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.

13,066 PAPERS · PAGE 16 OF 262 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTRNQualitative2025Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity in People With Young-Onset (Aged 18-40 Years) Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study.Journal of clinical nursingYoung adults with diabetes said a lack of time, cost, stigma, poor facilities, low skills and difficult emotions blocked activity. They also said family, peers, reminders, trackers and group exercise helped. Tailored, affordable, social plans may fit their lives.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Successful Care Conferences: Nursing Home Staff, Persons with Dementia, and Caregiver Perspectives.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationNursing home staff and families identified three keys to successful virtual care conferences: keeping the resident present and driving the discussion, ensuring direct-care staff like CNAs attend and prepare, and using a trained facilitator to manage the agenda and technology.
• PTRNSystematic Review2025Effectiveness of Physical Activity Interventions on Acute Inpatient Mental Health Units on Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review.International journal of mental health nursingCompared with control groups, physical activity programmes in acute mental health wards improved mood, reduced anxiety, increased fitness or improved patient experience in some studies; others found no difference. Evidence is too mixed to choose a programme.
• PTOTRNSurvey2025Fear of Falling Avoidance Behavior on Daily Living Activities and Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.Nursing & health sciencesIn 506 older adults, higher fear-of-falling avoidance was linked with lower independence in basic daily activities and lower physical activity. This was an association, not proof that avoidance causes decline.
• PTOTRNOther2025Implementing an Activity and Mobility Promotion Approach to Improve Patient Mobility.The American journal of nursingHospital-wide mobility documentation and daily goals were feasible on 15 adult units, and observed mobility improved: more patients sat, stood, or walked, and fewer stayed in bed. This is a quality-improvement report, not proof the program caused the change.
• PTRNOther2025Influence of frailty and cognitive decline on dual task performance in older adults: an analytical cross-sectional study.Revista latino-americana de enfermagemFrailty was associated with slower gait and dual-task walking in 219 older adults; cognitive decline was not related to these walking times.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Child Development Allied Health Services in Rural and Remote Areas: A Systematic Scoping Review of Drivers, Barriers and Enabling Strategies to Delivery of Services.The Australian journal of rural healthNew rural child development services were created because existing care was inadequate, travel was long, staff were scarce and waits were long. Delivery in schools, homes and local clinics, plus training parents and teachers, was reported most often.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Community Rehabilitation for Rural and Remote Australia: Measuring What Matters Based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF): A Scoping Review.The Australian journal of rural healthRural and remote rehabilitation evaluations used 40 outcome measures across 27 studies, but few were consistent, so the review cannot tell which services work. It maps what has been measured, not evidence of patient benefit.
• PTRNMeta-Analysis2025Nurse-involved early mobilization in the intensive care unit: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Nursing in critical careNurse-involved ICU early mobilization did not show a clear improvement in muscle strength. It was linked with shorter ICU stays, but the studies varied in how nurses and other staff shared the work.
• PTRNCohort2025Falls in Hospitals: Challenging Traditional Risk Assessments With New Insights Into Patient Mobility.Journal of advanced nursingHospitalised patients with lower mobility capability fell more often. Actual mobility showed a U-shaped pattern: bed-level and high-walking patients fell less than those in between. Capability and performance may identify different fall risks.
• PTQualitative2025Exploring clinical rehabilitation practices for bronchopulmonary dysplasia in neonatal intensive care unit: A qualitative study.Nursing in critical careNICU clinicians reported BPD rehabilitation was often late, brief, and uncoordinated, with parents rarely involved and inadequate space, equipment, and follow-up.
• PTRNQualitative2025'Home, Instead of Nursing Home'-Improving the Quality of Care for Older People Receiving Short-Term Care: Development of a Person-Centred, Resource-Oriented Programme.International journal of older people nursingResidents and nursing home staff prioritised person-centred care planning, everyday movement support and a champion role for short-term stays. This programme was developed and validated by institutions, not tested for patient outcomes.
• PTOTQualitative2025Identifying Patient, Care Partner, and Clinician Needs for Functional Recovery Following Hospitalization When Dementia is Present.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationVeterans with dementia and care partners wanted clearer discharge communication, involvement in decisions, and home support; PTs and OTs needed time, training, equipment, and tools for home rehabilitation.
