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 30 OF 262 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTRCT2016The Falls In Care Home study: a feasibility randomized controlled trial of the use of a risk assessment and decision support tool to prevent falls in care homes.Clinical rehabilitationIn care homes using a falls checklist, residents had a fall rate of 1.9 per year compared with 4 in standard care, but this was a feasibility trial, not proof the tool prevents falls.
• PTOTOther2016Clinical Decision Support Tools for Selecting Interventions for Patients with Disabling Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationNo decision support tool for selecting interventions in musculoskeletal pain is ready for widespread use. Most are early-stage questionnaires, algorithms, or prediction rules, with inconsistent testing and no confirmed patient benefit.
• PTCohort2016Contribution of Paretic and Nonparetic Limb Peak Propulsive Forces to Changes in Walking Speed in Individuals Poststroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAfter 12 weeks of gait training, paretic leg propulsion became the stronger predictor of faster self-selected walking speed, reducing reliance on the non-paretic leg. However, non-paretic propulsion remained the primary driver for maximum speed. Assess both speeds to guide treatment.
• PTOTQualitative2016Characterizing mobility from the prosthetic limb user's perspective: Use of focus groups to guide development of the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalPeople with lower limb prostheses described mobility as shaped by their health, the movements they do, and the environment. Walking, changing posture, uneven ground, carrying loads, and talking while walking were described as limits.
• PTOther2017Inertial and time-of-arrival ranging sensor fusion.Gait & postureFusing inertial and ranging sensors improved pose estimation accuracy during rapid movements, but the system lost orientation tracking when movement slowed or stopped. This technology is not yet ready for clinical use as it requires fast motion to function.
• PTPilot2017The feasibility of singing to improve gait in Parkinson disease.Gait & postureSinging did not change walking speed, step rate, or stride length compared with normal walking. In this small single-session study, singing alone kept step timing steadier than singing with music or word generation.
• PTOther2017Measurement the thickness of the transverse abdominal muscle in different tasks.Journal of physical therapy scienceLying on your back, squeezing the deep belly and pelvic floor together while resisting a sideways push at the knees thickened the transverse abdominal muscle more than squeezing either muscle alone or resting. This was a measurement of muscle thickness, not a test of whether it treats incontinence.
• PTOther2017Short-term effects of physiotherapy combining repetitive facilitation exercises and orthotic treatment in chronic post-stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceFour weeks of repetitive facilitation exercises plus AFO gait training were followed by better lower-limb and walking scores in 27 chronic stroke patients. Both treatments were given together, so neither can be credited alone.
• PTOTSLPOther2017Effects of visual fatigue caused by smartphones on balance function in healthy adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceSmartphone-induced visual fatigue worsened dynamic balance and movement control in healthy adults. Static balance remained unchanged. The study was small and used a short viewing time, so it does not prove that smartphone use causes balance problems in daily life.
• PTOTOther2017Clinical characteristics affecting motor recovery and ambulation in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceWomen with stroke hemiplegia had lower hand and upper-limb motor stages and more complex regional pain syndrome. Shoulder pain was linked to complex regional pain syndrome. Rehabilitated patients were further from stroke, so better walking scores cannot be credited to rehabilitation alone.
• PTOther2017Attention is associated with postural control in those with chronic ankle instability.Gait & postureThe chronic ankle instability, Coper, and healthy groups did not differ in attention or static single-leg sway, but within chronic ankle instability attention scores were related to sway.
• PTOther2017Changes in neck and upper trunk muscle activities according to the angle of movement of the neck in subjects with forward head posture.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 20 college students with forward head posture, full neck flexion increased sternocleidomastoid activity, while neck extension decreased middle trapezius activity. No treatment, pain, or function outcome was tested.
• PTOther2017Correlation between obesity and sleep disturbance in Saudi medical students.Journal of physical therapy scienceAverage sleep was 7.13 hours in normal-weight, 7.11 hours in overweight, and 6.90 hours in obese Saudi medical students. The authors report an association between sleep and weight, but the duration difference is small and not clearly shown.
