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 25 OF 262 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTRCT2016Effects of 8 weeks of mat-based Pilates exercise on gait in chronic stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn chronic stroke patients, the Pilates group showed faster walking and longer strides after 8 weeks, but imbalance between sides did not improve.
• PTRCT2016Effects of galvanic vestibular stimulation on event related potentials.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn young women with normal cognition, brief electrical stimulation near the ears changed some brain responses during word-picture matching. The study did not show that this improves memory, attention, or everyday function.
• PTOTOther2016Reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment questionnaire for patients with musculoskeletal disorder.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe Korean Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment gives consistent scores when patients repeat it after one week and aligns with the SF-36. It is a reliable self-report tool for tracking disability in Korean patients with limb musculoskeletal disorders.
• PTOTCase Series2016Deviation in the recovery of the lower limb and respiratory muscles of patients with polymyositis: a preliminary clinical study.Journal of physical therapy scienceFive people with polymyositis who received physiotherapy and prednisolone for four weeks showed improved leg strength, breathing muscle pressures, and daily function. Inspiratory muscle pressure improved less than expiratory muscle pressure. Because both treatments were given together, their separate effects cannot be identified.
• PTRCT2016The immediate effects of spinal thoracic manipulation on respiratory functions.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn healthy young adults, thoracic spinal manipulation immediately increased forced vital capacity by 0.2 liters and FEV1 by 0.1 liters; placebo showed no change. The authors called the gains very small.
• PTCase-Control2016Is ultrasonography useful in the diagnosis of the polyneuropathy in diabetic patients?Journal of physical therapy scienceUltrasound showed larger ulnar nerves at the elbow in diabetic patients with polyneuropathy or carpal tunnel syndrome. The elbow measurement was the most effective ultrasound parameter for polyneuropathy diagnosis, but no diagnostic gold standard existed.
• PTOther2016Fall- and BBS-related differences in muscle strength and postural balance of the elderly.Journal of physical therapy scienceActive older women who had fallen and those who had not looked almost the same in strength and Berg Balance Scale scores. A sensor sway measure differed, but the Berg scale alone did not separate fallers.
• PTOther2016Mean individual muscle activities and ratios of total muscle activities in a selective muscle strengthening experiment: the effects of lower limb muscle activity based on mediolateral slope angles during a one-leg stance.Journal of physical therapy scienceAt slopes of 0°, 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, and 25° during one-leg stance, electrical activity differed for the gluteus medius, hamstring, and medial gastrocnemius. The medial gastrocnemius percentage of total activity also differed. This was in 21 healthy volunteers.
• PTOther2016The effect of age and body mass index on plantar cutaneous sensation in healthy women.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn healthy women, heel and some forefoot areas felt pressure less often with older age and higher BMI. Foot pain also rose with age and was worse in obesity. This is a link, not proof that weight or aging causes sensory loss.
• PTSystematic Review2016The effect of whole body vibration therapy on the physical function of people with type II diabetes mellitus: a systematic review.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe evidence is inconclusive. Some trials of whole-body vibration plus exercise reported better balance, strength and walking endurance, but Timed Up and Go results were inconsistent.
• PTOther2016Primary and secondary gait deviations of stroke survivors and their association with gait performance.Journal of physical therapy scienceFive stroke survivors had less ankle, knee, and hip motion than five healthy controls, but more pelvic tilt, rotation, and side-to-side movement. On the affected side, knee, hip, and pelvic motion were seen with slower walking and shorter steps.
• PTRCT2016Effects of ankle biofeedback training on strength, balance, and gait in patients with stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceAnkle strength did not differ between biofeedback training and conventional strengthening. Balance improved and walking time decreased more with biofeedback training after 8 weeks.
• PTSurvey2016Physical activity of men from Wroclaw compared with their discretionary income.Journal of physical therapy scienceIncome groups differed in reported physical activity. The lowest income group reported the least total activity, and low-intensity and high-intensity activity also varied by income; moderate intensity did not. This is an association, not proof money causes it.
• PTPilot2016Physical exercises for breast cancer survivors: effects of 10 weeks of training on upper limb circumferences.Journal of physical therapy scienceTen weeks of Nordic Walking, with or without ISA exercises, and Walking plus ISA exercises reduced arm circumferences on the surgery side. Walking alone did not. This was a small pilot.
• PTRCT2016The effects of wall slide and sling slide exercises on scapular alignment and pain in subjects with scapular downward rotation.Journal of physical therapy scienceWall slide exercises, but not sling slide exercises, significantly improved resting scapular alignment, increased pressure pain threshold, and reduced upper trapezius pain in young men with scapular downward rotation after four weeks. Sling exercises showed no significant benefit over baseline.
• PTOther2016The effects of performing a one-legged bridge with hip abduction and use of a sling on trunk and lower extremity muscle activation in healthy adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceSome trunk and hip muscles activated more when one-legged bridge exercises added hip abduction or a sling in healthy adults. The study did not test patients or functional outcomes.
• PTOther2016Effect of elastic stockings and ankle positions on the blood velocity in the common femoral vein.Journal of physical therapy scienceElastic stockings did not change common femoral vein blood velocity in 10 healthy men. Head-up position lowered velocity compared with supine or leg-up, with or without stockings.
• PTOther2016Effect of rain boot shaft length on lower extremity muscle activity during treadmill walking.Journal of physical therapy scienceLong, middle and short rain boots showed no significant difference in lower-limb muscle activity during treadmill walking in 12 healthy young women. Shaft length alone did not appear to alter how these muscles worked.
• PTOther2016The effect of proficiency level on measurement error of range of motion.Journal of physical therapy scienceGoniometer error decreased as testers gained experience. For knee flexion measured by a less experienced tester, a small change may be indistinguishable from measurement error.
• PTOTCohort2016The effects of hand strength on upper extremity function and activities of daily living in stroke patients, with a focus on right hemiplegia.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn stroke patients with right hemiplegia, grip strength correlated with both upper extremity function and daily living independence. Pinch strength correlated with function but not with daily living tasks. Grip appears more critical for basic independence than finger pinch.
• PTRCT2016Effects of ankle exercises on balance ability when using shoe height insoles.Journal of physical therapy scienceYoung adults doing four weeks of combined ankle stretching, resistance and balance exercises improved balance while wearing 3, 5 and 7 cm height insoles; the control group did not, and the exercise parts cannot be separated.
• PTOther2016A study on macronutrient self-selection after acute aerobic exercise in college females.Journal of physical therapy scienceFifteen healthy female college students reported lower calorie intake during a later 3-day period that included 1 hour of group climbing. Total intake fell from 2,012.6 to 1,694.1 kcal; protein and carbohydrate fell, lipid did not.
• PTCase-Control2017Assessment of functional capacity and sleep quality of patients with chronic heart failure.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoPatients with chronic heart failure had worse sleep quality scores, 8.7 ± 1.6 versus 3.8 ± 1.3, where higher is worse, and walked 242.4 ± 30.1 metres versus 467.1 ± 65.6 metres in controls.
• PTOther2017Gait initiation is impaired in subjects with Parkinson's disease in the OFF state: Evidence from the analysis of the anticipatory postural adjustments through wearable inertial sensors.Gait & postureIn people with Parkinson's who were off medication, wearable sensors measured balance preparation before stepping in agreement with force plates and showed smaller side-to-side trunk movement and longer weight transfer than controls.
• PTSystematic Review2016Measurement properties of the upright motor control test for adults with stroke: a systematic review.Archives of physiotherapyIn adults with stroke, knee extension and knee flexion scores on the Upright Motor Control Test may help tell community walkers from household walkers. No published data showed whether different clinicians score it the same or whether it tracks change.
