[1] Department of acupuncture, Takarazuka University of Medical and Health Care
[2] Department of Rehabilitation, Yuaikai Hospital
This study aimed to clarify the effects of thermal stimulation, i.e., muscle contraction during hot pack thermal stimulation, on the subsequent muscle strength. When no muscle contraction occurred during a thermal stimulus comprising wet heat treatment among 18 healthy men, the knee extension muscle strength and hardness were measured using angular velocities of 60°/s and 180°/s. At an angular velocity of 60°/s and 180°/s, the total strength and muscle strength integration values significantly increased when muscle contraction was performed, which were comparable with those without muscle contraction after heat stimulation. Muscle stiffness decreased after heat stimulation without muscle contraction. Therefore, hot pack stimulation was thought to be useful by promoting muscle contraction while causing a heat stimulus.
Keyword: hot pack stimulation，muscle strength