• PTRNQualitative2025Older Adults' Experiences and Perceived Barriers to Access and Adoption of the Technology-Based Physio-Feedback Exercise Program.Research in gerontological nursingOlder adults found this tech-based fall-prevention exercise program easy and social. Friends and group sessions kept them involved; balance feedback motivated drinking more water and walking carefully. Few reported barriers.
• PTOTSLPRNRCT2025Examining the impact of identity-safety cues on inclusion for adults with higher body weights in healthcare settings.Patient education and counselingAdults with higher body weights felt safer and more trusting of a hypothetical physician who endorsed a weight-inclusive approach. However, this benefit did not erase the harm of stigmatizing comments; when the physician attributed knee pain to weight, trust dropped sharply despite the inclusive cue.
• PTOTRNCohort2025Changes in Mental and Physical Health Outcomes Following One Day a Week Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation in Regional New South Wales.The Australian journal of rural healthIn regional NSW, patients completing one weekly cardiopulmonary rehab session showed reduced depression, faster sit-to-stand times, and longer walking distances. Waist circumference decreased slightly. Blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation did not change significantly.
• PTRNOther2025Influence of the Practice of the Pilates Method on Pain Perception During Pregnancy: A Quasiexperimental Study.Journal of midwifery & women's healthPrenatal classes plus four weeks of Pilates was associated with lower pelvic and abdominal pain risk than classes alone. Lumbar pain reports decreased in the Pilates group. Dorsal pain did not differ. Self-selection limits certainty.
• PTRNOther2025Development and validation of a multidisciplinary educational booklet for kidney transplant recipients.Revista brasileira de enfermagemA kidney transplant education booklet was validated by multidisciplinary experts and accepted by 30 recipients, with 99.7% agreement on organization, writing style, appearance, and motivation. It is not yet evidence that it prevents complications or readmission.
• PTCohort2025Behavioral and Functional Adaptation to Chronic Stress in Older Adults.Nursing researchIn 3,075 adults aged 50 or older, higher stress was linked to less physical activity and more perceived physical limitation. Perceived stress and physical limitation helped explain the pattern.
• PTRNSystematic Review2025Identifying barriers and enablers to cardiac rehabilitation participation and completion unique to South Asian individuals: a qualitative systematic review.European journal of cardiovascular nursingSouth Asian adults after cardiac referral described language barriers, fatalism, family duties and culturally insensitive programmes as barriers to participation. Interpreters, family support, prayer-friendly flexible classes and respectful staff were enablers.
• PTOther2025Associations between physical activity, glucose variability, and cognitive function in older adults with type 2 diabetes.Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.)Physical activity was not linked to cognitive function overall in older adults with diabetes. In people with lower cognitive scores, more activity tracked with better scores, but that was not the main test. Glucose swings were not linked to activity or cognition.
• PTOTRNQualitative2025Improving Rehabilitation for People With Type 2 Diabetes: Experiences From a Qualitative Study in a Municipal Setting.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesPeople with type 2 diabetes found it hard to turn rehabilitation advice into daily habits. Staff said vulnerable people were hard to reach, and referrals varied. They wanted flexible sessions, dietitian help, family support and better communication.
• PTSystematic Review2025Changes in body awareness in yoga interventions: A systematic review.Complementary therapies in clinical practiceChanges in body awareness after yoga were inconsistent across 31 studies. Some aspects improved, especially on a detailed body-awareness questionnaire, while heartbeat and joint-position tasks were less consistent. The review does not show that yoga reliably changes clinical symptoms.
• PTRNSystematic Review2025Emergency Department Navigator Interventions and Outcome Measures: A Scoping Review.International journal of older people nursingScoping review of 10 studies found no consistent definition or outcome measures for ED navigator interventions for older people. Results on admissions and length of stay were mixed, with no clear evidence of effectiveness.
• PTRNRCT2025Combined Effect of 12 Weeks Baduanjin and Tri-Ball Respiratory Training as a Home-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Subjects With Moderate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial.Rehabilitation nursing : the official journal of the Association of Rehabilitation NursesWith continued inhaled budesonide/formoterol, 12-week home Baduanjin, Tri-Ball Breath training, or both increased 6-minute walk distance versus routine care. The paper does not show which component drives the combined result.
