الفهرس 
Effect of continuous theapeutic ultrasound and stretching exercise on calf muscle cramp during pregnancy
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Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of continuous therapeutic ultrasound and stretching exercise on calf muscle cramp during pregnancy. Design:Randomized clinical trial. Location: This study conducted at Nahea Family medical center, Giza, Egypt. Subjects: Thirty volunteers of pregnant women suffering from calf muscle cramp assigned into two equal groups.Their ages ranged from 20- 35 years. Intervention: group (A): received home program education about stretching exercise, calf muscle self stretching exercise to be applied during cramp and general advice to decrease the severity and frequency of muscle cramp. group (B): received the same as in group(A) in addition to continuous therapeutic ultrasound with frequency 1 MHz, intensity 1.5w/cm², 5 minutes in each session and stretching exercise of calf muscle by 15 seconds of passive stretch to the calf muscle followed by 30 seconds of rest with repetition 6 times per session. Treatment sessions were applied 3times/ week for 4 weeks for two groups. Outcome measures: standardized cramp questionnaire with description of muscle cramps with Visual analogue scale was used to assess severity and frequency of pain. Evaluation was performed before and after treatment. Results: There was no significant difference between control and study group in pre and post treatment in severity of cramp exaggerating factors, localization of cramp. There was significant difference between study group and control group in frequency, time of having cramp,duration of cramp and Quality of life deterioration. Conclusion:stretching exercise is an effective method in treating calf muscle cramp during pregnancy, adding therapeutic continuous ultrasound to stretching exercise is making significant difference than stretching exercise alone in decreasing the frequency of calf muscle cramp,decreasing time of having cramp, decreasing duration of muscle cramp and in decreasing the deterioration of quality of life due to muscle cramp during pregnancy