• PTCase Report2016Sustained effects of once-a-week gait training with hybrid assistive limb for rehabilitation in chronic stroke: case study.Journal of physical therapy scienceOne woman with chronic stroke improved walking speed by 72.7% after eight weeks of once-a-week robotic gait training. These gains remained at 51.7% two months later. This single case suggests sustained benefit but cannot prove the treatment works for others.
• PTOther2016Effects of friction massage of the popliteal fossa on dynamic changes in muscle oxygenation and ankle flexibility.Journal of physical therapy scienceTwo minutes of friction massage over the back of the knee in 12 healthy young men did not show a clear improvement in ankle flexibility. Oxygenated hemoglobin measured by a light probe increased.
• PTOther2016The effect of a scalp massage on stress hormone, blood pressure, and heart rate of healthy female.Journal of physical therapy scienceA 15 or 25 minute massage program including shoulder, neck, larynx, occiput, temple, ear and face techniques lowered norepinephrine, cortisol and blood pressure in female office workers, but epinephrine and heart rate did not differ clearly between groups.
• PTPilot2016Effects of fast expiration exercises without pressure on the respiratory muscle strength of healthy subjects.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy young adults who blew fast into a peak flow meter three times a week for four weeks showed significant increases in both expiratory and inspiratory muscle strength compared to controls. The training used no pressure resistance, relying only on speed of expiration.
• PTSLPRCT2016Effects of an upper-limb exercise program for improving muscular strength and range of movement on respiratory function of stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding 30 minutes of upper-limb training to standard physiotherapy for four weeks significantly improved lung capacity, breathing volume, and cough strength in stroke patients compared to standard care alone.
• PTOther2016Effects of the optimal flexor/extensor ratio on G-tolerance.Journal of physical therapy scienceStudents who passed a high-G tolerance test had higher muscle mass and BMI than students who failed early. Knee and trunk strength ratios showed some differences, but the pattern was not consistent.
• PTCase Report2016Prone positioning reduces severe pushing behavior: three case studies.Journal of physical therapy scienceThree stroke patients with severe pushing behavior had lower scores after 10-minute prone relaxation added to visual feedback, sit-to-stand and knee-ankle-foot orthotic gait training; scores remained lower at follow-up. Prone relaxation cannot be separated from these other treatments.
• PTOTCohort2016Factors associated with the recovery of activities of daily living after hospitalization for acute medical illness: a prospective cohort study.Journal of physical therapy scienceLonger time from illness onset to starting rehabilitation was associated with poorer recovery of daily activities. Among patients who had been independent before illness, better cognition was associated with better recovery; among those partially dependent, better nutrition was associated with better recovery.
• PTOTOther2016Information on functioning found in the medical records of patients with stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke admission and discharge summaries mostly captured body function information, including muscle power and pain, and also walking, medication and imaging, while social participation and hobbies were absent.
• PTOther2016Changes in the electromyographic activities of the infraspinatus and posterior deltoid according to abduction angles of the shoulder joint during shoulder external rotation in closed kinetic chain exercise.Journal of physical therapy scienceInfraspinatus activity was 8.3%, 7.7%, and 9.6% of maximum voluntary isometric contraction at 45°, 90°, and 135° and did not differ significantly; posterior deltoid was significantly lower at 90° and 135° than at 45° (13.7% and 12.1% versus 17.5%).
• PTOther2016The effectiveness of home-based exercise programs for low back pain patients.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients who returned after four weeks showed improved pain, flexibility, endurance and disability scores during home exercise plus medical treatment. The study cannot separate the components, and adherence or exercise accuracy did not correlate with outcomes.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2016Measurement of physical activity in obese persons: how and why? A review.Journal of physical therapy scienceNo single method perfectly measures physical activity in obesity. Self-reports are cheap but often overestimated. Pedometers miss non-walking exercises. Accelerometers and heart rate monitors have specific blind spots. Combining sensors improves accuracy but adds cost and complexity.
