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 18 OF 262 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTSurvey2026Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation for Ischaemic Non-Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease: Implementation Considerations From a Survey of UK Health Professionals.Journal of advanced nursingUK cardiac rehabilitation professionals thought people with INOCA should receive cardiac rehabilitation, but few said their service had capacity or enough knowledge. Referrals were often ad hoc, and many wanted training.
• PTRCT2025Inspiratory Muscle Training in Adults With Cerebral Palsy: Long Term Effects: A Double-Blind Randomized, Controlled Trial.Research in nursing & healthEight weeks of inspiratory muscle training improved breathing muscle strength in adults with cerebral palsy, but gains faded by 12 weeks and were mostly gone by 24 weeks. Training at 40% of maximum inspiratory pressure held up better than 20%.
• PTRNQualitative2025Immediate Mobilisation After Elective Colorectal Surgery-Patients' and Healthcare Professionals' Experiences: A Qualitative Study.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesPatients and staff described immediate mobilisation 30 minutes after colorectal surgery as both helpful and hard. Some felt dizzy, nauseated, afraid or reluctant; others felt supported, safer and ready. Staff said it needed time, skill, collaboration and space.
• PTOTSurvey2025Black-White Differences in Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Deserts: Implications for Unmet Care Needs.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationBlack older adults with care needs reported more adverse consequences overall. White older adults in counties with few community care options also reported more adverse consequences, though the link was not clear after accounting for other factors. Service availability was not linked to Black outcomes.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Parental Goals of Care for Children With Rare Diseases: A Content Analysis of Pediatric Advance Care Planning Conversations.The American journal of hospice & palliative careParents of children with rare diseases prioritized stability and quality of life over longevity or cure. Only 20% wanted a cure, while 87% sought minimal change. Clinicians should ask about daily goals, not just resuscitation status.
• PTOTRNCohort2026How Often Are Hospitalised Children Physically Restrained During Painful and Stressful Procedures?Journal of clinical nursingPhysical restraint was observed in 22.3% of 1210 procedures in stable hospitalised children, rising to 32.9% during painful ones. Restraint clustered on airway suctioning, tube insertion and nasal lavage, and was most likely in infants and children crying or in distress.
• PTSystematic Review2025Parental Perceptions of Physical Therapy Use Among Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Meta-Synthesis.The journal of nursing research : JNRParents of children with cerebral palsy described physical therapy as valuable for movement, participation, and hope, but also burdensome when travel, coordination, fatigue, and unclear goals disrupted family life.
• PTRNCohort2025Family Caregiver Availability and Capacity Associated With Home Health Service Types for Patients With Dementia.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationFor home health patients with dementia, clinician-reported lack of caregiver capacity for functional tasks was linked to receiving physical therapy; lack of caregiver availability for medical tasks was linked to receiving skilled nursing.
• PTOTQualitative2025Men's Perceptions of Non-Cancer Related Lymphoedema: A Qualitative Diary Study.Nursing & health sciencesTwelve men with non-cancer lymphoedema described hiding their condition to avoid stigma and being misread as drunk or weak. They managed daily disruption through strict self-care routines, framing themselves as 'expert patients' to regain control and preserve their masculine identity.
• PTRNCohort2025Changes in Physical Activity Among Spanish Kidney Transplant Recipients: A 12-Month Longitudinal Study.Journal of renal careKidney transplant recipients reported lower activity at 3 months after surgery. Activity partly rebounded at 6 months, then fell again, and was lower at 12 months than before transplant.
• PTOTRNRCT2025A Cross-Lagged Panel Model Testing the Impact of Physical Activity During Hospitalization on 1- and 6-Month Discharge Physical Activity and Adverse Events Among Older Adults With Dementia.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationOlder adults with dementia who were more physically active at hospital discharge had lower odds of falling and being rehospitalized within one month. Activity levels did not drop after these adverse events occurred, suggesting discharge mobility is a key protective factor.
• PTOTRNOther2026Contextual Factors Affecting Evidence-Based Practice in Orthopaedic Nursing and Rehabilitation: A Mixed Methods Study.Journal of advanced nursingOrthopaedic hip surgery teams described teamwork and supportive leadership, but fast-track care, heavy workload and weekend staffing shortages limited patient communication. Bladder care was frequent yet poorly explained.
