Volume 12 (2019): Edizione 23 (December 2019)

Introduction: Children with Down syndrome have associated impairments of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (joint hypermobility), and of the neurologic system (hypotonia, mental retardation, developmental delay).

Aim: We conducted a retrospective study that had in view the quantification of the number of children suffering from Down syndrome who attended rehabilitation programmes in the Rehabilitation Department of “Louis Ţurcanu” Emergency Children’s Hospital Timisoara for a 3-year period (between November 2016 and October 2019).

Methods: The study included 21 children with Down syndrome; their age ranged from 2 weeks to 15 years, with 52% of the children being in the 0-12 months group. All patients were included in a rehabilitation programme of the outpatient Rehabilitation Department (with 10 daily sessions) every 6 months.

Results: We point out the importance of the rehabilitation team in the management of children with Down syndrome.

Conclusion: The physical therapy programme should be for a long term, it should be started as early as possible (even in the first weeks of life) and followed continuously through the entire growth period and also during adulthood.

Introduction: The blood flow restriction method is a training method that is based on the partial occlusion of circulation during a workout. This technique combines low-intensity exercise with the occlusion of the bloodstream which produces results similar to high-intensity training.

Aim: We aimed to identify the areas in which this method is applicable, its potential benefits and effects, recommendations regarding the rules of use for maximal effects (dosage, intensity, etc.), and also possible contraindications or warnings regarding the use of this method.

Methods: We have analyzed a number of 20 articles on this topic from the field literature of the last 10 years, using ”google academic” as a search engine.

Results: After this study we concluded that blood flow restriction is a method with wide applicability in the field of sports training, but also in the recovery process; however, it requires attention in choosing the necessary equipment. For healthy individuals, best training adaptations occur when combining low-load blood flow restriction resistance exercise with traditional high-load resistance exercise.

Conclusion: Low-intensity resistance exercise with blood flow restriction is as effective as high-intensity training (for strength and muscle mass gains), but only the high-intensity protocol promotes significant hypotensive responses after exercise.

Background: Volleyball game has developed and spread all over the world being more and more spectacular and dynamic. The importance of an objective analysis of the game has become decisive for obtaining the victory, and the statistical analysis of the specific parameters such as serve receiving, serves, points obtained, blocks can influence the results of the game.

Aim: The purpose of the experiment was to analyze the decisive factors in the success or failure of the CSM Volleyball team Volei Alba Blaj in the Final Four CEV Champions League for women’s volleyball.

Methods: The statistical analysis included descriptive statistics elements (mean, median, standard deviation), and elements of inferential statistics. The D’Agostino & Pearson test was applied to determine the distribution of the analyzed data series. For the comparison of means and medians the t-Student test was applied, for pair data, and the Wilcoxon test, respectively. The significance threshold chosen for the p value was 0.05. The statistical analysis was performed using the Graph Pad Prism utility.

Results: We compared the two main parameters in the first phase of the volleyball game that consisted of service and service reception. The results were significant regarding the service parameter, where we compared the total number of good serves, serve errors and ace serves. Then, we have also analyzed the second parameter found in the first phase of the volleyball game, the serve reception. The results were also statistically significant showing that both parameters, service and service reception, are decisive in the volleyball game.

Conclusions: The statistical analysis in the volleyball game can emphasize objective and decisive factors and parameters that can influence the result of a volleyball game. It is important to use statistics in modern volleyball game and to prepare the game or even action in real time so as to obtain the best results.

Introduction: More and more young people with low back pain address family doctors or orthopaedists, being subsequently directed to the medical rehabilitation centres. Recent studies have shown that the medication only, prescribed in these cases, is not sufficient for the complete reintegration of these people into the workplace and into society. Physical exercises play an important role in the rehabilitation of these subjects.

Aim: We conducted this study starting from the hypothesis that regular exercise can reduce pain and improve the well-being of patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation.

Methods: The study was conducted at the “Politehnica” University of Timisoara within the Department of Physical Education and Sports, between September and November 2019. Ten subjects diagnosed (both clinically and by imaging) with lumbar disc herniation were included in the study. All patients followed an exercise program 3 times a week, for 90 days. As evaluation methods we used: the subjective pain evaluation scale (VAS scale) and the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ).

Results: All the parameters followed in this study were improved following the application of the physical exercise program (muscle stretching, toning of the back and abdomen muscles, and as a result of the correct implementation of the notions of ergonomics at work and at home). In conclusion, we consider it is necessary to implement a protocol of exercises performed regularly for a long period in the case of patients with lumbar pain secondary to disc herniation.

Neuromuscular dystrophy is a progressive disease, interesting skeletal muscles by progressive weakness and loss of voluntary motor function.

Material and Methods: A prospective study was developed on 16 patients with progressive neuromuscular dystrophy, over a three months period. The initial and final assessment included muscle manual testing, range of motion and, for the functional outcomes, the Vigos Scale, Barthel Scale, Activity of Daily Living (ADL) Score, and Muscular Dystrophy Scale were used. The physiotherapy program was developed on four stages and a guiding protocol was used for the individualization of the physical therapy program. The statistical analysis was performed in Microsoft Excel, using a Paired samples T-test.

Results: Statistical significant results were obtained within all assessment tools. Muscle strength and ADL capacity improved, with the highest increases in patients with low levels of disability.

Conclusion: The main results suggest that individualized physiotherapy can slow the progressivity of the disorder and improve the quality of life, especially when started at an earlier stage of the disease.

Objective: To compare the bimanual hand function in children with and without mirror movements and to find the correlation between the bimanual hand function, functional independence and severity of mirror movements.

Design: Comparative cross sectional study.

Place and duration of the study: The study was conducted in special education schools of Lahore and Islamabad, Pakistan, from August 2017 to January 2018.

Patients and Methods: Children suffering from spastic cerebral palsy including both males and females in age groups ranging from 5 to 18 years who were able to make a gross grip were included in the study. Children having low tone, not able to make a gross grip and with any deformity that makes the assessment difficult were excluded. The non probability sampling technique was used. The Woods and Teuber criteria were used to check the severity of the mirror movements and bimanual activities to compare the hand functions. Data was analyzed using SPSS 21.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 11.17±3.69 years. Children who presented with mirror movements had a mean age of 12±3.70 years and those without mirror movements had mean age of 10.72±3.63 years. According to the results of the bimanual task scale, there was no difference in the bimanual hand function of children with mirror movements and without mirror movements (P value >0.05)

Conclusion: According to the results of the bimanual task scale there is no significant difference in the bimanual hand function of children suffering from spastic cerebral palsy, either with with or without mirror movements. However, functional independence was found more in the children suffering from cerebral palsy who presented without mirror movements.