Suellen Maurin Feitosa

Comparative effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and low-level laser therapy on injured skeletal muscle.

OBJECTIVE The main purpose of this study was to compare the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (US) and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on injured skeletal muscle after cryolesion by means of histopathological analysis and immunohistochemistry for cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2). BACKGROUND AND METHODS Thirty-five male Wistar rats were randomly distributed into four groups: intact control group with uninjured and untreated animals; injured control group with muscle injury and no treatment; LLLT-treated group with muscle injury treated with 830-nm laser; and US-treated group with muscle injury treated with US. Treatments started 24 h postsurgery and were performed during six sessions. RESULTS LLLT-treated animals presented minor degenerative changes of muscle tissue. Exposure to US reduced tissue injuries induced by cryolesion, but less effectively than LLLT. A large number of COX-2 positive cells were found in untreated injured rats, whereas COX-2 immunoexpression was lower in both LLLT- and US-treated groups. CONCLUSION This study revealed that both LLLT and US therapies have positive effects on muscle metabolism after an injury in rats, but LLLT seems to produce a better response.

Fisioterapia para consciência perineal: uma comparação entre as cinesioterapias com toque digital e com auxílio do biofeedback

INTRODUCTION: A significant number of women (around 30 to 50%) are unable to contract correctly their pelvic floor muscles when given a command. OBJECTIVE: This studys objective was to compare pelvic floor muscle training with digital palpation to pelvic floor muscle training with biofeedback for perineal consciousness of women with stress urinary incontinence. METHOD: It was conducted a randomized clinical trial, comprising two groups, each of them formed by five interventional women with stress urinary incontinence and without perineal consciousness. RESULTS: Initially, the biofeedback group was formed by six women and the pelvic floor muscle training group was formed by five women, but one patient was excluded from the biofeedback group during the research. It was observed that there was a statistically significant improvement in both groups for the Power, Endurance, Fast and knowledge of the perineal region, but there was no significant difference between the two groups, i.e., both treatments are equally effective. CONCLUSION: Given the results, we conclude that both pelvic floor training with digital palpation and with biofeedback are excellent treatment options to gain perineal awareness.

Molecular and immunohistochemical analysis of the urethra of female rats after induced trauma and intravenous therapy with muscle derived stem cells

To identify the urethral migration of muscle derived stem cells (MDSCs) after intravenous (IV) injection in rats that underwent vaginal distension (VD) and to analyze the effects of MDSC in the urethra of rats after trauma in regards to: (1) mRNA expression of collagens, Vegf, Ngf, Ki67, Myh11, and Myh2; (2) expression of smooth and striated muscle proteins.

Qual o índice de massa corporal de mulheres com disfunções dos músculos do assoalho pélvico que procuram tratamento fisioterapêutico

Overweight and obesity are reported as important risk factors for developing of female pelvic floor (PF) dysfunction. Thus, the objective was to verify the body mass index (BMI) of women with PF dysfunctions who sought physiotherapy treatment, and comparing it with national statistics. This is an observational study. There were evaluated the records of women with PF dysfunctions served by the Physiotherapy Service from 2004 to 2010, and included all women with the presence of any symptom of PF dysfunction. It was calculated the BMI of 312 women with PF dysfunction. The BMI mean was 28.1 kg/m2. Approximately 70% of these women were overweight or obese, a value higher than the national rate of 59%. The pathophysiological basis of the relationship between obesity and PF dysfunction is the correlation between BMI and intra-abdominal pressure. The identification of overweight and obesity should be part of the rehabilitation programs of the PF, since the reduction in body weight can contribute by reducing the severity of the disorder. With the present study it was observed that women seeking physiotherapy treatment for PF dysfunction have higher rates of obesity than the national female population.

Comparative study of the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and low-level laser therapy on injured muscle repair

Muscle tissue is one of the most frequently affected by injury, whether during sports activities, or work activities. In this context, biochemical and biophysical resources have been studied to minimize the time of muscle regeneration. Among these, low intensity pulsed ultrasound (US) and low level laser therapy (LLLT) may be highlighted. Despite a series of evidences about the positive effects of these resources in the process of tissue regeneration, the cellular and morphological changes triggered by LLLT and U.S. are still largely unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of US and LLLT on muscle repair after cryolesion by means of histopathological analysis and immunohistochemistry for COX-2. A total of thirty five male Wistar rats were randomly distributed into 4 groups: intact control group; injured control group: muscle injured animals without any treatment; laser treated group: muscle injured animals treated with 830 nm laser and ultra-sound treated group: muscle injured animals treated with US. The treatments started 24 hours post-surgery and were performed during 6 sessions. The animals exposed to lasertherapy pointed out minor degenerative changes of muscle tissue. In the same way, exposure to ultrasound was able to reduce tissue injuries induced by cryolesion, but less intense than laser therapy. Strong COX-2 positive cells were found in rats submitted to cryolesion only, whereas COX-2 immunoexpression was lower in laser treated or ultrasound treated groups. In summary, this study reveals that both lasertherapy and ultrasound have positive effects on muscle repair in rats.