• PTCohort2017Comparison of forward walking and backward walking in stroke hemiplegia patients focusing on the paretic side.Journal of physical therapy scienceBackward walking was slower and had shorter strides than forward walking. Hip extension and ankle push-off forces were significantly reduced. This suggests backward walking requires different mechanics, but the small sample size limits how broadly this applies to stroke recovery.
• PTOTCohort2017Comparison of the Berg Balance Scale and Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale to predict falls in community-dwelling adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceBoth the Berg Balance Scale and the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale predicted fall risk in independent older adults, with similar accuracy. Cut-offs of 40 points on the Berg and 22 points on the Fullerton identified fallers with high sensitivity but moderate specificity.
• PTOTSLPCohort2016Self-Reported Sleep Disturbance Mediates the Relationship Between PTSD and Cognitive Outcome in Blast-Exposed OEF/OIF Veterans.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationIn blast-exposed veterans, poor sleep links PTSD symptoms to worse cognitive performance. Sleep disturbance accounted for most of the association between PTSD and deficits in memory, processing speed, and cognitive control. Clinicians should assess sleep when evaluating cognition in this population.
• PTOTSLPRCT2016Tracking patterns of needs during a telephone follow-up programme for family caregivers of persons with stroke.Disability and rehabilitationCaregivers prioritized stroke information and survivor behavior management early. They delayed addressing their own health needs until the fifth call, when a specific assessment tool helped them identify these personal concerns. Physical care needs remained stable but were less urgent initially.
• PTOTOther2016Development of a Modified Version of the Spinal Function Sort (M-SFS): A Mixed Method Approach.Journal of occupational rehabilitationA 20-item modified picture-based spinal function sort was developed for chronic nonspecific low back pain, adding prolonged postures and removing redundant items. It has not yet been checked for accuracy or consistency, so use cautiously.
• PTOTCohort2016The progression of disability among older adults in Mexico.Disability and rehabilitationIn older Mexican adults, disability progression differed by gender. Men followed the expected pattern of mobility, then IADL, then ADL decline. Women showed a reversed pattern, with ADL difficulties appearing before IADL difficulties. Social support was linked to higher disability in women, not men.
• PTSurvey2016Increased Rates of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults in US Emergency Departments, 2009-2010.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationEmergency department visits for mild traumatic brain injury among US adults aged 65 and older were common, especially in those 85 and older. Falls caused most diagnosed cases. Consider mild head injury after a fall.
• PTSurvey2017Attitudes, knowledge and behavior of Japanese physical therapists with regard to evidence-based practice and clinical practice guidelines: a cross-sectional mail survey.Journal of physical therapy scienceMost Japanese physical therapists agreed evidence-based practice matters, but only 10.4% reported EBP education and 29.2% used clinical guidelines. Research-engaged therapists reported more guideline use.
• PTOTSLPRCT2017Early home-supported discharge for patients with stroke in Portugal: a randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationEarly home-supported discharge did not improve functional independence scores compared to usual care. However, fewer patients in the home-supported group had severe disability (FIM < 60) at six months, suggesting a potential benefit for the most impaired patients that requires further study.
• PTOther2017Greater trochanter location measurement using a three-dimensional motion capture system during prone hip extension.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn healthy adults during prone hip extension, a motion-capture method that calculated greater trochanter location from thigh markers, rather than placing a marker on the trochanter, gave more consistent migration measurements and thigh lengths closer to tape-measured length.
• PTCohort2017The impact of gender, level of amputation and diabetes on prosthetic fit rates following major lower extremity amputation.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalFitting with a prosthesis after major leg amputation was 38% overall. Fitting was 72% after below-knee amputation and 16% after above-knee amputation. Men were more likely to be fitted. Diabetes did not predict below-knee fitting, but was associated with lower above-knee fitting.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Long-Term School Outcomes of Children and Adolescents With Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationChildren with severe TBI need school support services immediately. Those with mild or moderate injuries often appear fine at two years but require comparable support by six years post-injury. Monitor academic performance long-term, not just at discharge.
