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Background: The varied position of squatting involves bending the knees and hips while maintaining the body's weight on the feet. Variations of used tools in squat and angles of joints affect the neuromuscular activity of the muscles. The muscles in the lower limbs are crucial for maintaining a good gait as well as for doing various exercises like jumping and sprinting. Objective: This study aimed to investigate how the inclination of ankle joint affects the activity of gluteus medius (GMed) and gastrocnemius (GC) muscles. Methods: Thirty normal children were included in this study. Two wooden wedges covered by rubber with inclination angles 5 and 10 degrees were used. To examine the muscle activity of the GMed and GC, a comparison analysis with electromyography was conducted. Results: The muscle activity of GMed and GC muscles increased with increased the angle of inclination. When squatting on 5 degrees inclined board, the muscle activity of both muscles was significantly higher than during squatting on the ground, and when squatting on 10 degrees inclined board, the muscles activity was significantly higher than squatting on 0 and 5 degrees inclination. Conclusion: Squatting on an incline board is a good position for increasing muscle activation in the GMed and GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The reason for doing this study was to see how action-observation physical training affected the quality of upper limb functions and functional independence among children who have hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP). Subjects and Methods: Thirty children who have a diagnosis of HCP, aged 6-9 years, have been randomized into 2 groups: the control group got a routinely chosen physiotherapy program, whereas the examined group got action observation physical training (AOPT) on the upper limb besides a standard selected physiotherapy program for three successive months. Children who have cerebral palsy (CP) underwent the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST) in order to determine the level of quality of their upper limbs’ functions, including their movement patterns and hand functions, while the Wee Functional Independence Measure (Wee FIM) was utilized to assess their functional independence. Results: According to statistical analysis, there had been no substantial variance between the two groups prior to therapy. After treatment, the examined group's four QUEST domains (dissociated movement, weight-bearing, grasp, and protective reaction) and WEE FIM significantly improved (P = 0.0001) when contrasted with the control group. Conclusions: The addition of action observation physical training to physical therapy resulted in better, more effective and significant results on upper limb functional abilities in HCP children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]