Electromyography function, disability degree, and pain in leprosy patients undergoing neural mobilization treatment

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Larissa Sales Téles Véras, Rodrigo Gomes de Souza Vale, Danielli Braga de Mello, José Adail Fonseca de Castro, Vicente Lima, Alexis Trott, Estélio Henrique Martin Dantas
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2012
• Subjects: Mobilização neural; Eletromiografia; Grau de incapacidade; Dor; Hanseníase; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0037-86822012000100016; https://doaj.org/article/37d7325ce6da4ef2b2958267d3538c43

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the neural mobilization technique on electromyography function, disability degree, and pain in patients with leprosy. METHODS: A sample of 56 individuals with leprosy was randomized into an experimental group, composed of 29 individuals undergoing treatment with neural mobilization, and a control group of 27 individuals who underwent conventional treatment. In both groups, the lesions in the lower limbs were treated. In the treatment with neural mobilization, the procedure used was mobilization of the lumbosacral roots and sciatic nerve biased to the peroneal nerve that innervates the anterior tibial muscle, which was evaluated in the electromyography. RESULTS: Analysis of the electromyography function showed a significant increase (p<0.05) in the experimental group in both the right (Δ%=22.1, p=0.013) and the left anterior tibial muscles (Δ%=27.7, p=0.009), compared with the control group pre- and post-test. Analysis of the strength both in the movement of horizontal extension (Δ%right=11.7, p=0.003/Δ%left=27.4, p=0.002) and in the movement of back flexion (Δ%right=31.1; p=0.000/Δ%left=34.7, p=0.000) showed a significant increase (p<0.05) in both the right and the left segments when comparing the experimental group pre- and post-test. The experimental group showed a significant reduction (p=0.000) in pain perception and disability degree when the pre- and post-test were compared and when compared with the control group in the post-test. CONCLUSIONS: Leprosy patients undergoing the technique of neural mobilization had an improvement in electromyography function and muscle strength, reducing disability degree and pain.