant if p<0.05. Findings: There was a significant difference in pain severity, the disability index and lumbar range of motion after intervention in both groups compared to pre-therapy levels. (P >0.005). Analysis of the two different treatment groups also showed there was a significant difference in the severity of pain, the disability index and lumbar range of motion (P >0.005), improvements that were achieved in the Physical therapy with Positional Release Technique group compared to the physical therapy alone group. Conclusion: Physical therapy in two situations with and without Positional Release Technique is effective in reducing pain and improving the lumbar motion in patients with chronic low back pain. Physical therapy combined with Positional Release Technique was more effective in reducing pain, the disability index and increasing the lumbar range of motion compared with the standard Physical therapy group

Comparing the effects of differential learning, self-controlled feedback, and external focus of attention training on biomechanical risk factors of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in ahletes : a randomized controlled trial

The current study aimed to compare the possible effects of differential learning strategy, self-controlled feedback, and external focus of attention on kinetic and kinematic risk factors of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in athletes. Forty-eight male athletes from three sports of handball, volleyball and basketball were selected for this study and were randomly divided into four groups: differential learning (n = 12), self-control feedback (n = 12), external focus (n = 12), and control (n = 12) group. All groups followed the intervention for eight weeks with three sessions per week. Data were analyzed by means of 4 × 2 repeated measures ANOVA followed by post hoc comparison (Bonferroni) at the significance level of p ≤ 0.05. A significant group × time interaction and the main effect of time was found for most kinetic and kinematic variables. The main effect of the group was significant only at the knee abduction angle. Differential learning and external focus of attention methods positively reduced the kinetic and kinematic variables that are considered risk factors for ACL injury. However, the effect sizes (Cohen’s d) for the changes in most of the variables were larger for the differential learning group. Tailoring the boundary conditions that are based on the manipulations created in the exercise through variability and variety of movements associated with differential learning methods rather than repeating movements could reduce the risk of ACL injury

Patients with Subacromial Impingement Syndrome Exhibit Altered Shoulder Rotator Muscles Eccentric and Concentric Peak Torque

Background: Current conservative management of subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) involves generic strengthening exercises, especially for internal (IR) and external (ER) shoulder rotators. So far, no study has directly investigated the difference in muscle strength between patients with SIS and normal subjects. Accordingly, the purpose of the current study was to compare the shoulder rotator muscles eccentric and concentric peak torque in patients with SIS and normal subjects. Methods: This study was a cross sectional research. Twenty-four patients with SIS (23.33±2.47 Years) and 24 normal subjects (22.83±2.15 Years), matched for hand dominance and physical activity level, completed isokinetic shoulder IR and ER testing. Within the SIS group, 18 patients had the symptoms in their dominant and 6 patients in their non-dominant side. The IR and ER strengths of both sides were measured separately using continuous reciprocal concentric and eccentric contraction cycles at speeds of 60 and 120 degrees per second, respectively. The values of peak torque were compared using independent t-tests between the SIS and normal groups. Results: Significantly lower concentric ER peak torque at 120 º/second (p = 0.016), eccentric ER peak torque at 60 º/second (p = 0.022), eccentric ER peak torque at 120 º/second (p = 0.043), and eccentric IR peak torque at 60 º/second (p = 0.036) and 120 º/second (p = 0.040) were identified in the symptomatic SIS group dominant shoulder compared to the control group dominant shoulder. Conclusion: Changes in eccentric and concentric peak torque in SIS group may be related to the limb dominancy, which may have clinical implications for strengthening regimes. Therefore, clinicians’ and therapeutic exercise expertise may benefit from eccentric isokinetic exercises for shoulder IR and ER rotators in order to design a treatment plan for patients with SIS

Comparing the effects of motor control exercises and PNF exercises on postural control, strength, endurance, and proprioception in women with chronic nonspecific low back pain

Background: Low back pain is a common debilitating condition and a major clinical and socio-economic problem in the most industrialized and non-industrialized countries.Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of motor control exercises and PNF exercises on postural control, strength, endurance and proprioception in women with chronic non-specific low back pain.Materials and Methods: Forty-five women with non-specific chronic low back pain selected by convenience sampling and randomly divided into three groups of 15 (motor control exercises, PNF exercises, and control group). The pre-test included posture control, flexor and extensor muscle strength of the trunk, trunk muscle endurance, and proprioception using Y balance, dynamometer, McGill, and Goniometer tests, respectively. The subjects of the experimental groups performed the training program for 8 weeks under the supervision of the instructor and according to the training protocol. Then, the post-test was performed. Paired t-test and analysis of covariance at the significance level of 0.05 were used to collect data.Results: The results showed that motor control and PNF exercises improved proprioception, postural control, endurance, and strength of trunk flexor and extensor muscles in women with non-specific chronic low back pain (α≤0.05). The results also showed that there was no significant difference between the effects of motor control and PNF exercises on proprioception, postural control, flexor muscle endurance, and extensor muscle strength (α≥0.05).Discussion: Motor control and PNF exercises are effective in improving the proprioception, postural control, endurance, and strength of flexor and extensor muscles of the trunk with non-specific chronic low back pain, and both training methods are effective in treating chronic non-specific low back pain

Comparing the effects of differential and visuo-motor training on functional performance, biomechanical, and psychological factors in athletes after ACL reconstruction: a randomized controlled trial

Variation during practice is widely accepted to be advantageous for motor learning and is, therefore, a valuable strategy to effectively reduce high-risk landing mechanics and prevent primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Few attempts have examined the specific effects of variable training in athletes who have undergone ACL reconstruction. Thereby, it is still unclear to what extent the variations in different sensor areas lead to different effects. Accordingly, we compared the effects of versatile movement variations (DL) with variations of movements with emphasis on disrupting visual information (VMT) in athletes who had undergone ACL reconstruction. Forty-five interceptive sports athletes after ACL reconstruction were randomly allocated to a DL group (n = 15), VT group (n = 15), or control group (n = 15). The primary outcome was functional performance (Triple Hop Test). The secondary outcomes included dynamic balance (Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT)), biomechanics during single-leg drop-landing task hip flexion (HF), knee flexion (KF), ankle dorsiflexion (AD), knee valgus (KV), and vertical ground reaction force (VGRF), and kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK)) assessed before and after the 8 weeks of interventions. Data were analyzed by means of 3 × 2 repeated measures ANOVA followed by post hoc comparison (Bonferroni) at the significance level of p ≤ 0.05. Significant group × time interaction effects, main effect of time, and main effect of group were found for the triple hop test and all eight directions, SEBT, HF, KF, AD, KV, VGRF, and TSK. There was no significant main effect of group in the HF and triple hop test. Additionally, significant differences in the triple hop test and the seven directions of SEBT, HF, KF, KV, VGRF, and TSK were found between the control group and the DL and VMT groups. Between group differences in AD and the medial direction of SEBT were not significant. Additionally, there were no significant differences between VMT and the control group in the triple hop test and HF variables. Both motor learning (DL and VMT) programs improved outcomes in patients after ACL reconstruction. The findings suggest that DL and VMT training programs lead to comparable improvements in rehabilitation