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 31 OF 262 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTRCT2017Vojta therapy and neurodevelopmental treatment in children with infantile postural asymmetry: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceVojta therapy reduced infant postural asymmetry more than NDT over eight weeks. Both groups improved; Vojta had a 2.96-point greater reduction on a 24-point scale.
• PTPilot2017Pilot study of the short-term effects of range-of-motion exercise for the temporomandibular joint in patients with temporomandibular joint disc displacement without reduction.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 36 women with temporomandibular joint disc displacement without reduction, therapist-applied TMJ range-of-motion plus daily self-traction improved mouth opening, pain, and daily impact at about 2 weeks. Both treatments were given together, so neither alone can be credited.
• PTSurvey2017Achilles tendon injury in kendo players in junior and senior high schools: with a focus on foot function.Journal of physical therapy scienceKendo players with a history of Achilles tendon pain had more outward heel tilt and lower standing arches than players without pain. Toe opening was also poorer in the pain group, while toe strength and big-toe motion did not differ.
• PTRCT2016Determining the Minimal Clinically Important Difference for 6-Minute Walk Distance in Fibromyalgia.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationA clinically meaningful improvement in 6-minute walk distance for adults with fibromyalgia was estimated at 156 or 167 meters, depending on the patient-reported outcome used. The thresholds were high, and the link to what patients reported was weak.
• PTOTSLPCohort2016Association Between Facility Type During Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation and Functional Outcomes.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationChildren treated at children’s hospital rehabilitation units had shorter stays and gained function faster than those at other facilities. After adjusting for illness severity, they ended with only 2.3 more cognitive points. This difference is likely too small to matter clinically.
• PTOther2016Psychological Factors Are Related to Pain Intensity in Back-Healthy People Who Develop Clinically Relevant Pain During Prolonged Standing: A Preliminary Study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationAcross all back-healthy people who developed pain during standing, fear of pain and catastrophizing did not track pain intensity. In the 5 people whose pain reached at least 20 mm on a 100-mm scale, fear of pain tracked average pain closely.
• PTOTSLPOther2016Biglycan Inhibits Capsaicin-Induced Substance P Release by Cultured Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationBiglycan reduced substance P release by 29% in cultured rabbit nerve cells exposed to capsaicin. This suggests biglycan may modulate pain signaling in vitro, but it provides no evidence that injecting biglycan relieves back pain in humans.
• PTOTOther2016Rehabilitation Needs of Stroke Survivors After Discharge From Hospital in India.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationStroke survivors and caregivers in Chennai reported substantial rehabilitation needs, especially information about stroke and services and financial support. They faced few affordable services, long travel, and little awareness of warning signs.
• PTCase Report2016Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in a Person With Advanced Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn a woman with advanced femoral head osteonecrosis who declined THA, 24 months of weekly radial shock wave therapy was reported with less pain, better hip scores, and improved walking. No comparison group, so this does not show the treatment worked.
• PTOTCohort2016Active Lifestyle Is Associated With Reduced Dyspnea and Greater Life Satisfaction in Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPlanned exercise was associated with less reported breathlessness in people with spinal cord injury. More time away from home and organized sports were linked with greater life satisfaction, but planned exercise alone was not.
• PTOther2017Shadow Moiré technique for postural assessment: qualitative assessment protocol by intra- and inter-rater evaluation.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 15 Shadow Moiré back images, two trained examiners showed repeatable agreement on many posture judgments, but sagittal neck and lower back were often unreadable.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2017Analysis of mechanical properties of cervical muscles in patients with cervicogenic headache.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients with cervicogenic headache showed significantly higher muscle tone and stiffness in the suboccipital and upper trapezius muscles compared to healthy controls. Elasticity did not differ between the groups.
• PTOther2017Validity of gait asymmetry estimation by using an accelerometer in individuals with hemiparetic stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceA trunk accelerometer tracked step time asymmetry after hemiparetic stroke in close agreement with force plates but gave higher step time asymmetry values. Step length asymmetry was less precise. It may be useful for gait screening, not exact measurement.
