Impact of physical therapists’ instructions on function and the perception of post-dry needling soreness in mechanical cervical pain; a randomized clinical trial

BackgroundTo investigate the impact of physical therapists’ instructions on the perception of post dry needling (DN) soreness and function in patients with mechanical neck pain.MethodsSeventy-five patients with neck pain were randomly assigned to three groups: “positive” group (n = 25) received positive verbal input; “negative” group (n = 25) received negative verbal input, and control group (n = 25) did not receive any input about post-needling soreness. All three groups received DN of a trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle. The subjective pain experience, pressure pain threshold (PPT), and neck disability Index (NDI) were assessed before and after DN.ResultsPatients in all groups showed improvement in pain, PPT and NDI. There were no significant differences in pain (P = 0.41) and PPT (P = 0.68) in the positive and negative groups compared with the control group. Significant difference in function was seen with the NDI after DN of patients in the positive and negative groups compared with the control group (P = 0.011, standard error: 1.08–1.5).ConclusionConsidering that the power of our study may be too low to draw more definitive conclusions, DN appears to be an effective technique to improve pain and mechanical hyperalgesia. The experience of post-needling soreness does not appear to influence the outcome of DN on pain, PPT, and NDI. Post-needling soreness does not seem to be a limiting factor in achieving acceptable outcomes, especially when clinicians offer DN within a therapeutic emphasizing a positive patient response. This study questions whether any treatments need to be offered to patients receiving DN.     

Determining safe teaching board heights through electromyographic analysis of the shoulder muscles

BackgroundAdjustable teaching boards have been recommended as an ergonomic practice geared at reducing the incidences of teaching-related shoulder musculoskeletal disorders among teachers. However, there are no standards guiding choice of appropriate teaching board heights. This study was aimed at evaluating shoulder muscle activities in response to five teaching board heights.MethodsThirty participants performed writing activities on five different board heights (Diff10 = standing height minus 10% of standing height; NormH = participant's standing height; Sum10 = standing height plus 10% of standing height; Sum20 = standing height plus 20% of standing height; Sum25 = standing height plus 25% of standing height). Electromyographic analysis of the anterior deltoid (AD), upper trapezius (UT), serratus anterior (SA) and pectoralis major (PM) muscles were performed simultaneously during each task. Data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA and independent T-test at p < 0.05.ResultsSum20 board height significantly (p < 0.001) elicited the highest activities in the AD (19.35 ± 11.26%) and UT (29.06 ± 29.53%) muscles while SA (20.37 ± 10.87%) and PM (20.86 ± 12.17%) muscles were most active at Sum25 board height. SA and PM muscles progressively increased with increasing board heights while AD and UT muscles showed alternating patterns of activation at increasing board heights. For safe ergonomic practices, recommended teaching board heights should be within the range of NormH and Sum10.ConclusionExtremely high or low teaching boards have tendencies of inducing musculoskeletal shoulder discomforts.     

新疆塔城地区多房棘球蚴的鼠类宿主考察

1989～1991年由新疆的塔城、裕民、额敏和托里等4个县市采集各类鼠类4科11属14种共9832只。剖检结果发现有0.014％(1/6980)小家鼠(Mus musculus)和0.09％(2/2211)赤颊黄鼠(Citellus erythrogenys)自然感染多房棘球蚴。二者发育的多房棘球蚴均系不育囊,囊内没有原头节。小家鼠和赤颊黄鼠均是本虫在我国的鼠类宿主新记录,而赤颊黄鼠又是本虫鼠类宿主的首次报道。     

高碘致小白鼠甲状腺肿的实验研究

目的 了解高碘致甲状腺肿组织学改变及其与碘的剂量关系,探讨高碘对甲状腺损害的基本规律.方法 利用不同浓度碘饮用水喂养小白鼠,于180d时,在光镜下观察小白鼠甲状腺形态结构改变.结果 碘过多可引起小白鼠甲状腺肿大,肿大率随碘剂量的增加而增加,剂量越大,肿大越明显,同时甲状腺形态结构发生病理改变.其表现为滤泡数量增多、体积增大、滤泡壁上皮细胞增生、胶质增多、间质毛细血管扩张、间质水肿等.病理改变大体上与水碘呈剂量反应关系.结论 高碘饮用水可引起实验动物呈剂量反应的甲状腺病理组织改变,甲状腺增生、胶质代谢障碍、毛细血管扩张及间质水肿为其主要表现.     

颈神经丛深支对斜方肌运动功能的影响

目的　探讨颈神经丛深支在斜方肌运动功能中的作用。方法　采用电生理方法 ,测定切断副神经后的不同时期 ,刺激颈神经丛深支在大鼠斜方肌得到的肌电大小 ,并作统计学分析。结果　保留颈神经丛深支 ,术后不同时期 ,在大鼠斜方肌上均能测到肌电且肌电值差异有显著性。结论　颈神经丛深支是支配斜方肌的另一运动神经来源 ,根治性颈清扫术中对该神经的保护能有效地预防肩综合征的发生。     

颈清患者保留及重建肩功能的研究进展

<正>1906年,Crile等人针对头颈部恶性肿瘤易发生颈淋巴结转移的情况提出了根治性颈淋巴清扫术(radical neck dissection,RND),这一术式在后来的很多年里,挽救了许多患者的生命。但RND损伤了副神经和颈部的一些重要的解剖结构,常导致患者斜方肌瘫痪萎缩,出现翼状肩胛、垂肩、肩周疼痛麻木、手臂活动受限、功能障碍等并发症,