• PTSurvey2017Perception and use of balance measures for stroke patients among physical therapists in South Korea.Journal of physical therapy scienceSouth Korean physical therapists reported using the Single Leg Stance test, Functional Reach test and Berg Balance Scale most often. Their own judgment that a measure was useful tracked most closely with what they used.
• PTOther2017Effect of ankle proprioceptive exercise on static and dynamic balance in normal adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceStatic balance scores stayed near baseline, while dynamic balance scores were higher after an ankle position training session in healthy young adults.
• PTOther2017Analysis of muscle activation in each body segment in response to the stimulation intensity of whole-body vibration.Journal of physical therapy scienceWhole-body vibration produced the strongest muscle activation in ten young men when set to the highest amplitude and the lowest frequency of 10 Hz. Activation was highest in the legs and faded as it reached the trunk and shoulders.
• PTOTRCT2017Return to Work in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Multidisciplinary Intervention Versus Brief Intervention: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Journal of occupational rehabilitationA comprehensive multidisciplinary intervention did not increase full return to work at 12 or 24 months compared to a brief intervention. However, patients in the multidisciplinary group returned to partial work significantly faster during the first seven months.
• PTOther2017Inclination of standing posture due to the presentation of tilted view through an immersive head-mounted display.Journal of physical therapy scienceA leftward tilted view on a head-mounted display made 11 healthy young men tilt their head and trunk left: force under the left leg increased, and force under the right leg decreased.
• PTOther2017The effects of functional electrical stimulation on muscle tone and stiffness of stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter 6 weeks of functional electrical stimulation to the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius muscle tone and stiffness decreased in 10 stroke patients. Without a control group, this suggests a possible change, not proof that FES alone caused it.
• PTOther2017The effects of Pilates breathing trainings on trunk muscle activation in healthy female subjects: a prospective study.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter two weeks of Pilates breathing training, healthy women showed greater trunk stabilizer muscle activity during curl-ups, chest-head lifts and lifting. The study was small and included no one with back pain.
• PTOTSLPOther2017Comparison of differences in respiratory function and pressure as a predominant abnormal movement of children with cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceChildren with ataxic cerebral palsy had the lowest lung capacity and inspiratory strength, while those with spastic type had the highest. Dyskinetic type fell in between. Assessing respiratory function is necessary because these differences depend on the specific movement disorder.
• PTRCT2017Effects of stair task training on walking ability in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke patients who did stair task training for six weeks changed swing phase time more than controls, while stance phase time did not clearly differ. Stair task training may guide PT mobility.
• PTRCT2017Effects of the application of ankle functional rehabilitation exercise on the ankle joint functional movement screen and isokinetic muscular function in patients with chronic ankle sprain.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 16 patients with chronic ankle sprain, a group of 8 performed a 2-week ankle rehabilitation exercise program and improved ankle movement screen scores and muscle strength, while the 8-person control group did not.
• PTRCT2017Immediate effects of Graston Technique on hamstring muscle extensibility and pain intensity in patients with nonspecific low back pain.Journal of physical therapy scienceOne 60-second Graston session had a larger immediate sit-and-reach change than static stretching (11.03 vs 8.62), but pain scores did not differ between groups. The trial had only 24 patients.
• PTOTCohort2016Predictors of Altered Upper Extremity Function During the First Year After Breast Cancer Treatment.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationAt 12 months, 16.6% of women had a shoulder abduction restriction of at least 20 degrees on the affected side compared with the unaffected side. Poorer preoperative shoulder motion predicted poorer one-month motion, so screening before surgery may identify higher risk.
• PTOTRCT2016Skilled Bimanual Training Drives Motor Cortex Plasticity in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn children with unilateral cerebral palsy, 90 hours of structured bimanual skill training enlarged hand movement areas in the brain and strengthened muscle responses to brain stimulation. Unstructured play did not. Both groups improved hand function similarly.
