Osteopathic Research Web

A comparative study between STT and hydrotherapy on isometric grip strength

Item

Title

A comparative study between STT and hydrotherapy on isometric grip strength

Author(s)

Martin Timothy

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONThis study was designed to compare the effect of soft-tissue techniques and alternate hot and cold hydrotherapy on isometric grip strength. It was proposed that either the hydrotherapy or the soft tissue intervention would enhance the physiological function and consequently produce a change in the subsequent generation of muscle power.
METHODOLOGY
Thirty subjects, acting as their own control, were tested using the Jamar handgrip dynamometer. Having been screened for suitability, subjects received a hydrotherapy, soft-tissue or control (placebo) intervention, over a three-week period. Hydrotherapy involved three minutes of hot and one minute of cold compresses applied to the forearm and hand repeated three times over the twelve-minute period. The soft-tissue was carried out for four minutes after an eight-minute time interval. The control intervention allowed a twelve-minute time interval to elapse before re-testing.
RESULTS
From the study the following conclusions can be drawn:
Subjects grip strength did not vary significantly over the three-week period without intervention.
Hydrotherapy had no immediate effect on grip strength and was shown to be no more effective than no-intervention.
The soft tissue routine improves grip strength in the time immediately afterwards and is therefore more effective than hydrotherapy. (Or non-intervention)
There was no period effect associated with one soft-tissue intervention. (I.e. the effects were short term only (less than 7 days))
On average, subjects grip varied 3.1 % - 4.7 % at each reading, regardless of intervention.
CONCLUSION
The results indicate that STT was the only modality tested that enhanced isometric grip strength. Contrary to findings of other studies, hydrotherapy has been shown to be no more effective than no-intervention on the enhancement of isometric grip strength.
Potential for Future Research
Modifications to the present study and issues raised within it could form the basis for future research. These include:
The need to monitor the effect on grip strength at intervals following both the hydrotherapy and soft tissue procedure. This was highlighted by the lack of expected results from the hydrotherapy intervention. If, as postulated, the peak response to hydrotherapy occurs later, (28) this would be of note in future studies comparing the two modalities. The optimum effects of each may occur at different times following the intervention. The present study may not have allowed the maximum effect of hydrotherapy or soft tissue techniques to be achieved prior to testing.
A study considering the self-selected wrist position adopted by subjects when performing grip strength measurements using the Jamar Dynamometer could be proposed with view to determining how grip strength alters if deviation occurs from this self-selected position.
Where this study looks at the enhancement of asymptomatic subjects grip strength, future research could consider the effects of the modalities on symptomatic subjects for example post injury rehabilitation. With the wrist in the typical position of fusion- fifteen degrees extension and zero-fifteen degrees ulna deviation, it has been suggested that grip strength only returns to 68-73% of normal. (85) Studies to test the enhancement of this would have important implications in the medical field.
Determining optimum handle positioning of the dynamometer with specific reference to subjects hand size could have important implications when using dynamometers in future research or in the choice of size of equipment for use in rehabilitating grip strength. Leading on from this, training programs designed at different handle positions could be studied to see if the grip strength at the self-selected/optimum position ultimately improves.
This study measured grip immediately post treatment and illustrated no period effect over 7 days. It would be of interest to perform a study to monitor the effects of repeated soft tissue treatments on grip strength over time to determine the effectiveness of each treatment longer term with view to determining an optimum time between osteopathic treatments, and if a cumulative and/ or lasting effect of the intervention i.e. a sustained increase in grip strength can be demonstrated.
Further research could look at the affect of multiple trials of grip strength on blood pressure of subjects, possibly comparing both arms. This follows guidelines suggested whilst using dynamometers for trunk strength, with reference to exercise-induced intolerance and the stresses placed upon the cardio-vascular system. (86)
Where this study demonstrated results from a culmination of a range of different soft tissue techniques, a future study could look at an intra-technique comparison within the scope of osteopathic soft tissue, either monitoring muscle strength or blood flow, to determine an order of effectiveness.

presented at

British College of Osteopathic Medicine

Date Accepted

0

Date Submitted

1.1.1970 00:00:00

Type

osteo_thesis

Language

English

Submitted by:

62

Pub-Identifier

13643

Inst-Identifier

1076

Recommended

0

Item sets

Thesis

Martin Timothy, “A comparative study between STT and hydrotherapy on isometric grip strength”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed April 28, 2024, https://www.osteopathic-research.com/s/orw/item/1114