Stretching, either prior to exercise or at the end, or both, is typically carried out by all individuals undertaking sporting activity whether they be elite or recreational athletes. The many forms of stretching available to the athlete, either passive or active, have long been thought to improve performance, decrease injury and generally be advantageous to the athlete. This review examines the current state of the literature and evaluates what athletes can and should do with respect to this controversial topic.
Comparisons were made between the Intelligent Prosthesis (IP), Mauch and pneumatic swing phase control damping systems on the same prosthesis worn by a high level trans-femoral amputee. Speeds self selected by corridor walking (4.4 – 5.5 kmh−1) proved not to be sustainable for treadmill walking. Comfortable speeds were attained when the subject walked on a treadmill at 2.0, 2.6 and 3.2 kmh−1 in two tests for each prosthesis type. Oxygen uptake (V˙ O2), cadence and heart rate were measured over 5 minute walks interspersed with rest periods. Spearman's correlation was used to test for differences between prosthesis types at each speed. At the two slower speeds no significant difference was found, but at the higher speed of 3.2 kmh−1, the IP was associated with a significantly lower V˙O2 (p<0.05). A two way analysis of variance with replication (ANOVA) demonstrated a significant difference between VO2 for different limb types (p=0.015). A square law function was fitted to the mean V˙ O2 for each prosthesis type by the method of least squares regression. ANOVA demonstrated a significant difference between velocity coefficients for the different prosthesis types (p<0.05). Cadence was almost constant during the period of each walk, varying by 1 step min−1 at most. However the test-retest differences in cadence were considerable. It is concluded that there was little difference in energy expenditure between prosthesis types at slower speeds, but at higher speeds (=>3.2km h−1) the IP gave a lower oxygen uptake by about 10%.
Research purpose: Vocational rehabilitation (VR) has been the focus of recent UK government policy, which outlines objectives to support individuals with mental illness into work. To provide such support, individual placement and support (IPS) as one approach, is frequently referred to. This has ignited both discussion and research within the occupational therapy (OT) profession to re-examine its contribution to VR and consider IPS as part of its practice. Aim: To explore occupational therapists’ (OTs) perceptions about their role within mental health (MH) VR and IPS. Method: Semi-structured interviews were used to generate data in this qualitative study. The interview transcripts were subject to thematic framework analysis. Findings: The findings revealed similarities and compatibility with OT and IPS. Participants acknowledged the value of IPS for clients who wish to obtain paid employment but also recognized the value of all worker roles which is in keeping with the professions values. Conclusion: The findings are congruent with discursive literature regarding OT and VR. Consideration given by OTs to the uniqueness and complexities of work as an occupation reinforces their distinct contribution to VR and could extend to IPS. Further research is needed to verify and extend this study's findings.
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