physical therapy

Research for physical therapy

Papers a physiotherapist can act on — musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiorespiratory and paediatric practice — each read in full and summarised without overstating what it found.

32 papers

• Journal of rehabilitation medicine · 2026 · OtherClinical factors associated with motor imagery ability in individuals with subacute stroke.In 40 subacute stroke patients, motor recovery, proprioception, and working memory together were associated with motor imagery ability, but no single factor independently predicted it. Cross-sectional design; associations only, not causation.
• Brazilian journal of physical therapy · 2026 · QualitativeOffice workers' perspectives on implementing active breaks supported by a digital intervention to alleviate spinal pain: a qualitative study.Seventeen office workers with persistent spinal pain said short breaks (3–5 min every 2–3 hours) would help, but workloads and interruptions make them hard to fit in. They want physiotherapist guidance and short digital content. This is a perceptions study, not a test of whether breaks reduce pain.
• Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2026 · Meta-AnalysisBrain-computer interface for upper limb functional recovery post-stroke: a meta-analysis of improvement in upper limb motor function and changes in neurophysiological markers.BCI training added to standard stroke rehab improved upper limb movement scores across 16 trials. The benefit was clearest in the subacute phase; in chronic stroke it did not reach significance. Consider BCI as an adjunct for subacute upper limb rehab, not a replacement.
• Journal of rehabilitation medicine · 2026 · CohortPrehabilitation for patients undergoing metabolic/bariatric surgery: a retrospective cohort study using propensity score matching.A 6-week prehabilitation programme (exercise, diet, psychology) before bariatric surgery did not change 12-month weight loss versus standard education. Small 3-month gains in weight and grip strength faded by 6 months. No added safety risk.
• JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2026 · QualitativeGoal Setting During Telerehabilitation in Japan: Qualitative Study of Occupational Therapists' and Physical Therapists' Experiences Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.Nine Japanese therapists described remote goal setting as a distinct practice, not a lesser one: they lost touch and whole-body observation but gained coaching roles, home visibility, and continuity as a goal. Structure remote sessions around what you cannot do, not just what you can.
• Journal of rehabilitation medicine · 2026 · RCTEffect of kinesiology taping on limb oedema in patients with severe hyper-dependency using shear-wave elastography: a randomized clinical trial.In severely dependent patients with limb oedema, kinesiology tape stretched to 25% reduced skin and fat-layer stiffness more than the same tape applied flat, with effects lasting 16 days. This shows the stretch matters, not that tape beats no treatment.
• Brazilian journal of physical therapy · 2026 · PilotQuality indicators for Spanish hospital-based physical therapy units: a feasibility and inter-rater reliability study.Of 22 quality indicators tested in three Spanish hospitals, 13 worked and 9 could not be reliably measured. Where measurable, compliance was often very low — for example, fewer than 10% of stroke patients had their rehabilitation need assessed within 48 hours at two of three sites.
• Journal of rehabilitation medicine · 2026 · Meta-AnalysisThe short-term efficacy of heat therapy for osteoarthritis of the hands: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Heat therapy for hand osteoarthritis reduces short-term pain and improves grip strength, but does not improve overall hand function scores. Multimodal approaches (paraffin, mud baths) outperformed simple heat. Based on 9 trials with 627 patients.
• The South African journal of physiotherapy · 2026 · OtherCystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulator therapy and lived experiences in South Africa: A mixed-methods study.Thirty-seven South Africans on CFTR modulator therapy reported major improvements in breathing, treatment burden, exercise, and attendance. Findings are self-reported and retrospective, so the size of change may be exaggerated, but the direction is consistent across every domain.
• Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026 · OtherEvaluation of AI-generated exercise prescriptions for diverse cardiac conditions in rehabilitation: a simulation study using the DeepSeek model.An AI model wrote exercise plans for five made-up cardiac patients that two experts rated as safe and guideline-consistent. No real patients were involved and no comparison to clinician-written plans was made. This is a proof-of-concept, not evidence the AI can prescribe exercise.
• JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2026 · OtherEffects of Using a Lumbar-Type Hybrid Assistive Limb by Older Adults With Frailty on Exercise Self-Efficacy: Retrospective Analysis Based on the Kanagawa Prospective ME-BYO Cohort Study.A wearable hip-assist robot improved exercise confidence by 1.05 points (on a 4-item, 1-to-5 scale) among 96 frail older adults, with the largest gains in those who had never exercised regularly. The randomised comparison did not show a clear difference between groups.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · CohortIsokinetic Quadriceps and Hamstring Peak Torque in Athletes Aged 10-50+: Preoperative Uninvolved Limb Reference Values for ACL Reconstruction.In 321 athletes scheduled for ACL surgery, quadriceps and hamstring strength (adjusted for body weight) declined with age, but the hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio stayed stable. The widely used 3.0 Nm/kg strength target may not fit patients outside their 20s.
• Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026 · OtherExamining patterns of assistive device distribution under the Indian ADIP scheme from 2020 to 2025.India's government assistive device scheme reaches people very unevenly: one state covers 201.8% of its disabled population while another covers only 12.3%. A therapist in a low-coverage state should not assume the scheme will reliably supply a patient's device.
• Child: care, health and development · 2026 · SurveyStrengthening School-Based Support Systems for Children and Youth With Developmental Coordination Disorder: A National Survey of Canadian Parents.A national survey of 488 Canadian parents of children with DCD found only 17% had a school-based therapist and 75% paid for therapy out of pocket. Assume the school system is not providing adequate motor support and advocate for services.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · CohortPeroneal Muscle Size and Quality Changes after Impairment-Based Rehabilitation in Patients with Chronic Ankle Instability.Four weeks of individualized ankle rehab grew the peroneal muscles and improved their tissue quality in young adults with chronic ankle instability. Standing measurements showed bigger gains than lying, and the untrained leg also grew but its quality did not change.
• Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID · 2026 · OtherCharacterisation of Pelvic Floor Muscle Activation in Adults With Intellectual Disability Using Surface Electromyography: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.Adults with intellectual disability produced significantly lower and more variable pelvic floor muscle contractions than matched controls, even without current incontinence. After adjusting for age, sex, and body size, the difference remained, pointing to the disability itself as the factor.
• Australian occupational therapy journal · 2026 · QualitativeExperiences and perceptions of occupational therapy and physiotherapy practice education in research settings.Students who completed a research-based OT or PT placement reported it was more client-facing than they feared and left them more confident with research. But most students and educators had never considered the option. The gap is awareness and accreditation confidence, not the quality of the experience.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · ProtocolUtilization of the Functional Lower Extremity Evaluation (FLEE) in Return-to-Sport Rehabilitation Protocol Following Hip Arthroscopy in Collegiate Athletes: A Case Series.Four college athletes who had hip surgery returned to sport at about 5.75 months with no reinjury over four years. This is a descriptive case series with no comparison group — it cannot show the functional test or the rehab protocol caused the good outcome.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · OtherShoulder Internal and External Rotator Strength Reliability and Validity in Healthy Adolescent Athletes.Handheld dynamometry gives a usable number for shoulder internal rotator strength in teen athletes (prone or supine), but its external rotator readings are unreliable in every position tested. Do not use HHD external-rotator numbers to clear a young athlete back to throwing.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · Narrative ReviewReturn to Golf Rehabilitation Progression after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using an Evidence-Based Foundation.A proposed six-phase return-to-golf framework after ACL reconstruction, built from biomechanics and rehab literature. It is not validated — the authors call for a prospective pilot study before it can guide practice.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · Case ReportCalcific Patellar Tendinopathy. A Case Report Integrating Diagnostic Ultrasound Throughout a Multi-Modal Treatment Approach.One 46-year-old woman with calcific patellar tendinopathy improved in pain, function, and tendon ultrasound appearance over 11 months using dry needling, spinal manipulation, and progressive exercise together. This is a single case, not proof the approach works, and no component can be isolated.
• Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2026 · OtherCortical neuromodulation by vibration-induced illusion of movement is observed in older individuals, but not in individuals with acute stroke: a cross-sectional fNIRS study.Vibrating the triceps tendon to create an illusion of arm movement produced no measurable brain response in people with acute stroke, while healthy adults showed clear cortical activation. The technique may not engage expected neural pathways early after stroke.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · Narrative ReviewAdductor-Related Athletic Groin Pain: A Clinical Commentary.Adductor groin pain in athletes: the Copenhagen adduction exercise is the best-evidenced prevention tool, rehabilitation must include lumbopelvic control beyond isolated strengthening, and return-to-sport clearance needs more than a single strength test.
• Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026 · Systematic ReviewInclusion of Participants With Limited English Proficiency in Autism Research.A systematic review of 1,007 autism studies found that only 19% included participants with limited English proficiency, and just 18% of randomized trials did — meaning most intervention evidence may not apply to your LEP patients.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · RCTAcute Effects of Contract-Relax PNF With and Without Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Hamstring Flexibility and Jump Performance in Adolescent Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Adding motor-level electrical stimulation to a PNF stretching routine gave adolescent soccer players no more flexibility than the same routine with a placebo tingle. Neither protocol changed jump height. The evidence here does not support adding NMES for an extra flexibility boost.
• Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026 · Systematic ReviewEmbodied robots in rehabilitation-oriented interventions for older adults with disability or cognitive impairment: a scoping review.A scoping review mapped 11 robot-rehabilitation studies for older adults. The evidence is too small and too varied to say robots improve function — it's a landscape map, not proof of benefit. Four of five physical-rehab studies were done in Chinese hospitals.
• International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026 · QualitativePatients' Mental Barriers in Rehabilitation after ACL Reconstruction: A Qualitative Interview Study.Nine patients 5–9 months post-ACL surgery describe readiness as a shifting process, not a fixed milestone. Their physical therapist is the main psychological anchor, yet they don't recognise that support as psychological. Ask about fear and confidence, not just strength.
• Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liao · 2026 · PilotFisioCare Neurogroup: A new application for home monitoring of individuals with neurological diseases.A Brazilian team built a free smartphone app that lets physiotherapists assign home exercises to neurological patients and track whether they do them. Ten patients tried it; seven finished. No evidence yet that it improves recovery.
• Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liao · 2026 · Systematic ReviewFunctional rehabilitation strategies for enhancing neuromuscular control after ACL reconstruction: A systematic review.Nine small trials suggest jump training and aquatic exercises improve muscle coordination after ACL surgery, and blood flow restriction may protect early strength. Most findings rest on a single trial, so treat these as promising, not proven.
• Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liao · 2026 · Narrative ReviewEffectiveness of aerobic physical training for spinal cord injury rehabilitation: A mini-review.A short review of five randomised trials finds that aerobic exercise improves fitness, mood, and daily function in people with spinal cord injury. It is a safe, low-cost addition to rehabilitation, but the best dose and duration are still unclear.
• JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2026 · PilotIntelligent Robot-Aided, Task-Oriented Physiotherapy Method for Upper Limb Rehabilitation: Development and Usability Study.A robot that adjusts its help based on your performance produced at least as much muscle activation as a fixed-assistance robot, and more than a physiotherapist's hands. But this was one session in 34 mixed patients — no proof yet it improves recovery.
• Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liao · 2026 · OtherAssociation between comorbidity burden and subclinical cardiac dysfunction in cancer patients prior to chemotherapy.Among 110 cancer patients before their first chemotherapy, higher comorbidity scores and lower functional status were weakly but significantly associated with early heart muscle impairment. These routine scores may help prioritise who gets a baseline echo.