Effect of the Alexander Technique on Muscle Activation, Movement Kinematics, and Performance Quality in Collegiate Violinists and Violists: A Pilot Feasibility Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harvey P Thurmer ◽  
William P Berg ◽  
Henry E Cook ◽  
L James Smart
Keyword(s):  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Motion Tracking ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Muscle Tension ◽  
Attentional Focus ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Alexander Technique ◽  
Movement Kinematics ◽  
Objective Evidence ◽  
Pilot Feasibility Study

Musicians are trained to attend to aural and visual senses, to the detriment of kinesthetic awareness, which often results in unnecessary muscle tension and narrowed attentional focus. The Alexander technique (AT) addresses these concerns by approaching action using a process of whole-body consciousness. Incorporation of AT concepts into skill practice may reduce static tension in playing and result in both prevention of injury and improved quality of performance, but objective evidence of these effects is lacking. This pilot feasibility study was designed to determine if muscle activation, movement kinematics, musical performance, and qualitative self-assessment over the course of a 10- week AT intervention are viable means to assess the efficacy of AT in violinists/ violists. Two groups of collegiate violinists and violists participated: Group A (n=4) participated in weekly 1-hour group AT lessons and kept a personal journal of their progress. Group B (n=3) received no AT lessons. Pre- and post tests included muscle activation recorded using electromyography (EMG) and movement kinematics recorded via motion tracking as musicians played a scale and a Kreutzer étude. Performance was also video-recorded and evaluated by an expert for quality and kinesthetic awareness. The results suggest that the measures and intervention employed could, with some adaptation, be a viable means of determining the potential benefits of AT training.

scholarly journals Eccentric Overload Flywheel Training in Older Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsi Kowalchuk ◽  
Scotty Butcher
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Muscle Strength ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Muscle Power ◽  
Muscle Tension ◽  
Practical Method ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Eccentric Overload

Age-related reductions in muscle strength and muscle power can have significant adverse effects on functional performance in older adults. Exercise training has been shown to be a potent stimulus for improvements in strength and power. However, investigation into how to best optimize training-related adaptations, as well as the accessibility of training methods, is needed. Traditional (TR) methods using gravity-dependent free-weights or weight machines can improve and maintain strength and power but are limited in their ability to provide constant muscle tension and high levels of muscle activation throughout the lowering (eccentric) phase of lifting. Eccentric overload (EO) training may overcome these limitations and has been shown to result in potent adaptations in both young and older adults. Methods of producing EO are significantly limited from a practical perspective. The addition of whole-body flywheel training equipment provides a practical method of producing EO and may be appropriate for older adults wanting to optimize training outcomes. Our review provides limited evidence of the use of eccentric overload flywheel training as a novel training method in seniors. Through the review of literature, EO training overcame some of the limitations set forth by traditional resistance training and demonstrated to have key benefits when combating age-related changes affecting muscle strength and muscle power. It can be concluded that EO training is an important addition to the training arsenal for older adults. Flywheel training provides a practical method of achieving EO, increasing strength and power, combating age-related adaptations, and overall improving quality of life in older adults.

Head Movements Produced During Whole Body Rotations and Their Sensitivity to Changes in Head Inertia in Squirrel Monkeys

2008 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 2369-2382 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Reynolds ◽  
G. T. Gdowski
Keyword(s):  
Head Movement ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Squirrel Monkeys ◽  
The Body ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Movement Kinematics ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Wide Range

The head's inertia produces forces on the neck when the body moves. One collective function of the vestibulocollic and cervicocollic reflexes (VCR and CCR) is thought to be to stabilize the head with respect to the trunk during whole body movements. Little is known as to whether their head-movement kinematics produced by squirrel monkeys during whole body rotations are similar to those of cats and humans. Prior experiments with cats and human subjects have shown that yaw head-movement kinematics are unaffected by changes in the head's inertia when the whole body is rotated. These observations have led to the hypothesis that the combined actions of the VCR and CCR accommodate for changes in the head's inertia. To test this hypothesis in squirrel monkeys, it was imperative to first characterize the behavior of head movements produced during whole body rotation and then investigate their sensitivity to changes in the head's inertia. Our behavioral studies show that squirrel monkeys produce only small head movements with respect to the trunk during whole body rotations over a wide range of stimulus frequencies and velocities (0.5–4.0 Hz; 0–100°/s). Similar head movements were produced when only small additional changes in the head's inertia occurred. Electromyographic recordings from the splenius muscle revealed that an active process was utilized such that increases in muscle activation occurred when the inertia of the head was increased. These results are consistent with prior cat and human studies, suggesting that squirrel monkeys have a similar horizontal VCR and CCR.

scholarly journals Pilot feasibility study of an emergency paediatric kit for intra-rectal quinine administration used by the personnel of community-based health care units in Senegal

2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Louis A Ndiaye ◽  
Roger C Tine ◽  
Babacar Faye ◽  
El Hadj Lamine Dieye ◽  
Pape Amadou Diack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Pilot Feasibility Study

scholarly journals Whole-body-MR imaging including DWIBS in the work-up of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A feasibility study

2014 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
pp. 1144-1151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Noij ◽  
Els J. Boerhout ◽  
Indra C. Pieters-van den Bos ◽  
Emile F. Comans ◽  
Daniela Oprea-Lager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Mr Imaging ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Squamous Cell ◽  
Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
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