• PTRNQualitative2025Navigating Loss and Growth in Chronic Illness: An Interview Study on Physical Activity and Well-Being.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesPeople living with chronic illness described walking, gardening, sport and nature as relief, control and connection, not just exercise. They also described illness as changing their body, familiar life and future.
• PTQualitative2025Healthcare Professionals' Perceptions of Emotional Intelligence in Remote Counselling-A Descriptive Qualitative Study.Nursing openHealthcare professionals described emotional intelligence in remote counselling as dialogue: building rapport, understanding patients, and regulating their own emotions. Reduced cues, text-based messages and technical problems made this harder.
• PTRNOther2025The development and application of the mobile frailty management platform for Chinese community-dwelling older adults.International journal of nursing sciencesFrail or pre-frail older adults using a WeChat platform plus routine community care had better frailty status, mood, sleep, grip strength and quality of life at 12 weeks. The platform bundled exercise, nutrition, education and monitoring, so single parts cannot be separated.
• PTOTRNSurvey2025Exploring core symptoms and symptom clusters among patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: A network analysis.International journal of nursing sciencesIn adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, pain was the most common and burdensome symptom. Fatigue appeared most tied to other symptoms, and motor symptoms were the most connected cluster. This can help clinicians prioritise symptom assessment and management.
• PTRNRCT2025Effects of the hospital-community-family trinity cardiac rehabilitation on patients with acute myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention: A randomized trial.International journal of nursing sciencesAfter heart attack and PCI, 110 patients in a 12-month hospital-community-family rehab program had better exercise endurance, heart function, and quality of life than routine care.
• PTMeta-Analysis2025Effects of Physical Activity on Health Among Informal Caregivers of People With Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Western journal of nursing researchPhysical activity for caregivers of people with cognitive decline did not improve stress, depression, caregiver burden, quality of life, walking endurance, leg strength, moving balance, or anxiety. It improved standing balance and psychological well-being.
• PTOther2025Reliability and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale in Older People Undergoing Lower Extremity Arthroplasty.Nursing & health sciencesThe Japanese Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale worked well for 113 hip or knee replacement patients. It was stable over 7 to 14 days and related to moderate activity and hip or knee function scores, but not light activity.
• PTQualitative2025Nurses' Experiences of the Quality of Family-Centered Patient Counselling in Paediatric Delirium: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.Nursing openNurses described family counselling for paediatric delirium as needing staged plain-language information, written and digital materials, quiet spaces, early rehabilitation involvement, and better delirium training. They reported jargon, multi-patient rooms, and inconsistent screening as barriers.
• PTRNSystematic Review2025The Effects of Interventions on Health-Related Quality of Life of People Living With Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical nursingCardiac rehabilitation generally improved health-related quality of life in adults with cardiovascular disease, especially physical well-being. Mental health evidence was less consistent, and social benefits were rarely measured.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Missed Nursing Care in Danish Hospitals: A National Survey.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesNursing staff in Danish hospitals reported that 44% of necessary care elements are occasionally, frequently or always missed. Ambulation, turning, mouth care and emotional support were most often missed, while vital signs and hand hygiene were prioritised. Staff shortages drove these omissions.
• PTRNSystematic Review2025Evidence of the use of the Perme Intensive Care Unit Mobility Score in hospitalized adults: a scoping review.Revista latino-americana de enfermagemThe Perme ICU Mobility Score was used in 29 studies of 3,399 hospitalized adults, mostly in ICUs. It takes about 30 seconds, is scored 0 to 32, and higher scores were linked to home discharge, while lower initial scores were seen in patients who died.
• PTOTRNCohort2025Multimorbidity, Muscle Strength, and Falls among Older Mexican Americans.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationAmong older Mexican Americans with no prior falls, high grip strength was linked to fewer falls over 12 years, even with multimorbidity. No multimorbidity was linked to even fewer falls.
• PTOTRNSystematic Review2025Driving behavior and driving outcomes after acute and critical illness: A systematic review.International journal of nursing studiesDriving after hospitalization is poorly studied and evidence is mixed. Brake reaction times were often slower, crash findings varied, and many patients self-restricted driving. Ask about driving safety before discharge and plan follow-up assessment.
