MUSCLE ENERGY TECHNIQUE VERSUS PASSIVE MANUAL SOFT TISSUE THERAPIES ON PLANTER FASCIITIS: A SYSTEMIC REVIEW

Aims of Study: Planter fasciitis (PF) is a common cause of heel pain. Muscle energy technique (METs) and passive soft tissue therapies are widely used for its management. The objective of this review was to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of METs and passive soft tissue therapies on PF. Methodology: An extensive electronic literature search was made using different databases and search engines. Studies regarding METs and soft tissues therapies were investigated according to the eligibility criteria, using extracted data form and assessed for risk of bias. Outcome measures were pain and functional status. Quality assessment was done with Downs and Black, Cochrane risk of bias tool, PEDro scale and Critical Appraisal Skill Program (CASP) tool. Results: Five articles met the selection criteria, were systematically reviewed for quantitative synthesis on comparative effects of METs and passive soft tissue therapies on PF. The quality of studies was moderate to high. Limitations and Future Implications: Less evidence on desired interventions and outcome measures was the limitation. Relative efficacy helps in clinical decision making and improve patient’s related outcomes. Originality: This review is the independent creation of authors. Conclusion: Manual soft tissue techniques are more effective than METs on improving pain and function in planter fasciitis.

Modeling and Numerical Simulations of Some Fractional Nonlinear Viscoelastic Flow Problems

Modeling of viscoelastic flows in terms of fractional calculus is an inquisitive area in engineering and industry. The physical models with fractional operators in nonNewtonian fluid mechanics represent more realistic behavior of flows involving nonlinear complex dynamics. The efficiency is because of freedom to choose derivative of any order in the mathematical formulation of the flows. Non-integer derivatives are important for the systems having hereditary behavior as they depend on the past conditions along with the local conditions. Viscoelastic fluids keep memory of old deformations and their behavior is related to these deformations. The fractional derivatives are more adequate in predicting the characteristics of viscoelastic fluids than the ordinary derivatives. In literature linear flow problems, with non-integer derivatives are solved by classical transforms methods. Unfortunately, most of the viscoelastic fluids unlike Newtonian fluids, are not characterized by only one relation. Mathematical equations, for the viscoelastic fluid flows are highly nonlinear in nature. In most of situations, highly nonlinear PDEs cannot be solved exactly, by existing techniques. Literature survey indicates, that appropriate consideration is not given to the numerical solutions, of anomalous nonlinear flow problems with noninteger derivatives. In this study, we have modeled the viscoelastic flow problems via fractional calculus approach and considered numerical techniques using finite difference approximations along with ”L1 algorithm”to discretize non-integer derivatives of time and finite element, discretization is used for space variables, in order to solve the governing fractional viscoelastic models. Finally we have predicted the behavior of viscoelastic fluids that can be used directly for the simulations of industrial processes.