Intermittent pneumatic compression therapy improves functional and dynamic balance and neuropathy severity in neuropathic patients with type 2 diabetes

Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes which increases risk of falling. Reduction in neural blood flow is one proposed theory for this etiology of diabetic neuropathy. Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) is a treatment method that increases nutritional supplies for the peripheral nervous system. The current study aims at evaluating the effects of IPC therapy on two aspects of balance dysfunction as one of the most important clinical signs of diabetic neuropathy. This study is a single-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial that involved 39 patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. In this analysis, patients aged 40–75 years (with a mean age of 58.82 years) were randomly divided into intervention (n = 20) and control groups (n = 19). In the first session, all tests of neuropathy severity (using Valk and Michigan diabetic neuropathy questionnaires) and stability (functional and dynamic balance) were performed for both groups. The subjects in intervention group underwent 10 sessions of IPC treatment. At last, balance and neuropathy examinations were carried out in the final session. P < 0.05 was chosen as statistical significance level. Implementation of IPC interventions for 10 sessions significantly decreased APSI and OSI of Biodex balance system in level 6 (P < 0.05). The subjects in intervention group showed significant increases in standing time with their eyes either open or closed by performing functional balance tests. Additionally, Valk and Michigan neuropathy screening scores significantly decreased after 10 sessions of IPC therapy. This study showed that IPC has a positive effect on diabetic neuropathy and balance.

     

Ultrasound evidence of altered lumbar fascia in patients with low back pain

Different hypotheses have been proposed about the role of lumbar connective tissue in low back pain (LBP). However, none of the previous studies have examined the change in the elastic behavior of lumbar fascia in patients with LBP. The present study aimed to evaluate the changes in the elastic behavior of lumbar fascia in patients with chronic non-specific LBP based on ultrasound imaging. The sonographic strain imaging assessed the thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) of 131 human subjects (68 LBP and 63 non-LBP). Assessments were done at L2–L3 and L4–L5 levels bilaterally. The points were located 2 cm lateral to the midpoint of the interspinous ligament. There were no significant differences in age, sex, and BMI between LBP and healthy individuals. There is a strong inverse relationship between pain severity (r = −0.76, n = 68, p = 0.004) and the TLF elastic modulus coefficient. No significant relationship were observed between age (r = 0.053, n = 68, p = 0.600), BMI (r = −0.45, n = 68, p = 0.092), and gender (r = −0.09, n = 68, p = 0.231) with the TLF elasticity coefficient. The LBP group had a 25%–30% lower TLF elastic modulus coefficient than healthy individuals. The present study is the first to evaluate the elastic coefficient of TLF using the ultrasound imaging method. The study results showed that the TLF elastic coefficient in patients with LBP was reduced compared to healthy individuals and directly related to LBP severity.     

Dynamic stability training improves standing balance control in neuropathic patients with type 2 diabetes

Patients with type 2 diabetic neuropathy (DN) are at an increased risk of falls due to the decreased accurate proprioceptive feedbacks. Effective balance training should treat context-specific instabilities of postural control of patients with DN. For this purpose, evaluations and balance training were designed with a 3-week baseline with evaluation after 3 weeks, followed by training over 3 weeks with reevaluation. We acquired control scores for standing balance from the Biodex stability system and fluctuations of the center of pressure. We performed repeated measure analysis of variance to test mean differences in three sessions of assessments. In addition, we compared mean differences of each pair of sessions with the least significant difference test. We used the paired t-test to compare the pure effects of trainings. Our investigation showed that the results of Biodex stability scores and force platform medial-lateral sway measurements improved statistically. Significant higher open-eyes median and mean frequency values of postural sway in the medial-lateral direction indicated that balance training allowed patients to develop control over the degree of freedom at the hip joint. In conclusion, training that compensates for disordered balance indicated by subclinical constraints with respect to the guidance effect of external visual feedback improves standing postural control in patients with type 2 DN.     

Novel method to measure active myofascial trigger point stiffness using ultrasound imaging

Introduction

Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are one of the most common and important causes of musculoskeletal pain. Ultrasound is a useful modality in examining musculoskeletal disorders. By applying compressive stress and observing changes in ultrasound images, the elastic modulus (Young's modulus) can be calculated. Our objective was to develop a novel method to distinguish MTrPs from normal tissues.