• PTMeta-Analysis2025Effectiveness of Treadmill Training Intervention for the Management of Patients With Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of nursing practiceTreadmill training interventions improved walking speed and endurance in stroke survivors overall, but not in those needing assistance at baseline. Body weight-supported training showed gains in some groups, though limitations reduce certainty.
• PTSurvey2025Perceived stress and lower back pain amongst nurses during the SARS-CoV-2, across hospitals in Durban, South Africa.CurationisDuring the COVID-19 peak, 50.0% of 86 Durban nurses reported higher lower back pain and 65.1% reported higher stress than before. Stress and pain moved together, but most did not exercise and few workplaces offered pain strategies.
• PTOTRNPilot2025Real-Time Fatigue and Physical Activity of Older Adults in Assisted Living: Feasibility of Ecological Momentary Assessment.Western journal of nursing researchReal-time monitoring of fatigue and movement worked in assisted living residents. For wheelchair users, activity was linked to higher fatigue shortly after, but for walkers, there was no link. This is a small pilot, so treat these findings as preliminary.
• PTQualitative2025Competence of health professionals in problematizing and reflecting on the situations of people with chronic conditions.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PCourse graduates, including physiotherapists, described diaries, forums and case discussions as helping them reflect on chronic-disease care. These are self-reported learning experiences, not proof that patient outcomes improved.
• PTOTRNMeta-Analysis2025Effectiveness of Nurse-Led Early Mobility Protocols on the Outcomes of Critical Care Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nursing openNurse-led early mobility protocols shortened ICU stay by 1.8 days and hospital stay by 2.6 days, but did not improve mobility, body function, muscle strength or mortality.
• PTOTSLPRNSystematic Review2025Care provided by humanoid robots: a scoping review.Investigacion y educacion en enfermeriaHumanoid robots in healthcare were used mainly for social interaction, with some physical rehabilitation support and health information. This review mapped how they were used, not whether they improved patient outcomes.
• PTRNOther2025Education Programs for Patients With Parkinson's Disease Receiving Deep Brain Stimulation: A Scoping Review.Western journal of nursing researchSeven studies describe patient education for Parkinson's disease with deep brain stimulation. Nurses, therapists, and physicians delivered materials, apps, and counselling. Reported outcomes included better social adjustment, satisfaction, and mobility, but the evidence is too small and varied to prove benefit.
• PTOTRNQualitative2025Experiences and challenges of family caregivers of people with lower limb amputation: a qualitative study.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PFamily caregivers of people with major lower limb amputation described exhaustion, fear of falls, and poor preparation for stump care and transfers. They wanted practical home training, clear discharge information, and ongoing phone or visit support.
• PTSLPOther2025A Cost Comparison From a Health Service Perspective of Three Allied Health Models of Care for Remote Australia: Student-Assisted Services, Fly-In Fly-Out Services and Services Provided by a Resident Clinician.The Australian journal of rural healthModelling the same level of remote allied health care, resident clinicians cost least per client, fly-in fly-out cost more, and student-assisted services cost most. It is a cost comparison, not proof of better patient care.
• PTOTRNSystematic Review2025Interprofessional Collaborations on Interventions for People With Loneliness: A Scoping Review.Nursing openTeam-based loneliness programmes used home visits, phone calls, digital groups and art sessions. Several studies reported lower loneliness, but collaboration details were unclear and many were not controlled trials.
• PTOTRNMeta-Analysis2025The Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise on Depression and Anxiety: Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.International journal of mental health nursingPrescribed aerobic, resistance, or mixed exercise reduced depression and anxiety symptoms in adults with diagnosed conditions compared to usual care. Effects were large for depression and moderate for anxiety. The specific type of exercise did not change the benefit for depression.
• PTOTRNSystematic Review2025Symptom Experience After Surgical Treatment for Vulvar Cancer-A Scoping Review.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesWomen after vulvar cancer surgery described lymphedema, pain, fatigue, urinary and sexual changes, and loneliness. Symptoms varied widely, and many said they lacked clear information after surgery. This maps symptoms, not treatment effects.