• PTPilot2017Effect of inspiratory muscle training on respiratory capacity and walking ability with subacute stroke patients: a randomized controlled pilot trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn subacute stroke inpatient rehab, with usual physical and occupational therapy, both inspiratory muscle training and cycle exercise improved breathing and walking measures. The inspiratory training group had greater gains in breathing capacity, one-second breathing volume and six-minute walk, not oxygen saturation or 10-meter speed.
• PTOther2017Concurrent Validity Between Live and Home Video Observations Using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationThe average gap between home video and live Alberta Infant Motor Scale scores was 0.46 items on a 58-item scale, and the methods did not consistently differ. Home video scores were close to live scores.
• PTOTRCT2017A low cost virtual reality system for home based rehabilitation of the arm following stroke: a randomised controlled feasibility trial.Clinical rehabilitationThe home glove system, with usual care, therapist setup and support, did not significantly improve the primary arm function test after eight weeks. Recruitment was so low that a definitive trial would need many more participants, and the system required substantial therapist support.
• PTCase Series2017Passive exercise of the lower limbs and trunk alleviates decreased intestinal motility in patients in the intensive care unit after cardiovascular surgery.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn ICU patients after cardiovascular surgery, passive leg and trunk movements briefly increased bowel-sound activity and the number of bowel sounds heard. Heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate stayed similar. It did not show real bowel function improved.
• PTRCT2017Comparison of group-based outpatient physiotherapy with usual care after total knee replacement: a feasibility study for a randomized controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationGroup physiotherapy after knee replacement is feasible but recruitment was low at 37%, mainly due to travel and time commitments. Attendance was good at 73% when travel costs were refunded. This pilot did not test if the treatment works, only if a larger trial could be run.
• PTOTOther2017Effects of gross motor function and manual function levels on performance-based ADL motor skills of children with spastic cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceChildren with mild to moderate spastic cerebral palsy classified at GMFCS or MACS Level III had lower ADL motor skill scores on real tasks than Level I children, especially during dressing, shoe donning, and cereal preparation.
• PTOther2017Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the fibromyalgia rapid screening tool (FiRST).Journal of physical therapy scienceIn Turkish patients with chronic diffuse pain, the six-item FiRST gave similar answers when repeated after six hours and agreed with fibromyalgia criteria. It may help physical therapists flag possible fibromyalgia before evaluation.
• PTOther2017Reliability and responsiveness of measures of pain in people with osteoarthritis of the knee: a psychometric evaluation.Disability and rehabilitationThe ICOAP constant score stayed stable over time, and both ICOAP constant and intermittent scores changed clearly after knee replacement. The McGill total score did not work as one overall pain score. Use its continuous, intermittent and neuropathic scores, not the affective items.
• PTOTOther2017Functional state of knee arthritis patients and related factors.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 135 hospitalized patients with knee arthritis, physical and mental quality-of-life scores varied with age, pain, BMI, knee function, and range of motion.
• PTSystematic Review2017Effectiveness of surgical and non-surgical management of crouch gait in cerebral palsy: A systematic review.Gait & postureMost evidence for crouch gait in cerebral palsy was for hamstring lengthening, often with other surgeries, and it did not show which procedure works best for a given patient.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2017Effectiveness of massage therapy on the range of motion of the shoulder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of physical therapy scienceMassage therapy, sometimes combined with hot pack, physical therapy, or exercise, increased shoulder flexion and abduction by pooled differences of 18.21 and 22.07. The pooled differences for extension, internal rotation, and external rotation were 6.29, 10.10, and 9.54. Evidence was low quality.
• PTCohort2016Dynamic motor control is associated with treatment outcomes for children with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy who showed more complex muscle activation while walking improved more in gait, speed and function after treatment. It did not predict energy cost. Motor control may help guide prognosis.
• PTOTCohort2016Quantifying Change During Outpatient Stroke Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Regression Analysis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAverage monthly gains in outpatient stroke rehabilitation were small: about 1.8 Berg Balance Scale points, 2 arm test points, and 0.09 m/s walking speed. Later start and prior inpatient rehab were linked to lower admission scores. Younger, earlier starters had faster arm and walking gains.
