In the present report, we describe a case of long-term follow-up esophageal stricture occurring in a patient with nasogastric tube use. A 63-year-old man who had experienced dislocation of the 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae as the result of an external injury received treatment at another hospital and was admitted to the rehabilitation department of our hospital. After he exhibited normal swallowing in a videofluoroscopic swallowing test, the nasogastric tube was removed and oral feeding with a dysphagia diet was initiated. However, during oral feeding, the patient complained of swallowing difficulties in his lower throat. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed to examine the lesions below the pharynx and a 2-mm stricture was observed. A balloon dilatation was performed for a total of 9 times to extend the stricture. After the procedure, the patient was able to easily swallow a normal diet through the esophagus and the vomiting symptoms disappeared. An esophagography showed that the diameter of the esophageal stricture was 11 mm.
To introduce a newly designed massage instrument, the Hand Grip T-bar (HT-bar) and use it to relieve chronic non-specific low back pain (nLBP) through deep cross-friction massage (roptrotherapy).
22 subjects (9 males and 13 females, aged 51.6±6.7) with chronic nLBP were allocated randomly to a Roptrotherapy group (n=12) and a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) group (n=10). The Roptrotherapy group received deep cross-friction massage with the HT-bar, which was made of metal and had a cylinder for increasing weight and grooves for an easy grip. It was applied across the middle and lower back for 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week for 2 weeks. The TENS group received TENS for 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 2 weeks. The outcome was measured on the pain numeric rating scale (PNRS), by the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and by the Roland & Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) at pre-treatment, at immediate post-treatment and 2 weeks later. The application of the HT-bar was assessed by a questionnaire to 19 therapists.
At post-treatment, immediately and 2 weeks later, both groups showed significant improvement in PNRS, ODI and RMDQ. During the two weeks after post-treatment, however, the Roptrotherapy group improved in PNRS, ODI and RMDQ, but the TENS group did not. Over 80% of the therapists responded that the HT-bar was useful and comfortable.
This study suggests that deep cross-friction massage can be a beneficial therapeutic technique and that the HT-bar can be a useful instrument in deep cross-friction massage for chronic nLBP patients.
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