NONSURGICAL MUSCLE SHORTENING: THE INCREASE OF CASES IN PEDIATRICS AND THE USO OF PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF THIS MYOPATHY.

Abstract

Introduction: When muscle contracture occurs, there is an alteration in the relationship length vs. muscle tension, preventing it from producing an adequate tension peak, which may lead to weakness associated with this contracture, decreasing the physiological efficiency for the internal organs and causing mechanical disadvantage to the musculoskeletal system.

Objectives: To broaden knowledge about nonsurgical muscle shortening in the lower limbs, measuring the variation in pediatric cases, and to explore the use of physical therapy in order to collect information for an efficient treatment, demonstrating the level of culture and importance that these professionals give to muscle retraction.

Methods: Quantitative basic and bibliographic research, focusing on muscle retraction, using two google forms, applied to 20% of the students and professionals in the physical therapy field.

Results: 58.8% of the academics have knowledge about muscle contracture and that 52.9% do not know how to adequately evaluate a non-surgical muscle contracture. Moreover, 100% of the sample of professionals stated that they observed an increase in the number of cases of muscle contracture in pediatrics, especially in the ischiotibial muscle group.

Conclusions: Therefore, we conclude that it is extremely important for the physiotherapist to know the morphofunctional characteristics of his patients. Furthermore, the increase in the number of lower limb pediatric cases and the need for further studies regarding muscle retraction is noted.