Twenty-two tension-neck and headache patients were divided into acupuncture and physiotherapy groups. The quantity of muscle tension (motor unit potential spikes per time unit) was estimated three times before the beginning of the therapy, four times during a therapy period of four weeks, and two times during the follow-up period of 28 weeks. Pain level was also estimated using a visual analogue scale. In both of the groups a signi ficant reduction of muscle tension was observed during the therapy period. After a follow-up period of 28 weeks, there was still a significant reduction of EMG activity in both groups. Also, the subjective level of headache decreased in these groups during the therapy period, and it was also significantly lowered after 28 weeks of follow-up. It is concluded that either acupuncture therapy or physiotherapy relieves pain in tension-neck and head ache patients. KEYWORDS:headache, tension-neck, acupuncture, physiotherapy, motor unit potential (MUP) spikes, skin temperature, EMG activity, pain 141 142 E. AHONEN et al.

In order to evaluate physiological characteristics in young male ballet dancers, 27 boys (aged 9 to 16 years) who participated in a boys' dance course during the Kuopio Dance

The iron balance of 25 adolescent dancers and 23 control females of the same age were studied. The concentrations of fasting blood haemoglobin, serum iron, serum transferrin and serum ferritin were determined. Iron supplementation (ferrous sulphate corresponding to 100 mg of elemental iron per day) was instigated if body iron stores were low (serum ferritin < 30 gg.l-1). Blood samples were drawn again after ten weeks.Low haemoglobin concentration (blood haemoglobin < 125 g.l-1) was more prevalent among dancers than among control subjects. Reduced iron stores as well as completely absent iron stores (serum ferritin concentration < 12.ug.l-1) were equally common in both groups (25% of the subjects). Iron supplementation reduced the number of anaemic girls from 16 to 4 and the highly significant difference in haemoglobin level between the treated and untreated groups disappeared. Ten weeks of iron therapy was not, however, long enough to increase iron stores.

No abstract