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Effect of Electromyographic Biofeedback Training on Pain, Quadriceps Muscle Strength, and Functional Ability in
Mohamed Ahmed Mahmoud Eid1, Sobhy M Aly, Shamekh M El-Shamy
1From the Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran, KSA (MAME, SMA); and Departments of Physical Therapy For Disturbances of Growth and Development in Children and Its Surgery (MAME, SME-S), and Biomechanics (SMA), Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Insights
Electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback training significantly improved pain, quadriceps strength, and functional ability in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) over 12 weeks.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rheumatology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is a chronic condition affecting children, leading to pain and functional limitations.
- Quadriceps muscle weakness is common in JRA, impacting mobility and quality of life.
- Conventional physical therapy may not fully address the multifaceted challenges of JRA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback training as an adjunct to conventional physical therapy for JRA.
- To assess the impact of EMG biofeedback on pain reduction, quadriceps strength enhancement, and functional ability improvement in pediatric patients with JRA.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 36 children diagnosed with polyarticular JRA (ages 8-13).
- Participants were assigned to either a control group (conventional physical therapy) or a study group (conventional physical therapy + EMG biofeedback-guided isometric exercises).
- Intervention duration was 12 weeks, with assessments at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks.
Main Results:
- The EMG biofeedback group showed significant improvements in quadriceps strength and functional ability by 6 weeks, unlike the control group.
- By 12 weeks, both groups demonstrated significant improvements in pain, quadriceps strength, and functional ability.
- The EMG biofeedback group exhibited significantly greater improvements across all measured variables compared to the control group at 12 weeks.
Conclusions:
- Electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback is a potentially valuable intervention for managing JRA.
- This method can effectively reduce pain, enhance quadriceps strength, and improve functional performance in children with JRA.
- EMG biofeedback offers a promising therapeutic option to complement standard care for pediatric rheumatic diseases.
Objective:
To investigate the effects of electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback training on pain, quadriceps strength, and functional ability in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).
Design:
This is a randomized controlled study; 36 children (11 boys and 25 girls) with polyarticular JRA, with ages ranging from 8 to 13 years, were selected and assigned randomly, using computer-generated random numbers, into 2 groups. The control group (n = 18) received the conventional physical therapy program, whereas the study group (n = 18) received the same program as the control group in addition to EMG biofeedback-guided isometric exercises for 3 days a week for 12 weeks. Pain, peak torque of quadriceps strength, and functional ability were evaluated before, after 6 weeks, and at the end of 12 weeks of the treatment program.
Results:
By 6 weeks, significant differences were observed in the study group (P < 0.05) in all measured variables except pain levels, whereas nonsignificant differences were observed in all measured variables in the control group. By 12 weeks, each group demonstrated significant improvements in pain, quadriceps strength, and functional ability (P < 0.05), with significantly greater improvements seen in the study group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Both groups showed significant improvement at 12 weeks compared to that at 6 weeks.
Conclusions:
Electromyographic biofeedback may be a useful intervention modality to reduce pain, improve quadriceps strength, and functional performance in JRA.
