title: Degree of disability, pain levels, muscle strength, and electromyographic function in patients with Hansen's disease with common peroneal nerve damage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluated the degree of disability, pain levels, muscle strength, and electromyographic function (RMS) in individuals with leprosy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed 29 individuals with leprosy showing common peroneal nerve damage and grade 1 or 2 disability who were referred for physiotherapeutic treatment, as well as a control group of 19 healthy participants without leprosy. All subjects underwent analyses of degree of disability, electromyographic tests, voluntary muscle force, and the Visual Analog Pain Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  McNemar's test found higher levels of grade 2 of disability (Δ = 75.9%; p = 0.0001) among individuals with leprosy. The Mann-Whitney test showed greater pain levels (Δ = 5.0; p = 0.0001) in patients with leprosy who had less extension strength in the right and left extensor hallucis longus muscles (Δ = 1.28, p = 0.0001; Δ = 1.55, p = 0.0001, respectively) and dorsiflexion of the right and left feet (Δ = 1.24, p = 0.0001; Δ = 1.45, p = 0.0001, respectively) than control subjects. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the RMS score for dorsiflexion of the right (Δ = 181.66 m·s-2, p = 0.001) and left (Δ = 102.57m·s-2, p = 0.002) feet was lower in patients with leprosy than in control subjects, but intragroup comparisons showed no difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leprosy had a negative influence on all of the study variables, indicating the need for immediate physiotherapeutic intervention in individuals with leprosy. This investigation opens perspectives for future studies that analyze leprosy treatment with physical therapeutic intervention.
authors: Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Estadual do Piauí, Teresina, PI.
authors: Larissa Sales Téles
authors: LS
authors: Véras
authors: Rodrigo Gomesde Souza
authors: RG
authors: Vale
authors: Danielli Braga de
authors: DB
authors: Mello
authors: José Adail Fonseca de
authors: JA
authors: Castro
authors: Vicente
authors: V
authors: Lima
authors: Kelson Nonato Gomes da
authors: KN
authors: Silva
authors: Alexis
authors: A
authors: Trott
authors: Estélio Henrique Martin
authors: EH
authors: Dantas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult