Elastographic analysis of muscle tissue in healthy subjects after interaction with thermal resources.

• Grant number: 23/09199-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Rinaldo Roberto de Jesus Guirro
• Grantee: Luis Carlos Caseiro Filho
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/16939-8 - Development and implementation of novel acoustic, magnetic and optical techniques for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, AP.TEM

Abstract

Introduction: The use of therapeutic thermal resources is a reality within the clinical practice of physiotherapists, which aim to improve outcomes in the face of muscle recovery, tissue injuries or pain. Along with its benefits, the effects can affect performance, such as decreased muscle recruitment or even the strength produced by the muscle group affected by the intervention. One of these effects is the change in muscle stiffness, already observed in animal studies, but little explored in humans. As a way to evaluate soft tissue stiffness, elastography is a resource that has been highlighted in the field of physiotherapy, as well as infrared thermography for the quantification of skin temperature. Objective: The study aims to analyze the responses after the application of cryotherapy and short wave diathermy considering muscle stiffness and skin temperature. Method: The study is a crossover study with 33 healthy volunteers of both sexes. The interventions will be randomized and will occur on three different days with a washout period of at least 24 hours, the interventions and the control collection will be randomized within the three collection days. Skin temperature, humidity, elasticity, amount of subcutaneous fat and muscle stiffness will be analyzed after the intervention of thermal resources. The resource will be applied to the middle portion of the quadriceps femoris muscle, of the dominant limb, for a period of 30 minutes for cryotherapy and 20 minutes for diathermy. Data collection will occur in the pre and immediate post intervention times, as well as follow up of 15 and 30 minutes. For data analysis, the normality test will be performed to verify the distribution, followed by tests consistent with the evaluation of the outcomes.