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Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology May 2022Magnetic stimulation of muscles has become a popular method for muscle toning and strengthening.
BACKGROUND
Magnetic stimulation of muscles has become a popular method for muscle toning and strengthening.
AIMS
The aim of this case series was to investigate safety and effectiveness of a novel magnetic stimulation device.
METHODS
The patients received 10 sessions of high-intensity magnetic stimulation of their abdominal muscles. Change in muscle tone was determined by anonymous evaluation of photographs and using patient satisfaction questionnaires before treatment and 10 weeks following the last treatment session. Weight and waist circumference were also measured before treatment and at the 10-week follow-up.
RESULTS
Blinded evaluation of photographs has shown improvement of the appearance of abdominal muscles. Patient satisfaction was high. The patients also experienced a reduction in their waist circumference, while their weight did not significantly change.
CONCLUSIONS
The treatment using the StarFormer high-intensity magnetic stimulation is an effective and noninvasive method for abdominal body shaping, which is safe and comfortable to the patients and results in high patient satisfaction and an objective improvement in abdominal body shape appearance.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Humans; Magnetic Phenomena; Somatotypes; Treatment Outcome; Waist Circumference
PubMed: 35094476
DOI: 10.1111/jocd.14808 -
Journal of Anatomy Aug 2008The symmetry of, and physical characteristics influencing, the thickness of the lateral abdominal muscles at rest and during abdominal exercises were examined in 57...
The symmetry of, and physical characteristics influencing, the thickness of the lateral abdominal muscles at rest and during abdominal exercises were examined in 57 healthy subjects (20 men, 37 women; aged 22-62 years). M-mode ultrasound images were recorded from the abdominal muscles at rest and during abdominal hollowing exercises in hook-lying. The fascial lines bordering the transvs. abdominis, obliquus internus and obliquus externus were digitized and the absolute thickness, relative thickness (% of total lateral thickness) and contraction ratio (thickness during hollowing/thickness at rest), as well as the asymmetry (difference between sides expressed as a percent of the smallest value for the two sides) for each of these parameters were determined for each muscle. Both at rest and during hollowing, obliquus internus was the thickest and transvs. abdominis the thinnest muscle. There were no significant differences between left and right sides for group mean thicknesses of any muscle; however, individual asymmetries were evident, with mean values for the different muscles ranging from 11% to 26%; asymmetry was much less for the contraction ratios (mean % side differences, 5-14% depending on muscle). Body mass was the most significant positive predictor of absolute muscle thickness, for all muscles at rest and during hollowing, accounting for 30-44% variance. Body mass index explained 20-30% variance in transvs. abdominis contraction ratio (negative relationship). The influence of these confounders must be considered in comparative studies of healthy controls and back pain patients, unless groups are very carefully matched. Asymmetries observed in patients should be interpreted with caution, as they are also common in healthy subjects.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Adult; Anthropometry; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Exercise; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle Contraction; Rest; Sex Characteristics; Supine Position; Ultrasonography; Young Adult
PubMed: 19172732
DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2008.00946.x -
Biology of Sex Differences 2017Optimal function of the abdominal muscles is necessary for several life functions including lifting and carrying tasks. Sex differences in strength and fatigability are... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BACKGROUND
Optimal function of the abdominal muscles is necessary for several life functions including lifting and carrying tasks. Sex differences in strength and fatigability are established for many limb muscles and back extensor muscles, but it is unknown if sex differences exist for the abdominal muscles despite their functional importance.
METHODS
Eighteen females (24.3 ± 4.8 years) and 15 males (24.1 ± 6.6 years) performed (1) isometric trunk flexion maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) in a range of trunk positions to establish a torque-angle curve and (2) submaximal (50% MVC), intermittent isometric contraction (6 s on, 4 s off) until task failure to determine fatigability of the trunk flexor muscles. Dual X-ray absorptiometry quantified body fat and lean mass. Physical activity levels were quantified with a questionnaire. Torque-angle curves, electromyography (EMG), MVC torque, and torque steadiness were compared with repeated measures ANOVA with sex as a between-subjects factor.
RESULTS
For the torque-angle curve, MVC torque was reduced as the trunk angle increased toward flexion ( < 0.001). Males had greater MVC torque than females at the extended positions (31% difference), with no sex differences in torque in upright sitting ( 0.05). Time-to-task failure for the submaximal fatigability task in upright sitting was similar between males and females (12.4 ± 7 vs 10.5 ± 6 min). Time-to-task failure was positively associated with strength ( = 0.473, = 0.005) and self-reported physical activity ( = 0.456, = 0.030). Lean mass in the trunk was positively associated with trunk flexor strength ( = 0.378, = 0.011) and self-reported physical activity ( = 0.486, = 0.007). Finally, torque steadiness [coefficient of variation of torque (CV)] during submaximal isometric contractions decreased with contraction intensity and was similar for males and females across all intensities.
