Neuromuscular electrical stimulation after anterior cruciate ligament surgery.

This randomized, double blind, controlled trial was designed to determine the effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the knee extensor and flexor muscles in the prevention of muscular weakening after anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation treatment was given in addition to an early exercise therapy regimen and compared with an early exercise therapy regimen alone. Forty-nine patients after anterior cruciate ligament surgery were assigned randomly either to a neuromuscular electrical stimulation and exercise group, a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation as analgesic and exercise group, or an exercise alone group as control.

Clinical effects of continuous microwave for postoperative septic wound treatment: a double-blind controlled trial.

Background: Continuous microwave (CM) has already been shown to be effective in treating various pathologic states. The aim of this trial was to study the curative effect of this new physical method on the course of postoperative suppurative and inflammatory processes in patients who underwent abdominal surgery.

Patients And Methods: In this study, 141 patients with postoperative purulent wounds (predominantly caused by pyogenic Staphylococcus aureus) were randomized into two groups: 71 patients received local CM therapy (group A), and the other 70 patients received a placebo treatment using a similar but ineffective device (group B, controls).

Therapeutic exercise in the prevention of bone loss. A controlled trial with women after menopause.

To evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic exercises in the prevention of bone loss, 146 untrained healthy postmenopausal women were prospectively controlled for (mean +/- SD) 3.0 +/- 1.3 yr.

Forearm bone density and grip strength in women after menopause, with and without estrogen replacement therapy.

Peaking in young adulthood, both bone mass and muscle strength decrease with ageing, but bone loss may accelerate after the menopause and can be delayed by estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). This study was designed to evaluate whether, like bone density, the muscle strength was affected by the onset of menopause and/or ERT. First grip strength (GS) of young female adults (group III; n = 18; age (+/- S.

[Treatment of hypertension--the value of non-drug measures].

Method: To investigate the usefulness of non-pharmacological measures in the treatment of essential hypertension, 91 subjects comprising patients attending a physical-medical department and the inhabitants of an old people's home, were asked to complete a questionnaire.

Results: Almost all patients were receiving drug therapy (n = 89); in two-thirds treatment had been initiated when the diagnosis was first established. Although two-thirds were well informed about non-pharmacological measures (physical exercise, sodium restricted diet, reduced caloric intake, changes in dietary habits), more than one-half of the patients had neither been informed about, nor instructed in the use of, any of these alternatives by their general practitioners.