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Yes / Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common childhood disorder affecting four percent of children born in the UK. It is common for children with CP to have reduced range of movement (ROM) due to spasticity and contractures. Stretching is commonly used in physiotherapy programmes to manage this. This critical review aims to evaluate the evidence base behind the use of stretching for children with CP. Methods: A systematic literature search of AMED, CINAHL, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library Trials was conducted. Returned searches were assessed against strict criteria according to a predefined PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Study). These studies were then critically appraised to assess the validity, reliability and clinical relevance. Findings: There is evidence supporting the use of stretching in children with CP. However there is also some evidence to suggest very little or no positive change. All of the included studies have methodological limitations, which questions the validity of the results. Conclusions/Recommendations: The research suggests some positive outcomes for the use of stretching in CP, studies that did not find positive outcomes found no adverse effects; however further research in the area is required to validate the effectiveness of stretching to maintain ROM in children with CP.

Title Acute effect of static and dynamic stretching on vertical jump. Objectives The aim of this thesis is to assess whether it is better to warm up by static or dynamic stretching in order to improve performance in the vertical jump. Methods The first part of this thesis is theoretical and is the basis for measurement, which is described in the second part. The tested set consists of ten women volleyball players. Each player underwent three vertical jump measurements on power plates Kistler, which recorded flight time of the player over the plates. All measurements were evaluated afterwards. Five attempts were recorded in each measurement. Measurements were carried out without stretching, after dynamic stretching and after static stretching. The thesis includes a survey that monitors the perception of the players` performance. Results Results of the total tested set measurement show that inclusion of dynamic stretching during the warm up leads to a slight decline in the physical performance. This decrease presents about 0.92%. Another conclusion of this research is that the inclusion of static stretching to the warm up also results in a slight decrease in the athletic performance. In this case the decrease is about 1.72%. In a direct comparison of these two types of stretching, the inclusion of...

Golf är en komplex sport som ställer höga krav på utövarens rörlighet i framförallt höfter, rygg och axlar. Begränsad rörlighet i dessa delar leder inte sällan till skada. I denna studie undersöktes om det finns något samband mellan höftrörlighet och bålrotation hos 27 professionella golfspelare. Studien innehöll även en interventionsdel där 16 idrottsaktiva män fick sina höfter behandlade med stretching för att se om detta påverkar bålrotationsförmågan. Hypotesen var att det finns ett samband och att stretchning av psoas major ökar bålrotationen. Golfspelarnas medelålder var 29 år (SD ±4 år), de hade olika nationaliteter och spelade aktivt på någon av de ledande golftourerna i världen. Deltagarna i interventionsstudiens medelålder var 30 år (SD ±2 år) och de var bosatta i Stockholm. Höftrörlighet mättes med hjälp av modifierat Thomas test och bålrotation i sittande på brits. Mätverktyget var digital goniometer. Stretchbehandlingen utfördes av testledaren med försökspersonen liggande på brits i samma position som vid modifierat Thomas test. Signifikant korrelation(-0,40) ses mellan bålrotation vänster och höftextension vänster höft hos golfspelarna. Interventionsgruppen ökar sin bålrotation från 68 grader (SD ±9 grader) till 70 grader (SD ±9 grader) till vänster och från 70 grader (SD ±12 grader) till 73 grader (SD ±11 grader) till höger. Båda ökningarna är signifikanta. Vald signifikansnivå α=0,05. Resultatet av denna studie är att bålrotationen kan förbättras genom stretchning av höftens flexorer och att det kan finnas ett samband mellan höftens rörlighet och rotationsförmågan i bålen. Denna kunskap kan vara en hjälp för fysioterapeuter som är verksamma inom idrotter som kräver både god höftrörlighet och bålrotation. / Golf is a complex sport that require great mobility in hips, back and shoulders. Limited mobility in these parts of the body can cause injury. This study is investigating the possible correlation between hip mobility and trunk rotation among 27 professional golf players. The study also includes an intervention group of 16 sport active males that got their hips treated with stretching, to examine possible effects on the trunk rotation. The hypothesis was that there is a correlation and that stretching of psoas major increases the trunk rotation. The average age of the golf players was 29 years (SD±4 years), they were of different nationalities but were all professionally active within one of the leading international golf tours. The participants of the intervention study had an average age of 30 years (SD ±2 years), and were all Stockholm residents. The hip rotation was measured through a modified Thomas test, and the trunk rotation were performed in sitting position on a regular treatment table. The measuring instrument was a digital goniometer. The stretching treatment was done by the test leader with the subjects lying on the treatment table in the same position as when performing the modified Thomas test. Significant correlation (-0.40) is seen between left trunk rotation and left hip extension among the golf players. The intervention group increases their left trunk rotation from 68 degrees (SD ±9 degrees) to 70 degrees (SD ±9 degrees) and from 70 degrees (SD ±12 degrees) to 73 degrees (SD ± 11 degrees) on their right trunk rotation. Both increases are to be considered as significant. Chosen significance level is α=0.05. The result of this study is that the trunk rotation can be improved by stretching of the hip muscles and that there is a plausible correlation between the mobility of the hip and the trunk rotation. This knowledge can be used by physiotherapists that are specialised on sports that requires both good hip mobility and trunk rotation.

The investigation of the physical properties of deoxyribonucleic acid under confinement is an essential step for the all-embracing understanding of the replication and transcription in living cells as well as for the development of the biomimetic nanotechnology. The following report addresses the measure-ment and interpretation of the intramolecular diffusion along stretched λ-DNA-molecules. This work comprises the fabrication of submicroscopic channels via softlithography, the integration of the chan-nels in an experimental setup with a fluorescence microscope and a source-measurement unit, and the experiments with the DNA-stretching in electrical field. The important results are the development of a measuring assembly with stable, softlithographic structures in Ormostamp, the direct imaging and measurement of the intermolecular diffusion along stretched DNA-molecules in channels with cross sections down to 100 x 300 nm2, and the qualitative and quantitative analysis on the basis of models of polymer physics.