CONCLUSIONS
Unlike many limb muscle groups, males and females had similar fatigability and torque steadiness of the trunk flexor muscles during isometric contractions. Stronger individuals, however, exhibited less fatigability. Lower self-reported physical activity was associated with greater fatigability of trunk flexor muscles. The relationship between strength and fatigability of the trunk flexor muscles and physical activity supports the importance of abdominal muscle strengthening to offset fatigability in both males and females.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Adolescent; Adult; Electromyography; Exercise; Female; Humans; Isometric Contraction; Male; Muscle Fatigue; Torque; Torso; Young Adult
PubMed: 28428836
DOI: 10.1186/s13293-017-0133-y -
Muscle patterning in mouse and human abdominal wall development and omphalocele specimens of humans.Anatomical Record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) Dec 2012Human omphalocele is a congenital defect of the abdominal wall in which the secondary abdominal wall structures (muscle and connective tissue) in an area centered around... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Human omphalocele is a congenital defect of the abdominal wall in which the secondary abdominal wall structures (muscle and connective tissue) in an area centered around the umbilicus are replaced by a translucent membranous layer of tissue. Histological examination of omphalocele development and moreover the staging of normal human abdominal wall development has never been described. We hypothesized that omphalocele is the result of an arrest in the secondary abdominal wall development and predicted that we would observe delays in myoblast maturation and an arrest in secondary abdominal wall development. To look for evidence in support of our hypothesis, we performed a histological analysis of normal human abdominal wall development and compared this to mouse. We also conducted the first histological analysis of two human specimens with omphalocele. In these two omphalocele specimens, secondary abdominal wall development appears to have undergone an arrest around Carnegie Stage 19. In both specimens disruptions in the unidirectional orientation of myofibers were observed in the external and internal obliques, and rectus abdominis but not in the transversus abdominis. These latter findings support a model of normal abdominal wall development in which positional information instructs the orientation of myoblasts as they organize into individual muscle groups.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Abdominal Wall; Animals; Body Patterning; Gestational Age; Hernia, Umbilical; Humans; Mice; Muscle Development; Myoblasts, Skeletal; Rectus Abdominis
PubMed: 22976993
DOI: 10.1002/ar.22556 -
International Journal of Environmental... Mar 2023This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of 3D postural correction (3DPC) using corrective cushions (CCs) and abdominal muscle contraction (AMC) on the...
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of 3D postural correction (3DPC) using corrective cushions (CCs) and abdominal muscle contraction (AMC) on the thickness symmetry of the transversus abdominis (TrA) and spinal alignment in patients with idiopathic scoliosis (IS). In the first experiment, ultrasound measurements were taken of the TrA thickness on both the convex and concave sides of the lumbar curve in the supine position during AMC and non-AMC without 3DPC, and during AMC and non-AMC with 3DPC using CCs, in 11 IS patients. In the second experiment, 37 IS patients participated in a four-week 3DPC exercise program that aimed to maintain TrA thickness symmetry based on the results of the first experiment. The study found that TrA thickness symmetry significantly increased after 3DPC using CCs and combined with AMC ( < 0.05). Additionally, the Cobb angles and trunk rotation angles showed significant decreases, and trunk expansion showed a significant increase ( < 0.05). These results indicate that the simultaneous application of 3DPC and AMC is the most effective way to achieve TrA thickness symmetry in IS patients. Therefore, 3DPC and AMC should be considered as crucial elements in exercise interventions for IS patients.
Topics: Humans; Scoliosis; Spine; Abdominal Muscles; Exercise Therapy; Muscle Contraction; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 36981926
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20065016 -
PloS One 2019Quantification of abdominal muscle mass by cross-sectional imaging has been increasingly used to diagnose sarcopenia; however, the technical method for quantification...
BACKGROUND
Quantification of abdominal muscle mass by cross-sectional imaging has been increasingly used to diagnose sarcopenia; however, the technical method for quantification has not been standardized yet. We aimed to determine an optimal method to measure the abdominal muscle area.
METHODS
Among 50 consecutive subjects who underwent abdominal CT and MRI for possible liver donation, total abdominal muscle area (TAMA) and total psoas muscle area (TPA) at the L3 inferior endplate level were measured by two blinded readers. Inter-scan agreement between CT and MRI and inter-reader agreement between the two readers were evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and within-subject coefficient of variation (WSCV). To evaluate the effect of measurement level, one reader measured TAMA and TPA at six levels from the L2 to L4 vertebral bodies.