• PTCase-Control2016Effects of Light-Emitting Diode Therapy on Muscle Hypertrophy, Gene Expression, Performance, Damage, and Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness: Case-control Study with a Pair of Identical Twins.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationAdding LED therapy to the same strength training in two identical twins was associated with greater leg press and leg extension loads, larger thigh muscle volume, less soreness and smaller increases in a blood marker of muscle damage than adding placebo. Only two people.
• PTRCT2017Effect of belly dancing on urinary incontinence-related muscles and vaginal pressure in middle-aged women.Journal of physical therapy scienceMiddle-aged women with urinary incontinence who did belly dancing 90 minutes twice weekly for 12 weeks had higher measured pelvic floor contraction pressure and longer contraction time than before. The control group did not change.
• PTRCT2017Aerobic Exercise for Adolescents With Prolonged Symptoms After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: An Exploratory Randomized Clinical Trial.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAdolescents with lingering concussion symptoms who did symptom-limited home cycling improved faster on their own symptom reports than those doing stretching. Parent reports did not show the same difference.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Therapeutic Work as a Facilitator for Return to Paid Work in Cancer Survivors.Journal of occupational rehabilitationCancer survivors in therapeutic work were much more likely to return to paid work after one year than those not in such work. However, this association was strongest in survivors who still held an employment contract, suggesting access to support, not just the work itself, drives the outcome.
• PTCase Report2017On-Ice Return-to-Hockey Progression After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyA single club hockey player received physical therapy, running, strengthening, slide board work, agility, neuromuscular training, on-ice skating, and bracing, then returned to her previous competitive level without re-injury by 22 months. This is expert opinion, not tested evidence.
• PTOther2017The effects of horse-riding simulator exercise on balance in elderly with knee osteoarthritis.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter eight weeks of conventional physical therapy plus a horse-riding simulator, balance scores improved in 15 older adults with osteoarthritis. Because both were given together, the simulator alone cannot be credited.
• PTOther2017Development of education program for physical therapy assistant in Quang Tri province of Vietnam.Journal of physical therapy scienceA curriculum for physical therapy assistants in Vietnam was developed based on a survey of 10 local educators. The program totals 420 hours, prioritising basic kinesiology and physical therapy for internal medicine and surgery.
• PTCohort2017Limb Symmetry Indexes Can Overestimate Knee Function After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyLimb symmetry tests overestimate knee recovery after ACL reconstruction. More than half of patients who passed standard symmetry criteria failed to match their pre-injury baseline. Failing to restore this baseline function was linked to a higher risk of second ACL injuries.
• PTOther2017A study on the physical fitness of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.Journal of physical therapy scienceChildren with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis had lower muscle strength, sit-up endurance, lung capacity, and skeletal muscle mass than healthy controls. Flexibility was close to age-specific averages in both groups.
• PTOTSurvey2017Safety and walking ability of KAFO users with the C-Brace® Orthotronic Mobility System, a new microprocessor stance and swing control orthosis.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalThirteen knee orthosis users reported a microprocessor knee orthosis, given with fitting and training, was easier and safer than previous orthoses for many daily activities, especially mobility, stairs, ramps and uneven ground. Dressing and hygiene did not improve.
• PTProtocol2017Understanding Brain Reorganization in Infants With Perinatal Stroke Through Neuroexcitability and Neuroimaging.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationNo results are reported for infants with perinatal stroke. Planned brain scans and brain stimulation tests cannot change practice yet.
• PTOther2017Shock absorption during transtibial amputee gait: Does longitudinal prosthetic stiffness play a role?Prosthetics and orthotics internationalAt normal walking speeds, changing prosthetic stiffness showed no differences in force timing or joint patterns, and a peak force difference coincided with a speed difference. At fast speeds, lower stiffness did not reduce peak force as expected.