• PTOther2016Influence of Menstrual Cycle and Oral Contraceptive Phase on Spinal Excitability.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationSpinal reflex excitability did not change across menstrual or oral contraceptive phases in 30 women, even though hormone levels changed. The study offers no support for expecting this reflex measure to shift with cycle phase.
• PTOTRCT2017Experiences of Participants in a Self-Management Program for Employees with Complaints of the Arm, Neck or Shoulder (CANS): A Mixed Methods Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEmployees with arm, neck or shoulder complaints described a self-management program as helpful mainly for awareness, coping and action plans. Some wanted more physical guidance; eHealth use varied. This is experience, not proof it works.
• PTPilot2017Reliability of lower extremity muscle strength measurements with handheld dynamometry in stroke patients during the acute phase: a pilot reliability study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 15 acute stroke ICU patients, a handheld dynamometer gave consistent lower-limb strength readings in bed, with two therapists and across days. It may help physical therapists record hip, knee and ankle strength in pounds, but not yet proven against sitting tests.
• PTRCT2017The effect of modified cervical exercise on smartphone users with forward head posture.Journal of physical therapy science32 young adults with forward head posture improved their neck posture angle after four weeks of supervised cervical exercise. Those doing it three times daily improved most, with an 8.7-degree change; once daily improved 3.8 degrees.
• PTOther2017Effects of radiofrequency, electroacupuncture, and low-level laser therapy on the wrinkles and moisture content of the forehead, eyes, and cheek.Journal of physical therapy scienceWomen aged 30 to 55 had fewer under-eye wrinkles and more cheek moisture after six weeks of radiofrequency, electroacupuncture, or low-level laser therapy. The study was small and short, so it does not show lasting benefit.
• PTOther2017Balance impairment limits ability to increase walking speed in individuals with chronic stroke.Disability and rehabilitationIn chronic stroke, poorer balance was linked to less ability to increase walking speed. A Berg Balance Scale score below 47 may help identify people who could not speed up.
• PTSurvey2017Prevalence of secondary impairments of adults with cerebral palsy according to gross motor function classification system.Journal of physical therapy scienceMotor function level was associated with reported spine, joint, pain, and mobility-loss problems in adults with cerebral palsy. Some other conditions did not show differences by motor function level. The paper did not test treatment.
• PTPilot2017Applicability of ultrasonography for evaluating trunk muscle size: a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 24 healthy young men, ultrasound measured trunk muscle thickness closely matched MRI thickness, but matched MRI muscle area less well. Ultrasound may be a practical alternative when MRI is not feasible.
• PTPilot2017Effect of floating toes on knee and trunk acceleration during walking: a preliminary study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn twelve healthy people, taping toes to prevent ground contact increased lower back shaking front-to-back and up-and-down, and tended to increase vertical knee shaking. This suggests toe contact helps stabilize walking, but it does not prove floating toes cause pain.
• PTOTPilot2017H-GRASP: the feasibility of an upper limb home exercise program monitored by phone for individuals post stroke.Disability and rehabilitationIn 6 of 8 people post stroke who finished a home arm exercise program with weekly phone calls, arm function, use, strength and self-perceived performance improved. Retention and adherence were below target, and no control group limits interpretation.
• PTOther2017Effects of manipulation of the thorax and intensity of the pressure biofeedback unit on the superficial cervical flexors muscle during craniocervical flexion exercise.Journal of physical therapy scienceFixing the thorax during craniocervical flexion produced lower sternocleidomastoid and scalene muscle activation than not fixing it, in 33 subjects. Raising pressure to 40 mmHg increased activation, but the study measured muscle activity, not neck pain or function.
• PTCohort2017Effects of perioperative factors and hip geometry on hip abductor muscle strength during the first 6 months after anterolateral total hip arthroplasty.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter anterolateral total hip arthroplasty, hip abductor strength at 2 and 6 months was related to preoperative strength, body mass index, and mental health score, not femoral offset.