Effectiveness of Physiotherapy Management After Bariatric Operation

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The concept of shoulder postural control or "scapular stabilization" has been commonly adopted as a therapeutic exercise in physiotherapy for the management of work-related neck and upper limb disorders (WRNULD). The objective of the present study is to investigate the muscle activities of the neck and upper limb muscles, while individuals perform functional tasks with and without scapular stabilization. Methods: Twenty healthy subjects aged between 20 and 40 will be recruited in this study. Surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded while the subjects performed a 5-min static typing task and a dynamic forward reaching task -with and without scapular stabilization. The muscles examined were the right upper and lower trapezii, anterior deltoid, biceps, triceps, flexor carpi radialis and extensor carpi radialis. EMG activities and amplitude ratios between agonistic and antagonistic muscles are compared with paired t-tests in different tasks. Results: In the pilot trials, upper trapezius demonstrated significantly lower activity (pZ0.045) with scapular stabilization compared to the condition without scapular stabilization. In contrast, lower trapezius showed higher activity (pZ0.026) with scapular stabilization. Anterior deltoid and forearm muscles did not show obvious changes with and without scapular stabilization. This pattern was consistent in both typing and dynamic movement tasks. Conclusion: The results have provided evidence to confirm the influence of scapular postural control on the muscle activity in the shoulder and upper limb muscles. This may provide better understanding to the physiotherapists when using scapular stabilization as a treatment for their patients with work-related neck and shoulder pain.