View clinical trials related to Muscle Stiffness.
Filter by:The purpose of the study is to investigate muscle stiffness in relation to muscle damaging work and to investigate how well the change in muscle stiffness correlates with the degree of muscle damage (myofibrillar disruption and necrosis). To date, the reduction in force-generating capacity is the best non-invasive marker of muscle damage. It is already established that muscle stiffness correlates well with the decline in force-generating capacity after damaging exercise. However, the correlation between degree of muscle damage and muscle stiffness has not yet been investigated. The main focus of the study is therefore to investigate the relationship between muscle stiffness and muscle damage. Further, the researchers aim to investigate how calcium cycling is affected by damaging work, and if impaired calcium cycling may partially explain the observed reduction in force-generating capacity.
Roughly 5-10% of statin-treated patients report muscle pain, aches, weakness, cramps, stiffness, or "heaviness" - typically occurring symmetrically in the legs. For healthcare providers, the major diagnostic challenge is to unambiguously link these symptoms to statin use, especially since some patients can have normal serum creatine kinase (CK) levels despite demonstrable weakness and muscle biopsy proven statin-induced myopathy . No well accepted, standardized, or Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-endorsed diagnostic method exists for statin-induced muscle injury. This lack of an objective diagnostic methodology blocks vertical advancement of the field. The successful completion of this project will develop in vivo techniques that will provide insight into how statins affect muscle metabolism and help establish a methodology to objectively diagnose muscle injury due to statins. The development of an MRS technique will allow for in-vivo analyses and the data accumulated here will serve as preliminary data for futher extramural funding of studies with much larger sample sizes. Ultimately, this focus of research will lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of patients with statin-related muscle complaints, which is central to obtaining the cardiovascular risk reduction from lipid-lowering drugs.
First, the purpose of the first year study will examine the joint capsule/muscular and shoulder physical activity hypotheses related to ROM deficits as well as functional disability in subjects with Stiff shoulders. Second, the purpose of the second and third year study will investigate the long-term effect of 12-week joint mobilization, 12-week joint mobilization plus soft tissue mobilization/massage, and 12-week joint mobilization plus soft tissue mobilization/massage with appropriate shoulder physical activity guide on subjects with Stiff shoulders. Subjects: First year: thirty subjects with Stiff shoulders will be recruited. Second and third years: forty-five subjects with Stiff shoulders for one year follow-up. Methods: For the measurement outcomes; functional disability, rotation range of motion, joint mobility, muscle stiffness, and shoulder physical activity will be measured by self-reported Flexi-level Scale of Shoulder Function or performance-based motion analysis, goniometer, uni-axis load cell and electromagnetic tracking sensor, myotonometer, and accelerometers, respectively.