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TITLE: The impact of static and dynamic stretching on coordination and flexibility in children in primary school AUTHOR: Tereza Plachá DEPARTMENT: Katedra tělesné výchovy SUPERVISOR: Mgr. Lucie Kainová ABSTRACT: In my final thesis I want to deal with two types of warm-up - static stretching and dynamic stretching. Warming up is an important part not only of the sport performance, but also at the beginning of the physical education lesson. In schools, this phase is often neglected. With the help of selected tests, I will observe primary school pupils at primary school to get better results after static or dynamic stretching. I will watch them in coordination and flexibility. I compiled two types of stretching, which I will try in grades 1, 3 and 5. In the first lesson, I will do static stretching with the pupils after the proper warm-up. In the second lesson, I will include dynamic stretching along the busy part. In the main part of the lesson, the pupils then pass three tests for coordination - flamingo, crossing the bench and running with the roll; and three for flexibility - standing forward bend, shoulder joint range, and hip joint range. After dynamic stretching, the children are warmed up, reaching the necessary temperature for further activities. They have a greater range of motion and therefore...

Title: The influence of different kinds of warm-up on the speed skills of football players from the ontogenetic point of view. Aims: The main objective of this diploma thesis is to compare the results of the times achieved by football players in the U18 youth team with their previous times measured two years ago, and in this way to evaluate their development of speed capabilities. Another aim of the research is to evaluate the progress of these players' flexibility at a chosen time interval (two years) and to inquire into other possible connections of these outcomes. Methods: For the assessment of speed power performance, each player goes through two runs at a distance of 30 meters, with measurements in this section also at distances of 5, 10 and 15 meters. Before the measurement itself, all participants are being prepared by a selected type of stretching. Two standardized tests are used for secondary research dealing with potential connection between the attained speed and the degree of flexibility of lower limbs. Outcomes: Testing revealed that subjects had a deterioration in the average running time with a two-year interval at distances of up to 15 meters (5,10,15 meters). On the contrary, when analyzing the results of measuring the distance of 30 meters, a significant improvement in average...

Dissertation submitted to the Department of Chiropractic in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, 2006. / Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is defined as the sensory, motor and autonomic symptoms caused by myofascial trigger points (MFTPs), or hyperirritable spots within skeletal muscles that are associated with palpable nodules in a taut band. The fact that MFTPs have been described in the literature for acupuncturists, anaesthesiologists, chronic pain managers, dentists, family practitioners, gynaecologists, neurologists, nurses, orthopaedic surgeons, paediatricians, physical therapists, physiologists, rheumatologists and veterinarians is evidence of the syndrome’s clinical importance. As a result of a large amount of research, a large number of different treatments have been shown to be clinically effective in the treatment of MFTP. These treatments include amongst others: - Ischaemic compression. - Myofascial manipulation. - Spray and stretch. - Ultrasound. - Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. - Dry needling. As can be seen from the above, it is important to be able to treat MPS effectively because it is such a common disorder. According to Schneider an effective treatment is needed for MPS, despite the array of treatments available to a clinician. Han and Harrison agree that more studies are required to determine the efficacy of these treatments. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relative effectiveness of Myofascial Trigger point Manipulation (MFTPM) as compared to Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitative (PNF) stretching in the treatment of active Myofascial Trigger Points (MFTPs) in the trapezius muscle (TP 1 and/or TP 2) in terms of subjective and objective clinical findings. The study required a total of 60 patients, which following acceptance were then randomly divided into two groups of 30, with an equal number of male patients in Group one (MFTPM) and two (PNF), and female patients in Group one and Group two. Each patient had four consultations (three treatments and one follow up visit) in a two week period. Subjective and Objective Data was recorded at each consultation prior to the treatment. Subjective measurements (Numerical Pain Rating Scale and Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire) were taken prior to the treatment at all four visits. Objective measurements (Cervical Range of Motion Meter and Algometer) were also taken prior to the treatment at all four visits, except for Algometer readings which were taken at the initial consultation and the fourth treatment only. SPSS version 11.5 was used for analysis of data (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Ill, USA). Baseline comparisons were done between treatment groups using Pearson’s chi square tests or Fisher’s exact tests as appropriate for categorical variables, and student’s t-tests for quantitative normally distributed variables. Treatment effect was assessed with repeated measures ANOVA. A significant time by group interaction indicated a significant differential treatment effect. A p value <0.05 designated statistical significance. The direction of the treatment effect was assessed with profile plots. Evaluation of data collected from both groups showed a significant improvement in terms of objective and subjective clinical findings to a value of p=< 0.001. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of objective and subjective clinical findings, although a trend was shown when looking at the objective findings that suggest that MFTPM was more effective than PNF stretching. The sample population was drawn from a very homogenous group of people (i.e. SARS call centre), in order to achieve greatest emphasis on clinical outcomes. This process however limits the clinical applicability of the results and thus will not always be applicable to all patients within the population. It is therefore the researcher’s conclusion that there is no statistical difference between MFTPM and PNF stretching in terms of objective and subjective clinical findings. Both treatment modalities have been shown to be equally effective in the treatment of subacute active TPs in the upper tarpezius. There is a definite trend when looking at the objective data that may support the hypothesis that MFTPM is as effective as, if not more effective than PNF stretching. It is of the opinion of the author that a larger sample size is needed to make it clinically significant.