The Effect of Rehabilitation Exercises on Strengthening the Leg Muscles of Young Swimmers with Peripheral Neuritis

Abstract

The aim of this study was to design rehabilitative exercises for young swimmers suffering from peripheral neuropathy of the feet and to identify the effect of these exercises on strengthening the leg muscles and treating peripheral neuropathy of the feet. The researcher hypothesized that there would be statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-test results of leg muscle strength and electromyography (EMG) measurements of the calf muscles in the experimental group. Furthermore, significant differences were expected in the pre- and post-test results of pain intensity measurements using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) during toe-standing tests in the experimental group. The experimental research method with a single-group design was adopted. The research population included (12) young swimmers diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy of the feet, who were undergoing physiotherapy at Al-Kindy Hospital. All participants were deliberately selected through a comprehensive sampling method, representing (100%) of the study population. The rehabilitative exercises were implemented in the experiment at a frequency of three sessions per week, with six exercises in each session, continuing for ten consecutive weeks, for total of (30) rehabilitative sessions. After completing the experimental period, the results were processed using the SPSS program. The findings concluded that the rehabilitative exercises to strengthen the leg muscles are suitable for young swimmers suffering from peripheral neuropathy of the feet. The application of these exercises contributed to the development of posterior leg muscle strength, improvement in EMG signals of the posterior calf muscles of both legs by increasing peak levels and reducing signal dispersion, and a reduction in pain intensity (VAS) in the participants. The researcher recommended that the duration of toe-standing exercises should not be exaggerated when rehabilitating peripheral neuropathy of the feet, and that comprehensive functional strength training for body muscles, including the leg and foot muscles, should be incorporated into training programs for swimmers, who often focus mainly on specialized arm and chest strength training.