A Novel Approach that Ameliorates Motor Disabilities and Improves Range of Motion of Joints; Comparison with Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation

Vinicius Monteiro Diederichs^1,

¹Visiting Kinesiologist at John Cabot University, Italy

Cite this paper:
Vinicius Monteiro Diederichs. A Novel Approach that Ameliorates Motor Disabilities and Improves Range of Motion of Joints; Comparison with Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation. American Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2018; 6(1):15-21. doi: 10.12691/ajssm-6-1-4

Abstract

A novel approach significantly more effective both in ameliorating motor disabilities and in improving range of motion (ROM) of joints when compared with the current standard approach, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF). A total of 56 participants – of both genders, BMI normal, mean age 35 (range 21-68 years), exhibiting lumbopelvic extensor stiffness (assessed by performance of the deep squat test) - engaged in two experiments. Joint ROM was evaluated before and after treatment in each experiment. Participants were photographed performing the deep squat test and their joint ROM calculated with Kinovea software to obtain the data. In Experiment 1, twenty-six participants were randomly divided into two groups in order to compare the degree of improvement in ROM. One group was treated using the novel approach and the control group with PNF, both for three minutes duration. Results: statistically the effect size of the novel approach proved greater compared to the control PNF. In Experiment 2, thirty participants were treated only with the novel approach, motor disability being assessed with the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) before and after five to seven days. Results: the novel approach proved significantly effective in ameliorating motor disabilities. Conclusion: the novel treatment is effective both in improving ROM of joints and in ameliorating motor disabilities. Moreover, in Experiment 2 the participants were assessed five to seven days after treatment, demonstrating that the improvement in ROM as well as the amelioration of motor disabilities is long lasting. Additionally, the degree of improvement in joint ROM observed in Experiment 1 finds confirmation in Experiment 2. Strikingly, after performance of the novel approach all the participants reported a pleasant sensation of lightness in walking - a phenomenon termed sensory attenuation, the term signifying the matching between sensory prediction and outcome.

Keywords:
joint stiffness capability affordance muscle spindles myotatic reflex recalibration joint impedance

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