Purpose: This study investigated the effects of an intervention that combined the abdominal drawing-in maneuver and frequency-specific neuromuscular electrical stimulation on changes in trunk muscle activity, muscle fatigue, and balance in stroke patients. Methods: Thirty stroke patients were randomly assigned to two groups. Fifteen subjects were assigned to group I which performed the abdominal drawing-in maneuver combined with low-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation and the other 15 subjects to group II where the abdominal drawing-in maneuver was combined with high-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation. Muscle activity and fatigue were measured using surface electromyography before the intervention. Balance was measured using the Trunk Impairment Scale and re-measured after six weeks of intervention for comparative analysis. Results: Both groups showed a significant increase in muscle activity and balance (p < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05). In the changes in muscle fatigue, only the experimental group II showed a significant increase in muscle fatigue (p < 0.05). The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion It was confirmed that among stroke patients, the combination of the abdominal drawing-in maneuver and low-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation was more effective in changing the muscle activity and balance of the trunk by minimizing the occurrence of muscle fatigue compared to the combination of the abdominal drawing-in maneuver and high-frequency stimulation. These results can be used as basic data for clinical trunk stabilization training.

Methyl salicylate is widely used in various topical products, including sports creams, ointments, patches, and oral hygiene products. These products are mainly used for localized treatment of musculoskeletal pain. Given their intended topical application, their ingestion can result in salicylic acid poisoning due to their high concentrations of methyl salicylate. Symptoms of salicylic acid poisoning may include dizziness, vomiting, hallucinations, seizures, and, in severe cases, unconsciousness, respiratory failure, and circulatory disorders. We report a case of a 71-year-old male who ingested Mensolatum Lotion to commit suicide and died.