ROLE OF ANTIOXIDANTS AND EXERCISES THERAPY PROGRAM IN MODULATION OF HAND FUNCTIONS IN DIABETIC NEUROPATHY

Abstract

The purpose of the study was designed to clarify the role of antioxidants and exercises therapy
program on modulation of hand functions in diabetic neuropathy. In this respect, the muscles power of
both flexors and extensors in wrist and fingers, the range of their motion of wrist and fingers flexion
and extension and their effect of motor nerve conduction velocities and electromyography study of
median nerve in both sexes. Subjects Sixty males and females were insulin dependent diabetic patients
, their age ranged from 40-60years old and their weight ranged from 60-90Kg. They were randomly
divided into three equal groups (G1,G2 and G3). G1cosists of 20 type2 insulin dependent diabetic
patients of both sexes and was treated by antioxidants only without any exercises therapy program, G2
consists of 20 type1 insulin dependent diabetic patients of both sexes and was treated by exercises
therapy program only without antioxidant and G3 consists of 20 type1 insulin dependent diabetic
patients of both sexes and was treated by antioxidants and exercises therapy program. Vital signs as
blood pressure, body temperature, pulse rate and respiratory rate were measured before and after the
treatment sessions. Assessments, in all group studied, Tensiometer was used to measure the muscle
power of flexors and extensors in wrist and fingers, the digital goniometer was used to investigate the
range of their movement either during flexion and extension, Purdue beg board was used to measure
of hand functions either prehension or counting. Moreover, by the use of standard nerve conduction
velocity and electromyography (NCV-EMG) to measure motor nerve conduction velocity, AP
amplitude and their latencies and compound muscle action potentials of median nerve. Statistically the
results for all groups were analyzed by ANOVA to compare the differences between the three groups.
The statistical package of social sciences (SPSS, version10) was used for data processing using the pvalue
0.05 as a level of significance. Results, showed that there was significant improvements in all
variables in G3 only. However, there was a little improvement but not significant in both G1and G2
with best results for G2 regarding to clinical and electrophysiological parameters. Therefore, it could
be concluded that the use of antioxidants combined with exercises program were the good method to
improve hand function, increase muscle power of flexors and extensors of wrist and fingers and the
range of their movements together with determination of motor nerve conduction velocities and
electromyography. Our results open a new link to manage the motor deterioration of hand function in
diabetic neuropathies via the use of antioxidants combined with exercises program.