• PTRNSurvey2025Cognitive Frailty and Its Risk Factors Among Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Receiving Hemodialysis: A Cross-Sectional Study.Nursing & health sciences9% of hemodialysis patients had cognitive frailty, meaning physical frailty, cognitive functional decline and depressive symptoms together. Malnutrition risk and physical inactivity were associated with it.
• PTOTRNOther2026A Realist Evaluation of the Implementation and Use of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Four Value-Based Healthcare Programmes.Journal of advanced nursingHeart Failure nurses used PROMs to triage and plan resources, but patients did not self-manage or share decisions. In Epilepsy, mood scores identified problems without services to act on them.
• PTOTRNOther2026Safe Mobility in Hospitalised Older Adults: A Concept Analysis.Journal of clinical nursingPromote hospitalised older adults' active movement while reducing severe fall and immobility harms, rather than preventing every fall. This concept analysis defines safe mobility; it does not test patient outcomes.
• PTQualitative2026Mobilisation Alarm Use in Hospitals and Alignment With Person-Centred Practice: A Qualitative Study.Journal of advanced nursingStaff used bed and chair alarms mainly because they felt short-staffed, stressed, and afraid of blame after falls. They knew alarms often annoyed patients, were not answered promptly, and did not fit person-centred care, but still used them as a quick safety net.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026A Systematic Review of Pain Catastrophizing and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management NursesIn adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain, higher pain catastrophizing consistently links to greater pain intensity and disability. It acts as a mediator of treatment effects, meaning reducing it helps relieve pain, but it does not reliably predict who will respond best to physical interventions like exercise.
• PTOTCohort2025Development of Prediction Models for Healthy Ageing in Community-Dwelling Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study Using Machine Learning.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationOlder adults predicted to age healthily had higher household wealth, younger age, internet use, normal chair-rise speed, physical activity, no pain, high life satisfaction, and no abdominal obesity.
• PTOTQualitative2026A qualitative exploration of child, caregiver, and clinician perspectives on mental health in children with osteogenesis imperfecta.Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and communityChildren with osteogenesis imperfecta, their caregivers and clinicians described frequent worry about fractures, low mood from functional limits, isolation and stigma. Support and mental health referrals were seen as helpful, but access was often poor.
• PTOTSLPRNQualitative2026Exploring the Healthcare Experiences and Preferences of LGBT+ People: An Online Asynchronous Focus Group Study.Journal of advanced nursingLGBT+ patients described healthcare in Ireland as fragmented and often unsafe, citing misgendering, heteronormative assumptions, and a lack of competent providers. They relied on word-of-mouth to find care, with rural patients feeling particularly excluded from services.
• PTOTRNRCT2025Pulmonary Rehabilitation Exercise Package for Enhancing Health in Elderly COPD Patients With Frailty: An Experimental Study.The journal of nursing research : JNRA 4-week pulmonary rehabilitation package significantly reduced shortness of breath and improved walking distance and leg strength in frail older adults with COPD compared to routine care. It also reduced frailty scores at one month. The intervention included breathing exercises, bed exercises, and education.
• PTRNCase Report2026Review of Perioperative Care in Elderly Patients With Esophageal Hiatal Hernia and Cardiopulmonary Disease.Gastroenterology nursing : the official journal of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and AssociatesAn 86-year-old man with a large hiatal hernia and heart failure completed laparoscopic repair after multidisciplinary prehabilitation, monitoring, and infection care. He left hospital 11 days after surgery and had no symptoms at 3 and 6 months.
• PTRNOther2025Assessment of Fall Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Using the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries Algorithm.Nursing openSTEADI screening found 59.6% of community older adults at fall risk, versus 39.5% by questionnaire alone. Physical tests added mobility, balance, and strength concerns. Participants set goals for safety and exercise.
• PTOTRNQualitative2025One Chance to Get it Right: Exploring Perspectives and Experiences in Care Home Discharge Decision-Making in the Acute Hospital.International journal of older people nursingOlder people, families and staff described care home discharge decisions as shaped by family support expectations, worst-case risk worries and unclear communication. Admission gave some time to reflect, but chosen care home availability and interim moves limited choices.
• PTQualitative2025Mapping Perceived Impact, Facilitators and Barriers of Cystic Fibrosis Management in Children and Adolescents: A Qualitative Study From the Parents' Perspective.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesParents described cystic fibrosis care as a daily burden worsened by late diagnosis, hospital trips, shame and school pressure. They reported child autonomy, support and normalising routines as helping daily management.