• PTOTSLPCohort2016Early gross motor skills predict the subsequent development of language in children with autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn children with autism, later walking onset predicted slower language growth, but this link vanished once general motor ability and nonverbal IQ were accounted for. Overall gross motor skills remained a significant predictor of language development.
• PTOTOther2016Comparing Comorbidity Indices to Predict Post-Acute Rehabilitation Outcomes in Older Adults.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationFive standard comorbidity indices added almost no predictive value for discharge function or community return in older rehab patients. Admission functional status and demographics explained most variance, suggesting clinicians should prioritize current ability over diagnosis lists.
• PTOTCohort2016Objective and Self-Reported Physical Activity Measures and Their Association With Depression and Satisfaction With Life in Persons With Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPeople with spinal cord injury who pushed their wheelchairs farther reported fewer depressive symptoms. However, time spent in leisure activities predicted life satisfaction, not general wheelchair distance. This suggests targeting specific meaningful activities for well-being, while overall movement helps mood.
• PTCohort2017Relation between change in exercise capacity and change in blood amino acids in patients with chronic heart failure.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter three months of cardiac rehab in chronic heart failure, blood amino acid levels did not change in a way the study could detect among 12 patients. A change in citrulline was linked with improvement in exercise capacity, but there was no control group.
• PTOther2017Instantaneous changes in respiratory function induced by passive pelvic suspension in the supine position in relation to increased diaphragm excursion.Journal of physical therapy sciencePassive pelvic suspension in 25 healthy men instantly increased diaphragm movement and volume of air per breath, slowed breathing, and all rated breathing easier. This was a short-term physiological effect in healthy people, not evidence it helps patients with breathing problems.
• PTOther2017Affective temperament profile in ankylosing spondylitis patients using TEMPS-A.Journal of physical therapy sciencePeople with ankylosing spondylitis did not differ from healthy controls in depressive, cyclothymic, hyperthymic, irritable, or anxious temperament scores. Anxiety questionnaire scores were higher in patients, and anxious temperament was linked to higher pain and worse quality-of-life scores.
• PTOther2017Effect of a modified grip angle of a walker on the wrist deviation angle, muscle activation and palmar load during walker-assisted gait in elderly people.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn elderly walker users, a 15-degree tilted handle lowered wrist deviation, wrist muscle activity, and pressure on the ulnar side of the palm during short-term walker gait compared with a flat handle.
• PTRCT2017Effects of manual lymph drainage for abdomen on the brain activity of subjects with psychological stress.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 28 stressed adults, manual lymph drainage on neck, shoulder and abdomen showed higher alpha (relaxation) and lower gamma (arousal) brain-wave measures than abdominal massage alone. No rest control, so cannot prove either treatment worked.
• PTOTQualitative2017Negotiating identity and self-image: perceptions of falls in ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury - a qualitative study.Clinical rehabilitationAmbulatory people with chronic traumatic spinal cord injury described walking as central to feeling normal. They minimized fall risk through planning, aids and training, but often accepted or exceeded risk to preserve identity, valued activities and daily life.
• PTOther2017Evaluation of the relationship between the static measurement of transverse arch flexibility of the forefoot and gait parameters in healthy subjects.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 20 healthy subjects, forefoot arch change from standing to a loaded ankle dorsiflexion posture was related to gait forces, ankle plantar flexion moment and hip extension angle. Sitting-to-standing arch change was not related to gait values.
• PTOther2017Changes in T2-weighted MRI of supinator muscle, pronator teres muscle, and extensor indicis muscle with manual muscle testing.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter manual muscle testing, T2-weighted MRI signal increased in the supinator, pronator teres, and extensor indicis muscles of three healthy volunteers, with no reported changes in other muscles.
• PTCase-Control2016Predictive Capacity of Thigh Muscle Strength in Symptomatic and/or Radiographic Knee Osteoarthritis Progression: Data from the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Osteoarthritis Biomarkers Consortium.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationThigh muscle strength did not predict combined symptomatic and radiographic knee osteoarthritis progression. In men, lower baseline knee strength was associated with pain progression without radiographic progression.