RESULTS
TAMA was a more reliable biomarker than TPA in terms of inter-scan agreement (ICC: 0.928 vs. 0.788 for reader 1 and 0.853 vs. 0.821 for reader 2, respectively; WSCV: 8.3% vs. 23.4% for reader 1 and 10.4% vs. 22.3% for reader 2, respectively) and inter-reader agreement (ICC: 0.986 vs. 0.886 for CT and 0.865 vs. 0.669 for MRI, respectively; WSCV: 8.2% vs. 16.0% for CT and 11.6% vs. 29.7% for MRI, respectively). In terms of the measurement level, TAMA did not differ from the L2inf to L4inf levels, whereas TPA increased with a decrease in measurement level.
CONCLUSIONS
TAMA is a better biomarker than TPA in terms of inter-scan and inter-reader agreement and robustness to the measurement level. CT was a more reliable imaging modality than MRI. Our results support the use of TAMA measured by CT as a standard biomarker for abdominal muscle area measurement.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Adolescent; Adult; Female; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Multimodal Imaging; Observer Variation; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Psoas Muscles; Reproducibility of Results; Retrospective Studies; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Young Adult
PubMed: 31536542
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222042 -
Anesthesiology May 2021The lateral abdominal wall muscles are recruited with active expiration, as may occur with high breathing effort, inspiratory muscle weakness, or pulmonary... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
The lateral abdominal wall muscles are recruited with active expiration, as may occur with high breathing effort, inspiratory muscle weakness, or pulmonary hyperinflation. The effects of critical illness and mechanical ventilation on these muscles are unknown. This study aimed to assess the reproducibility of expiratory muscle (i.e., lateral abdominal wall muscles and rectus abdominis muscle) ultrasound and the impact of tidal volume on expiratory muscle thickness, to evaluate changes in expiratory muscle thickness during mechanical ventilation, and to compare this to changes in diaphragm thickness.
METHODS
Two raters assessed the interrater and intrarater reproducibility of expiratory muscle ultrasound (n = 30) and the effect of delivered tidal volume on expiratory muscle thickness (n = 10). Changes in the thickness of the expiratory muscles and the diaphragm were assessed in 77 patients with at least two serial ultrasound measurements in the first week of mechanical ventilation.
RESULTS
The reproducibility of the measurements was excellent (interrater intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.994 [95% CI, 0.987 to 0.997]; intrarater intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.992 [95% CI, 0.957 to 0.998]). Expiratory muscle thickness decreased by 3.0 ± 1.7% (mean ± SD) with tidal volumes of 481 ± 64 ml (P < 0.001). The thickness of the expiratory muscles remained stable in 51 of 77 (66%), decreased in 17 of 77 (22%), and increased in 9 of 77 (12%) patients. Reduced thickness resulted from loss of muscular tissue, whereas increased thickness mainly resulted from increased interparietal fasciae thickness. Changes in thickness of the expiratory muscles were not associated with changes in the thickness of the diaphragm (R2 = 0.013; P = 0.332).
CONCLUSIONS
Thickness measurement of the expiratory muscles by ultrasound has excellent reproducibility. Changes in the thickness of the expiratory muscles occurred in 34% of patients and were unrelated to changes in diaphragm thickness. Increased expiratory muscle thickness resulted from increased thickness of the fasciae.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Exhalation; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Observer Variation; Prospective Studies; Rectus Abdominis; Reproducibility of Results; Respiration, Artificial; Respiratory Muscles; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 33711154
DOI: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000003736 -
British Journal of Anaesthesia Apr 2006Respiratory movements in patients after abdominal surgery are frequently abnormal, with associated disturbances in the pattern of inspiratory pressure generation. The...
BACKGROUND
Respiratory movements in patients after abdominal surgery are frequently abnormal, with associated disturbances in the pattern of inspiratory pressure generation. The reasons for these abnormalities are not clear and have been attributed to impaired action of the diaphragm. However, an alternative is that partial airway obstruction could trigger reflex activation of the inspiratory ribcage muscles, which would cause a similar pattern of inspiratory pressure change. Direct measurement of electrical activity can indicate if reflex activation of inspiratory muscles occurs when partial airway obstruction is present.
METHODS
In an open study, we implanted electrodes to measure the EMG of scalene, intercostal and external oblique abdominal muscles in patients after lower abdominal surgery. Analgesia was with morphine i.v. by patient control. We used nasal cannulae to measure nasal airflow and compared EMG activity when airway obstruction was present with activity when breathing was not obstructed.
RESULTS
The pattern of activity of the different muscles was distinct. Intercostal activity reached a maximum during inspiration, before the scalene muscles, whereas scalene activity increased in phase with increasing lung volume. Abdominal muscle activity commenced when expiratory flow had ceased and continued until the next inspiration. In all three muscle groups, partial airway obstruction did not alter muscle activity.
