Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in the treatment of pain and other symptoms in fibromyalgia: A randomized controlled study.

Low-energy pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy has been suggested as a promising therapy to increase microcirculation, which is of great concern in patients with fibromyalgia. This study evaluated the effectiveness of PEMF therapy on the treatment of fibromyalgia. A group of 108 women with fibromyalgia were allocated to a 12-week treatment period with an active Bio-Electro-Magnetic-Energy-Regulation (BEMER) device and a similar treatment period with an inactive device.

Reduced Neck Muscle Strength and Altered Muscle Mechanical Properties in Cervical Dystonia Following Botulinum Neurotoxin Injections: A Prospective Study.

Objective: To evaluate changes in the strength and mechanical properties of neck muscles and disability in patients with cervical dystonia (CD) during a 12-week period following botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injections.

Methods: Eight patients with CD volunteered for this prospective clinical cohort study. Patients had received BoNT injections regularly in neck muscles at three-month intervals for several years.

Acute effects of cold pack on mechanical properties of the quadriceps muscle in healthy subjects.

Purpose: To examine the effects of local cooling on mechanical properties of the quadriceps muscle in healthy subjects.

Subjects: Thirty-nine healthy subjects (27 women, 12 men, mean age 39, range 20-62) volunteered.

Methods: A cold gel pack was applied to the quadriceps muscle for 20 min.

Responsiveness of muscle tone characteristics to progressive force production.

It is possible to measure muscle tone reliably, quickly and objectively using tonometers although they are not yet widely used. In clinical practice, it may be helpful if clinicians could assess the degree of contraction in different parts of a muscle without having to perform time-consuming electromyography measurements. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the responsiveness of different muscle tone characteristics to progressively increased contraction force of quadriceps muscle.