• PTOther2016Changes in movements of neck, trunk, and hip according to height and foot position during sit-to-stand.Journal of physical therapy scienceFoot position did not change neck angles in healthy young adults rising from a fixed chair, but it changed trunk and hip movement angles; taller people showed larger trunk and hip movement.
• PTOther2016Effects of skin stretching without joint movement on skin extensibility of rats.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn rats with ankle fixation, skin stretching without joint movement did not restore skin extensibility to control levels, but it was better than fixation alone.
• PTOther2016Ankle, knee, and hip joint contribution to body support during gait.Journal of physical therapy scienceDuring walking, the ankle, knee, and hip work together to support body weight. The main joint responsible for this support shifts depending on the stance phase. This trade-off pattern helps identify which specific muscles need strengthening to improve gait.
• PTOther2016Immediate effects of forearm elastic and nonelastic taping on wrist flexor muscle and grip strength of normal adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceElastic forearm tape produced larger immediate grip and wrist flexor strength gains than nonelastic tape in healthy adults. It did not test injured people, pain, or daily hand tasks, so this is not evidence of a treatment benefit.
• PTOther2016Effects of active rehabilitation therapy on muscular back strength and subjective pain degree in chronic lower back pain patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceAn eight-week active core rehabilitation program that included education, stretching and strengthening increased average back strength and reduced average pain scores in the 8 experimental patients, while the 8 control patients' average pain scores did not change.
• PTCase Report2016Effect of the single-leg, lateral oblique, decline squat exercise on sacroiliac joint pain with knee pain.Journal of physical therapy scienceOne woman with sacroiliac and knee pain reported pain dropping from 7/10 and 6/10 to 2/10 after four weeks of single-leg decline squats. Her pelvic tilt angles also increased. This describes one person, not a pattern.
• PTRCT2016Comparison of the effect of pre- and post-operative physical therapy versus post-operative physical therapy alone on pain and recovery of function after total knee arthroplasty.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding pre-operative physical therapy to post-operative physical therapy, TENS, oral analgesics, and home exercise did not improve pain or function more than those treatments together in 50 knee replacement patients. Both groups improved similarly over six weeks.
• PTCase-Control2016180° turn while walking: characterization and comparisons between subjects with and without stroke.Journal of physical therapy sciencePeople with stroke took longer, used more steps, and lost balance more often during turns than matched healthy controls. Turning toward either side made no difference.
• PTOTSLPCohort2016Quality of life of critically ill patients in a developing country: a prospective longitudinal study.Journal of physical therapy scienceQuality of life improved significantly over six months for ICU survivors in Brazil. Physical scores started lower than mental scores but both rose steadily. Older age was linked to worse physical recovery, while time spent on ventilators or in the ICU did not predict final quality of life.
• PTRCT2016Effects of 24-week resistance exercise training on carotid peak systolic and end diastolic flow velocity in healthy older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy older men who did elastic-band resistance exercise for 24 weeks had faster carotid artery blood flow: speed rose 9.2 cm/s during heart contraction and 1.8 cm/s during relaxation, with no change in artery wall thickness or diameter.
• PTPilot2016Preliminary study of optimal measurement location on vibroarthrography for classification of patients with knee osteoarthritis.Journal of physical therapy scienceWhen listening to knee sounds as someone stands up, placing the sensor on the tibia separated severe knee osteoarthritis from healthy knees better than the other measured locations. This is a preliminary measurement-location study, not a diagnostic test.
• PTRCT2016The effects of maitland orthopedic manual therapy on improving constipation.Journal of physical therapy scienceSpinal mobilization and fiber supplements both sped up bowel transit time in young adults with constipation. The manual therapy group showed significantly larger improvements in total and rectosigmoid transit time than the fiber group.
• PTRCT2016Effects of position change on lumbar pain and discomfort of Korean patients after invasive percutaneous coronary intervention: a RCT study.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter coronary intervention, a sequence of supine, 30-degree elevated side-lying, and 30-degree elevated lying position changes reduced back pain and discomfort without bleeding.