Physiotherapy News and Research

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Impact of maternal obesity on the NHS

A new study reveals the true costs of the increase in maternal obesity and how it is impinging on service delivery in the NHS

8 Mar 2007

Aging bones may benefit from whole body vibration device

While running and jumping are some of the best ways to maintain or improve bone strength and help prevent fractures, they aren't the safest activities for the frail, elderly or physically impaired.

19 Feb 2007

Robotic physiotherapist could treat patients and cut waiting times

A robotic system to treat physiotherapy patients with lower limb problems could lead to a decrease in waiting lists and the ability for patients to be treated outside of clinics.

From Sheffield Hallam University 12 Feb 2007

Smart technology cuts physiotherapy waiting times

Technology with the potential to help cut physiotherapy waiting times has been unveiled by the University of Abertay Dundee.

11 Feb 2007

New treatment for lower back pain using patient's own stem cells

A University of Manchester researcher has developed a treatment for lower back pain using the patient's own stem cells, which could replace the use of strong painkillers or surgery that can cause debilitation, neither of which addresses the underlying cause.

From The University of Manchester 2 Dec 2006

Face transplant woman has something to smile about

Thirty eight year old French woman Isabelle Dinoire who received the world's first face transplant has made a remarkable recovery and is now able to go out without anyone noticing her scars.

28 Nov 2006

Physiotherapists and pharmacists can help reduce knee pain and reliance on painkillers

Older people with knee pain who receive their main care from physiotherapists and pharmacists are more likely to experience improvements in pain levels and knee function, and are less likely to need NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, eg asprin and ibuprofen), according to a BMJ study.

23 Oct 2006

Acupuncture for low back pain provides long-term benefit

Low back pain is one of the most common medical complaints and affects millions of people, and according to researchers in the UK the ancient Chinese treatment acupuncture can help sufferers.

18 Sep 2006

Ergonomic and physiotherapeutic interventions for treating work-related complaints of the arm, neck or shoulder in adults

Many conservative methods used to treat work-related complaints of the upper body have only limited effectiveness, according to an updated systematic review by Arianne Verhagen, Ph.D., and her colleagues in the Netherlands.

21 Jul 2006

Drug trial horror gave victim '4 months of hell'

One of the six volunteers who were left critically ill when a drug trial went horribly wrong has spoken out about his ordeal.

28 Jun 2006

Ultrasound to treat cancer

For the first time, ultrasound is being used in animal models – to treat cancer by disrupting tumor blood vessels.

7 Nov 2005

Stockings which provide an alternative to physiotherapy

A team of researchers at Imperial College London have developed inflatable stockings to give relief to elderly people with mobility problems.

22 Aug 2005

Most people with knee pain also have pain elsewhere

Joint pain, especially in the knees, is a common complaint in older patients and can impact quality of life. A team of researchers recently set out to examine how often knee pain is accompanied by pain elsewhere in the body and whether the presence of multiple joint pain affects older patients' general health and psychological status.

28 Jul 2005

Video games can be useful in health care and research

One innovative application of video games in health care is their use in pain management as the degree of attention needed to play such a game can distract the player from the sensation of pain, writes Mark Griffiths, Professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University.

14 Jul 2005

Exercise programme is as beneficial as spinal surgery in treating lower back pain

The largest ever clinical trial of surgery versus exercise treatments for chronic low back pain has found that patients may obtain as much benefit from an intense physical exercise programme as from spinal surgery.

22 May 2005

Physiotherapy is effective in treating stress incontinence

Physiotherapy is effective in treating stress incontinence in about 80 per cent of cases, according to the first national study undertaken in clinical practice by researchers at the University of South Australia.

20 May 2005

Pelvic floor exercises versus ‘holding on’ in treatment of incontinence

Pelvic floor muscle exercises could feel the squeeze when they go up against toilet techniques in a new study to find the best way to treat incontinence.

15 Mar 2005

Diesel engines are posing a serious threat to public health

Air particles emitted mainly by diesel engines are posing a serious threat to public health, warn respiratory physiotherapists in a new report published by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).

1 Mar 2005

Virtual pain relief for children

Children who have the distraction of a virtual reality game while undergoing post-operative physiotherapy, report a significant decrease in their experience of pain, new research at the University of South Australia has found.

12 Jan 2005

£2.5 million to support further research into gene therapy for cystic fibrosis

The funding commitment was made in the Genetics White Paper, 'Our Inheritance, Our Future: Realising the potential of genetics in the NHS' and will help to ensure that those with cystic fibrosis benefit as soon as possible from the latest advances in genetic knowledge and technologies.

4 Jan 2005