Physical Therapy articles from April 2008

Physical Therapy archives from April 2008

Still "not satisfied" ... yet.(Editorial)
April 1, 2008... We wish that you could have been with us at our PTJ meeting following APTA's Combined Sections Meeting in Nashville. We have assembled n incredible group of talented Steering Committee members, Editorial Board members, and Reviewers, all of...

Investigation of clinical effects of high- and low-resistance training for patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.(Research Report)
April 1, 2008... Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common musculoskeletal disorder, the prevalence of which increases with age. (1,2) Individuals with knee OA typically have knee pain, joint stiffness, deficits in proprioception, and decreased muscle strength...

Therapeutic effect of an implantable peroneal nerve stimulator in subjects with chronic stroke and footdrop: a randomized controlled trial.(Research Report)
April 1, 2008... In most countries, patients with ankle dorsiflexor paresis, called "footdrop," are provided with an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO). An AFO provides mediolateral stability at the ankle during the stance phase of gait and improves the swing phase of...

Use of the Berg Balance Scale for predicting multiple falls in community-dwelling elderly people: a prospective study.(Research Report)
April 1, 2008... The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) was developed as a clinical measure of functional balance specifically in older people. Suggested applications were comparing balance between groups of people, describing balance in an individual, monitoring status...

Invited commentary.
April 1, 2008... In their article, (1) Muir et al present new evidence for the application of likelihood ratios to estimate fall risk with a multilevel form of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). This is an important new contribution to the field. Although several...

Effects of whole-body vibration exercise on lower-extremity muscle strength and power in an older population: a randomized clinical trial.(Research Report)
April 1, 2008... Age-related reductions in muse mass and activity levels have significant implications for physical function in an older population, including reductions in strength (force-producing capacity), power, gait, and balance and increased...

Inflammatory myelopathies and traumatic spinal cord lesions: comparison of functional and neurological outcomes.(Research Report)
April 1, 2008... The outcome of nontraumatic and traumatic spinal cord lesions is still a matter of debate, probably because of the different features of the 2 populations. Patients with traumatic spinal cord lesions usually are younger and often have complete...

Effects of a single session of posterior-to-anterior spinal mobilization and press-up exercise on pain response and lumbar spine extension in people with nonspecific low back pain.(Research Report)
April 1, 2008... Approximately 12% to 33% of e adult workforce is affected by low back pain each year, and it has been suggested that 70% to 95% of adults will have low back pain at some time during their lives. (1-6) The California Board of Worker Compensation...

Effects of Pilates exercises on shoulder range of motion, pain, mood, and upper-extremity function in women living with breast cancer: a pilot study.(Research Report)
April 1, 2008... For women who have been treated for breast cancer, rehabilitation aims to restore independence and self-sufficiency while focusing on quality of life (QOL). (1) Although conventional forms of exercise or physical therapy (2-9) and dance therapy...

Running training after stroke: a single-subject report.(Research Report)
April 1, 2008... Cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, is the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. Approximately 700,000 people have a stroke each year, and there are approximately 4.8 million people who have...

Group-based aerobic interval training in patients with chronic heart failure: Norwegian Ullevaal Model.(Case Report)
April 1, 2008... Chronic heart failure (CHF) has become one of the most common cardiovascular disorders in Western societies. (1) Five million people in the United States alone have CHF, with an incidence of 500,000 each year. (2) Despite major advances in the...

On "Intertester reliability and validity of motion assessments ...".(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... The validity of a test or measure is the extent to which that test or measure actually assesses what it is intended to assess. The research design for investigating the validity of a test or measure requires that all subjects undergo both the...

On "Journal publication productivity ...".(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... I read with interest the report in PTJ by Richter et al (1) regarding publication productivity in academic physical therapy programs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Evidence-based practice is a current ideal in health care and involves...

Clinical Research Network publishes network methods paper.(News from the Foundation for Physical Therapy)
April 1, 2008... On December 28, the network methods paper for the Clinical Research Network (CRN) was published ahead of print on the Web site of the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The article--"The Physical Therapy Clinical Research...

Recipients in the news.(News from the Foundation for Physical Therapy)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Appearing in this month's PTJ is an article titled "Effects of a Single Session of Posterior-to-Anterior Spinal Mobilization and Press-up Exercise on Pain Response and Lumbar Spine Extension in People With Nonspecific Low Back Pain." The...

$74,000 raised in support of "Research Excellence" during APTA's combined sections meeting (CSM).(News from the Foundation for Physical Therapy)
April 1, 2008... In a giant boost to the Foundation's major gifts campaign, sections, chapters, attendees, and exhibiting companies generously gave more than $74,000 during the 3-day CSM conference in Nashville. Launched at CSM, the campaign, "Destination:...

Paris to swim the channel for research.(News from the Foundation for Physical Therapy)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... In July, at the age of 71, Stanley Paris, PT, PhD, FAPTA, will attempt to be the oldest person to swim the 23-mile English Channel. All donations or pledges per mile will go toward the Foundation's major gifts campaign. This will be Paris'...

Record keeping.(Product News)(Dynamic Therapy Solution Inc has developed online recordkeeping software )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Dynamic Therapy Solution Inc Dynamic Therapy Software, developed by a home health physical therapist and used by contract therapy companies working for multiple nursing agencies, is a point-of-care system for keeping track of home health...

Easy stand tray.(Product News)(stand tray from Altimate Medical Inc.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Altimate Medical [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New tray options for the EasyStand Evolv line present several choices to fit the user's needs. A standard molded tray, an optional oversized clear tray, and angle adjustable tray are now...

Exercise equipment.(Product News)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Med-Fit Systems Inc [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MedFit introduces the Senior FitExpress, its new line of strength equipment designed specifically for senior citizens. Thirteen dual-concentric units with a hydraulic resistance mechanism are...

Elliptical trainer.(Product News)(E9 ElliptiMill from Landice Inc.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Landice Inc [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Landice E9 ElliptiMill is designed to accommodate and provide accessibility for people who are deconditioned. Users can just grab the rails, step in, and start exercising with confidence. The E9...

Fitness course.(Product News)(Therapy Zone providing new Fitness courses )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Therapy Zone [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Patch "O" Course brings the Patch Fitness workout indoors. The modular course is designed to provide a total-body, functional method of exercise that includes vaults, bear crawls, alligators,...

Pediatric orthoses.(Product News)(JumpStart(Orthopedic braces) from Cascade Dafo Inc.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Cascade Dafo Inc [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The JumpStart line features off-the-shelf, low-cost orthoses designed for early intervention for patients who can be difficult to cast and fit properly. The braces are made of 2 nesting plastic...

Functional electrical stimulation.(Product News)(NESS L300 system from Bioness Inc.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Bioness Inc [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The NESS L300 system is a functional electrical stimulation system designed for patients with neurological disorders--such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral...

Motion assistance.(Product News)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... OPTP [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The UE Ranger is a motion assistance device for gently increasing range of motion and for complementing the natural movement patterns of the upper extremity. Features include a molded plastic bilateral hand...

Functional electrical stimulation.(Product News)(NESS H200 from Bioness Inc. )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Bioness Inc [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The NESS H200 from Bioness Inc is a noninvasive functional electrical stimulation device designed to help the hand open and dose, reduce stiffness, increase range of motion and strength, improve...