Objective To study the effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on knee hyperextension in patients withstroke. Methods 60 patients with stroke were divided into treatment and control groups (30 cases each group). Both groups accepted medicineand routine rehabilitation, while the treatment group accepted PNF of knee additionally. Results The incidence of knee hyperextensionwas 7 (23.3%) in treatment group and 18 (60.0%) in control group (P<0.01) 3 months after treatment. The timed "up & go" improved morein the treatment group than in the control (P<0.01). Conclusion PNF of the knee at early stage of stroke can prevent knee hyperextensionand improve the walking.

Objective To explore the effect of wrist extensor energy on humeral epicondylitis. Methods 48 humeral epicondylitis patients were divided into muscular energy group and block therapy group with 24 cases in each group. The muscular energy group was treated with muscle energy technique, and the other group received block therapy. They were assessed with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and muscle strength. They were followed up 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after discharge. Results The score of VAS was lower in the block therapy group than in the muscular energy group (P<0.01), and the muscle strength was weaker (P<0.01). 3 months after discharge, there was no significant difference in the effects between the muscular energy group (83.3%) and the block therapy group (91.7%) (P>0.05); 6 months after discharge, the muscular energy group (75.0%) was better than the block therapy group (46.1%) (P<0.01); 1 year after discharge,the muscular energy group (54.2%) was better than the block therapy group (16.7%) (P<0.01). Conclusion The block therapy is better in short-term effect on humeral epicondylitis, and the muscle energy technique was better in long-term effect.

Objective To observe the effect of acupuncture penetrated from Tiaokou (ST38) to Chenshan (BL57) combined with exer-cise on affected limbs of shoulder-hand syndrome (SHS) at stage I after stroke. Methods 40 inpatients with SHS at stage I after stroke from January, 2013 to December, 2014 were randomly divided into treatment group (n=20) and control group (n=20). The treatment group accept-ed acupuncture from Tiaokou to Chenshan on unaffected sides and exercise of affected upper limbs, and the control group accetpted routine acupuncture on Triple Shoulder Acupoints on affected sides. They were assessed with Pain Rating Index (PRI), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and modified Barthel Index (MBI) before and 4 weeks after intervention. Results The incidence of improvement was 90% in the treatment group, and 80%in the control group (χ2=0.784, P=0.376). The scores of PRI decreased (t>5.37, P<0.001), and the score of FMA and MBI increased (t>4.66, P<0.001) significantly after intervention. The score of FMA and MBI improved more in the treatment group than in the control group (t>2.25, P<0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture from Tiaokou to Chenshan combined with exercise is more effective on SHS at stage I after stroke than conventional Triple Shoulder Acupoints.

In order to more accurately and effectively understand the intermuscular coupling of different temporal and spatial levels from the perspective of complex networks, a new multi-scale intermuscular coupling network analysis method was proposed in this paper. The multivariate variational modal decomposition (MVMD) and Copula mutual information (Copula MI) were combined to construct an intermuscular coupling network model based on MVMD-Copula MI, and the characteristics of intermuscular coupling of multiple muscles of upper limbs in different time-frequency scales during reaching exercise in healthy subjects were analyzed by using the network parameters such as node strength and clustering coefficient. The experimental results showed that there are obvious differences in the characteristics of intermuscular coupling in the six time-frequency scales. Specifically, the triceps brachii (TB) had relatively high coupling strength with the middle deltoid (MD) and posterior deltoid (PD), and the intermuscular function was closely connected. However, the biceps brachii (BB) was independent of other muscles. The intermuscular coupling network had scale differences. MVMD-Copula MI can quantitatively describe the relationship of multi-scale intermuscular coupling strength, which has good application prospects.
Arm ; Electromyography ; Exercise ; Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Upper Extremity

Objective To apply the body weight support treadmill training (BWSTT) on slope for gait training in patients after stroke. Methods From March, 2015 to June, 2017, 46 patients after stroke were randomly divided into control group (n=23) and experimental group (n=23). Both groups accepted routine rehabilitation, and the experimental group accepted BWSTT on slope, while the control group accepted BWSTT on flat. They were assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremities (FMA-LE), Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Tinetti Gait Analysis (TGA) before and after treatment. Results The scores of FMA-LE, BBS and TGA improved after treatment (t>2.491, P<0.05), and were more in the experimental group than in the control group (t>2.195, P<0.05). Conclusion BWSTT is effective on gait in hemiplegic patients, and is more effective on slope.