Influência do repouso e alongamento na atividade elétrica muscular após digitação

Abstract

Labour activities increasing speed and rhythm have led to overcharge on workers' muscle-tendon structures. Aiming at recovering such structures and preventing occupational lesions, some companies have adopted stretching exercises during working time. This study aimed at analysing the influence of stretching exercises and of rest, after a 30-minute period of computer typing, onto muscular electric activity in long radial extensor of the carpus and bilateral superior trapezius muscles, by means of surface electromyography. Twenty subjects were divided into two groups,
stretching and rest. The analysis of previously defined signal frequency and amplitude allowed assessing, in both groups, frequency reduction and
amplitude increase after the typing task; and, after stretching exercises and/or the rest period, there was a frequency increase and signal amplitude decrease, hence indicating a state of fatigue followed by recovery. The conclusion is there was muscle fatigue after 30 minutes typing in the studied groups, and that both rest and stretching physical therapy programs are effective for recovering the analysed muscles.