Physical Therapy News and Research

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Physical therapy is effective for management of low-back pain

A new review article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons should help convince many patients with low back pain to consider physical therapy as a first line of treatment for their condition, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

25 Feb 2009

Scientists develop mobile sleep lab for home use

Poor sleep can be attributed to many causes, including shift work, stress, snoring or even sleep apnea - a disorder in which the sleeper temporarily stops breathing.

22 Feb 2009

Aching back? cholesterol drug Lovastatin might help

Back pain, a hallmark of degenerative disc disease, sends millions of people to their doctor. In fact, more than 80 percent of patients who undergo spine surgery do so because of disc degeneration.

22 Feb 2009

Back from the dead twice

“I died twice,” says a teary-eyed DeWayne Lark, “If I didn't believe in miracles before, I believe in them now.”

20 Feb 2009

Training may inoculate seniors against falls

Training people to avoid falls by repeatedly exposing them to unstable situations in the laboratory helped them to later maintain their balance on a slippery floor, according to new research from the Journal of Neurophysiology.

5 Feb 2009

After knee replacement exercise is crucial

It may be uncomfortable at first, but doing exercises to strengthen your quadriceps after you've had knee replacement surgery due to osteoarthritis is critical to your recovery.

2 Feb 2009

Physical therapists test mechanical arm to help patients recover from stroke, traumatic brain injury

Physical therapists at UT Southwestern Medical Center are evaluating a new mechanical arm that allows people recovering from neurological injuries such as strokes and traumatic brain injury to enter a virtual world where they can repeatedly practice movements needed to regain arm strength and movement.

2 Feb 2009

Muscle control the best option for back pain

Australian researchers have found that people suffering with lower back pain can significantly reduce their pain and disability by learning to control their trunk muscles.

2 Feb 2009

Lung transplants: Doing more is better and safer

Transplant surgeons at Johns Hopkins have evidence that hospitals performing at least 20 lung transplant procedures a year, on average, have the best overall patient survival rates and lowest number of deaths from the complex surgery.

29 Jan 2009

Cognitive rehabilitation helps people with acquired brain injury

Cognitive rehabilitation after a serious brain injury or stroke can help the mind in much the same way that physical therapy helps the body, according to a new meta-analysis.

13 Jan 2009

Use of robot and VR system improves walking post-stroke

Patients who've had a stroke and were rehabilitated using a robot to navigate virtual reality environments walked faster and a greater distance following physical therapy compared to those trained with the robot alone, according to researchers at the UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions.

9 Jan 2009

Multifidus muscle design contributes to spine stability

The novel design of a deep muscle along the spinal column called the multifidus muscle may in fact be key to spinal support and a healthy back, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

7 Jan 2009

Parkinson's increases risk for orthopaedic conditions

Although Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disorder, according to an article in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the disease also increases a person's risk of experiencing complicated orthopaedic conditions.

5 Jan 2009

Perception of health and balance has direct impact on walking activity

New research out of the University of Pittsburgh indicates that patients' perceptions of their own health and balance have an impact on how much they walk.

22 Dec 2008

Prison for couple who neglected child's health

A couples' neglect of their child's health which resulted in "dire and tragic consequences" has earned them prison sentences.

17 Dec 2008

Study to identify best rehabilitation therapies for patients with traumatic brain injuries

Rush University Medical Center and 10 other healthcare facilities in the U.S. and Canada have been awarded a $4.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to identify which rehabilitation therapies, or combination of therapies, can best help victims of traumatic brain injuries.

15 Dec 2008

Physical therapy best for musculoskeletal pain relief

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is urging patients with musculoskeletal pain to consider treatment by a physical therapist, in light of a new federal survey showing that more than one-third of American adults and nearly 12 percent of children use alternative medicine - with back and neck pain being the top reasons for treatment.

15 Dec 2008

Cartilage transplants used to repair damaged shoulder joints

Rush University Medical Center is the only hospital in Illinois - and one of only a few nationwide - using cartilage transplants to repair damaged shoulder joints.

5 Dec 2008

Cone-beam CT compared to MDCT before and after percutaneous vertebroplasty

Cone-beam CT which is believed to deliver less radiation than MDCT is just as useful when evaluating patients before and after percutaneous vertebroplasty according to a study performed at the Department of Clinical Radiology, Kyushu University, Fukoka, Japan.

4 Nov 2008

Will patients stick to physical therapy? Questionnaire can help doctors predict

Patients' responses to a simple questionnaire can reliably predict whether they will adhere to physical therapy after spine surgery, Johns Hopkins researchers suggest in a new study. The findings could help physicians identify patients who might benefit from additional preoperative preparation to ensure they attend therapy sessions and follow through with prescribed exercise, a factor that can greatly affect their long-term recovery.

2 Oct 2008