CONCLUSIONS
Partial airway obstruction does not activate inspiratory ribcage muscles, in patients receiving morphine for postoperative analgesia after lower abdominal surgery. Changes in respiratory pressures and abnormalities of chest wall movement described in previous studies cannot be attributed to reflex responses and probably result from increased airway resistance and abdominal muscle action.
Topics: Abdomen; Abdominal Muscles; Adult; Airway Obstruction; Airway Resistance; Analgesics, Opioid; Anthropometry; Electromyography; Humans; Inhalation; Intercostal Muscles; Middle Aged; Morphine; Pain, Postoperative; Postoperative Complications; Reflex; Respiratory Muscles
PubMed: 16490761
DOI: 10.1093/bja/ael035 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) May 2020: Possible disorders after delivery may interfere with the quality of life. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether abdominal muscles and fasciae differ in women...
: Possible disorders after delivery may interfere with the quality of life. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether abdominal muscles and fasciae differ in women depending on whether they experienced transverse cesarean section (CS) or vaginal delivery (VA) in comparison with healthy nulliparous (NU). : The thicknesses of abdominal muscles and fasciae were evaluated by ultrasound in 13 CS, 10 VA, and 13 NU women (we examined rectus abdominis (RA); external oblique (EO); internal oblique (IO); transversus abdominis (TrA); total abdominal muscles (TAM = EO + IO + TrA); inter-rectus distance (IRD); thickness of linea alba (TLA); rectus sheath (RS), which includes anterior fascia of RS and posterior fascia of RS (P-RS); loose connective tissue between sublayers of P-RS (LCT); abdominal perimuscular fasciae (APF), which includes anterior fascia of EO, fasciae between EO, IO, and TrA, and posterior fascia of TrA). Data on pain intensity, duration, and location were collected. : Compared with NU women, CS women had wider IRD ( = 0.004), thinner left RA ( = 0.020), thicker right RS ( = 0.035) and APF (left: = 0.001; right: = 0.001), and IO dissymmetry ( = 0.009). VA women had thinner RA (left: = 0.008, right: = 0.043) and left TAM ( = 0.024), mainly due to left IO ( = 0.027) and RA dissymmetry ( = 0.035). However, CS women had thicker LCT (left: = 0.036, right: < 0.001), APF (left: = 0.014; right: = 0.007), and right IO ( = 0.028) than VA women. There were significant correlations between pain duration and the affected fasciae/muscles in CS women. : CS women showed significant alterations in both abdominal fasciae and muscle thicknesses, whereas VA women showed alterations mainly in muscles. Thinner RA and/or dissymmetric IO, wider IRD, and thicker LCT and APF after CS may cause muscle deficits and alteration of fascial gliding, which may induce scar, abdominal, low back, and/or pelvic pain.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Adult; Cesarean Section; Fascia; Female; Humans; Labor, Obstetric; Middle Aged; Pregnancy; Surveys and Questionnaires; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 32471194
DOI: 10.3390/medicina56060260 -
Journal of Biomechanics Dec 2023Pain in the lower part of the back is one of the most common chronic illnesses globally. This work aimed to determine the impact of the reinforcement of particular...
Pain in the lower part of the back is one of the most common chronic illnesses globally. This work aimed to determine the impact of the reinforcement of particular groups of abdominal and dorsal muscles on the loads exerted on the lumbar section of the spine in 30 mothers of children with motor disabilities. An optical Ariel Performance Analysis System recorded and processed the kinematics data of everyday activities. Tests investigating the effects of the strengthening or weakening of abdominal and dorsal muscles on loading in the lumbar section of the spine utilized the AnyBody Modelling System. Input data for the simulations included mean values of body positions, while the effects of strengthening or weakening of muscles were simulated in the muscle forces model by introducing different values for muscle physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA). Simulations used decreasing or increasing PCSA values of abdominal muscles and the erector spinae. The analysis involved component and resultant force values on the lumbosacral joint (L5-S1) of the spine and intra-abdominal pressure values. The highest reduction of the resultant reaction value in L5-S1 was observed in the simulations that increased the PCSA of the transverse abdominal (TrA). Indeed, a double increase in the TrA cross-section caused a reduction of the resultant reaction in L5-S1 by 30% and the anterior-posterior and proximal-distal forces by approximately 20-30%. Increased PCSA of the erector spinae exerted higher loads on the spine. These results indicate that strengthening weakened abdominal muscles, particularly TrA, in parents of children with motor disabilities reduces lower spinal loads during daily activities.
Topics: Child; Humans; Lumbar Vertebrae; Disabled Children; Spine; Abdominal Muscles; Abdomen; Parents; Biomechanical Phenomena
PubMed: 37976939
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111864