• PTOTRNCohort2025Predictors of functional disability in people with ischemic stroke: two to three years after the stroke.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PTwo to three years after ischemic stroke, 37.4% of 155 survivors had moderate to severe disability. High initial neurological deficit, no thrombolysis, and new stroke were the main factors associated.
• PTRNNarrative Review2025Thawing the Ice: The Clinical Diagnosis and Effective Management of Adhesive Capsulitis.Orthopedic nursingPhysical therapy, steroid or hyaluronic acid injections, and hydrodilation can improve frozen shoulder pain and motion early, but long-term differences often disappear. Newer biologics remain investigational.
• PTOTCohort2025Utilization of Occupational and Physical Therapy Home Health Visits Among People Living With Dementia With Varying Social Determinants of Health.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationPeople living with dementia had OT and PT home health visit counts not associated with race or neighborhood disadvantage. Care partner-reported PT visits differed from agency records. Baseline ADL gaps did not persist at 30 days.
• PTRNCohort2025Poorer Quality of Life Outcomes Are Associated with Higher Levels of Stress, Lower Levels of Resilience, and Poorer Adjustment to Cancer in Outpatients Receiving Chemotherapy.Seminars in oncology nursingAmong chemotherapy outpatients, 26.9% were in a low quality-of-life class; these patients had higher stress, lower resilience, poorer mental adjustment, depression, back pain, and lower function. Use these cues to screen and refer.
• PTRNRCT2025Experience of heart failure patients in mobilization with virtual reality: mixed methods study.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PAdding immersive virtual reality to early mobilization did not show a clear difference in the main breathing sensation outcome compared with mobilization alone. Patients in both groups rated the procedure positively.
• PTOTRNOther2025Stigma Towards Hospitalised Older Adults: A Concept Analysis.Nursing openHospitalised older adults face stigma as age-based assumptions, exclusion from decisions, neglected pain care and rehabilitation, and dismissive communication. These practices are associated with withdrawal, poorer recovery, disability and delayed discharge.
• PTOTSLPRNCase Report2025A Composite Dermal Matrix Comprising Ovine Forestomach Matrix and Hyaluronic Acid in the Treatment of Chronic Wounds Secondary to Calciphylaxis: A Case Series and Literature Review.Advances in skin & wound careAll four calciphylaxis wounds closed after a single application of a composite dermal matrix, with mean healing time of 43.5 days. Pain scores dropped to zero in three wounds. This shows what happened to three patients, not that the product works better than other care.
• PTOTRNCohort2025Frailty, Nutrition, and Quality of Life in Urban-Dwelling Older Adults Facing Vulnerability: Observational Study in Primary Heath Care Settings in Underpopulated Areas.Nursing & health sciencesPoor functional independence and performance were the strongest indicators of vulnerability in older adults in Brazilian primary care, and poor nutrition was also linked. Quality of life was linked to vulnerability but was not analyzed as a predictor.
• PTSurvey2025Parkinson's Disease in Australia: Evaluation of Regional Differences and Health-Related Quality of Life.The Australian journal of rural healthRegional living was not associated with poorer Parkinson's quality of life. Regional respondents waited longer for diagnosis and travelled farther to neurologist appointments. Disease severity predicted quality of life.
• PTOTSLPRNOther2025Lived experiences, depression, and quality of life in Korean women with Parkinson disease after deep brain stimulation: a multimethod study.Women's health nursing (Seoul, Korea)Quality of life and depression did not clearly improve in Korean women with Parkinson disease after deep brain stimulation, although motor symptoms improved. They described pain, visible device changes, battery costs, and fear of shutdown.
• PTOTRNQualitative2026Recovery After Critical Illness: A Meta-Ethnography of Patient, Family and Staff Perspectives.Journal of advanced nursingCritical illness survivors described persistent weakness, pain and dependence that made them feel burdensome. Families struggled to access follow-up rehabilitation and information after discharge. Staff also reported unclear post-discharge care.
• PTOTRNQualitative2025Experiences of severe burn survivors in the hospital-to-home transition.Revista brasileira de enfermagemSevere burn survivors described going home as frightening and unsupported, with uncontrolled pain, scarring, lost work and difficult follow-up. Family, faith and contact with the hospital team helped them adapt.
• PTOTProtocol2025Examining High-Intensity Exercise on Cognitive and Vascular Outcomes in Older Adults Living With HIV-A Research Protocol: Design and Rationale From Two Harmonized Clinical Studies in the Deep South.The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANACThis paper describes the design of two trials testing high-intensity versus continuous exercise in older adults with HIV. No results are reported. It outlines methods for assessing cognitive function, arterial stiffness, and exercise adherence over 12 months.
• PTOTSLPRNCohort2025Family Functioning and Parent Behavioural Changes Post-Admission to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Single-Centre Cohort Study.Nursing in critical careMost families maintained healthy functioning after PICU discharge, but caregiver distress strongly predicted poor outcomes. Nurses should screen for caregiver PTSD and mental illness during follow-up, as these affect family cohesion more than the child's clinical severity.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Challenges and Perspectives in Treating Individuals With Musculoskeletal Disorders and Comorbidity: A Systematic Literature Review With a Descriptive Thematic Synthesis.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesPhysiotherapists and occupational therapists caring for people with musculoskeletal disorders plus diabetes, obesity or mental health problems said they lacked training to address comorbidities. They also faced limited allied health sessions, scope uncertainty and guilt about ignoring other conditions.
• PTCohort2025Exploring Physical Activity Levels and Performance Among High-Intensity Transplant Athletes at the World Transplant Games.Progress in transplantation (Aliso Viejo, Calif.)Highly active transplant athletes reported and recorded much more than general guidelines and competed at speeds and heart rates similar to nontransplant cyclists. Objective app data, not self-report, was linked to race speed.
• PTOTRNOther2025Key Areas of Preventive Home Visits and Their Importance for Older Adults: A Scoping Review.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesPreventive home visits for older adults centred on autonomy, trust, tailored advice and information. Older adults valued a regular nurse contact, but some healthy or very ill saw little benefit.
• PTRNOther2025Validity of self-reported measures of decreased muscle strength in older adults.Revista brasileira de enfermagemSelf-reported strength loss in older adults was not reliable enough to identify weak grip alone. Feeling weaker found many true cases but also many people who were not weak. SARC-F caught fewer true cases but wrongly flagged fewer people. Use handgrip measurement when possible.
• PTOTRNSurvey2026Validity of Activity-Based Checks (ABCs) of Pain, A Functional Pain Scale.Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management NursesA visual pain scale grouped activities into four areas and agreed with established pain measures. It had moderate stability over two weeks. It may help pain management teams assess how pain limits daily tasks, not how well treatment works.
• PTRNQualitative2026The Forgotten Caregivers: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experiences of Fathers of Children With Medical Complexity.Journal of clinical nursingFathers of children with medical complexity described night care, lifting, financial pressure and emotional support as central. They wanted peer support, flexible work, mental health help and physiotherapy for caregiver strain.
• PTQualitative2025Engagement in a digital health physical activity program, TPA4You, among older family care partners of persons with heart failure: A Scenario-based design.Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.)Older family caregivers of people with heart failure saw a home-based Zoom, Fitbit, and text program as useful in concept, but said caregiving time, technology worries, and mixed reactions to messages were key barriers.
• PTOTSLPRNNarrative Review2025An overview of clinical presentation and management of long COVID.The Nurse practitionerLong COVID can be considered when symptoms persist beyond 12 weeks and alternative causes are excluded. Management is supportive: screen cardiac risk before exercise, use graded exercise, fluids, salt and compression for POTS, and refer to PT, OT, speech and swallowing rehab.
• PTOTOther2025Interprofessional Simulation-Based Training to Facilitate ABCDEF Bundle Implementation.American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care NursesSixteen ICU clinicians rated a 90-minute interprofessional simulation training as realistic and relevant. After training, more reported comfort with awakening trials, non-pharmacologic agitation management, and team mobilization of ventilated patients.
• PTRNSurvey2025Machine Learning Techniques for Identifying Lifestyle Factors Associated With Low Back Pain in Adults Aged 50 and Older Using Data From the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.Nursing & health sciencesIn Korean adults aged 50 and older, lifestyle factors were associated with chronic low back pain. Female sex, older age, activity limitation, stress, low walking, high sitting, smoking, and diet appeared in a predictive model, but it was not strong enough for screening.
• PTRNOther2025Frailty and mobility in hospitalized older adults: an analytical cross sectional study.Revista brasileira de enfermagemFrail hospitalized older adults had much lower mobility than non-frail and prefrail patients. Prefrail and non-frail patients did not differ. This association was measured at admission, so it cannot show frailty caused the mobility loss.