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 32 OF 262 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTCohort2016Correlation of Fractional Anisotropy With Motor Recovery in Patients With Stroke After Postacute Rehabilitation.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn 43 stroke patients after early inpatient rehab, a brain scan measure of corticospinal tract integrity was higher in those with better motor gains. It was linked to gains in good and moderate recovery groups, not poor recovery.
• PTOther2016Differential item functioning in the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Pediatric Short Forms in a sample of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologySome PROMIS mobility and pain items behaved differently in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy, so total scores may not mean the same as in the comparison sample. Fatigue scores were more similar. Check how children interpret items before comparing scores.
• PTOther2016The Effect of Levodopa on Improvements in Protective Stepping in People With Parkinson's Disease.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPeople with Parkinson's disease improved backward protective stepping after one day of perturbation training, and improvement was larger when they were ON levodopa than OFF. Improvements were retained over 24 hours, with better retention on some measures while ON.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2016Functioning and disability in autism spectrum disorder: A worldwide survey of experts.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchExperts worldwide most often named brain structure, voluntary movement control and higher cognitive functions as central to ASD functioning. They also reported strengths and gender differences. This survey informs assessment categories, not tested interventions.
• PTOTCohort2016Inpatient Walking Activity to Predict Readmission in Older Adults.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn older inpatients, lower average daily hospital steps were associated with higher 30-day readmission risk. This observational finding does not prove that increasing walking would reduce readmissions.
• PTOTCase Report2016Engaging Cervical Spinal Cord Networks to Reenable Volitional Control of Hand Function in Tetraplegic Patients.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairTwo people with chronic cervical spinal cord injury showed greater grip force and hand control during cervical epidural stimulation, and over repeated sessions. This is not evidence the stimulation works for other patients.
• PTOther2017Associations of knee muscle force, bone malalignment, and knee-joint laxity with osteoarthritis in elderly people.Journal of physical therapy scienceKnee extensor strength did not differ among older adults grouped by possible knee malalignment and laxity. Knee flexor strength was lower in those with both possible malalignment and laxity than in those with neither. This does not show that strengthening knee flexors prevents osteoarthritis.
• PTOther2017Examination of center of pressure displacement and muscle activity of the hip girdle muscles on lateral movement in the sitting position, focusing on kinematic features before and after the start of exercise.Journal of physical therapy scienceA sideways sitting reach in 11 healthy men was preceded by seat pressure shifting opposite and opposite hip muscles firing. The upper back then leaned toward the reach side, while lower back and pelvis moved later.
• PTOTSurvey2017Defining mild, moderate, and severe pain in young people with physical disabilities.Disability and rehabilitationFor young people with physical disabilities, the best average pain cutoffs were 0-3 mild, 4-6 moderate and 7-10 severe; the best worst pain cutoffs were 0-4 mild, 5-6 moderate and 7-10 severe.
• PTRCT2017The effects of inspiratory diaphragm breathing exercise and expiratory pursed-lip breathing exercise on chronic stroke patients' respiratory muscle activation.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn chronic stroke patients, adding therapist-guided diaphragm and pursed-lip breathing to routine physical therapy increased paretic-side respiratory muscle activity over four weeks.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Factors influencing executive function by physical activity level among young adults: a near-infrared spectroscopy study.Journal of physical therapy scienceYoung adults with higher physical activity levels showed greater brain activation in the prefrontal cortex during cognitive tasks. Higher activity steps and IQ scores were significantly associated with better cognitive function, suggesting an active lifestyle may support executive function.
• PTOTCase-Control2017Factors inducing falling in schizophrenia patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 19 hospitalized patients with schizophrenia, those who had fallen showed poorer balance on the Time Up and Go test and one-leg stand, plus more medication side effects like drooling. Antipsychotic drug dose itself did not differ between groups.
• PTOTSLPRCT2017The effects of posterior talar glide with dorsiflexion of the ankle on mobility, muscle strength and balance in stroke patients: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding posterior talar glide mobilization to standard therapy improved ankle range of motion and balance in stroke patients more than standard therapy alone. The added manual technique led to greater gains in dorsiflexion and functional reach compared to weight-bearing exercises.
• PTOTOther2017Validity and repeatability of inertial measurement units for measuring gait parameters.Gait & postureFoot-mounted sensors accurately measured gait speed, stride length, and cadence in healthy adults, while ankle-mounted sensors were less accurate. Foot placement also showed better agreement with standard measures than ankle placement, which had systematic errors.
• PTOther2017"Slow walking with turns" increases quadriceps and erector spinae muscle activity.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn young healthy volunteers, slow walking with frequent turns raised metabolic intensity and increased erector spinae, vastus lateralis and vastus medialis activity compared with treadmill walking at the same speed.
• PTPilot2017Effects of wearing functional foot orthotic on pelvic angle among college students in their 20s with flatfoot.Journal of physical therapy scienceWearing custom foot orthotics significantly reduced pelvic angle changes during walking in young adults with flatfoot. The orthotics made pelvic motion more symmetrical between the left and right sides during the stance and swing phases.
• PTSLPCohort2017Rate of oral intake and effects of mechanical insufflation-exsufflation on pulmonary complications in patients with duchenne muscular dystrophy.Journal of physical therapy scienceFever rates requiring antibiotics did not show a clear difference across cough-assist periods. 43 of 45 DMD patients on full-time ventilation continued oral intake; several treatments were given together, so cough assist alone cannot be credited.
• PTRCT2016Combining Fast-Walking Training and a Step Activity Monitoring Program to Improve Daily Walking Activity After Stroke: A Preliminary Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAdding step monitoring to fast treadmill training improved daily walking and endurance more than training alone, but only for patients who started with low activity levels. Those with higher baseline activity did not benefit from the added monitoring.
• PTCase Report2016Improving Walking with an Implanted Neuroprosthesis for Hip, Knee, and Ankle Control After Stroke.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn a single man with stroke, implanted stimulation plus 30 weeks of gait training raised walking speed from 0.29 to 0.72 m/s on a 10-meter test. This case cannot show what each part contributed.
• PTOTRCT2016Upper-Limb Recovery After Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing EMG-Triggered, Cyclic, and Sensory Electrical Stimulation.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAll three stimulation types improved upper-limb scores over 8 weeks, with no significant difference between EMG-triggered, cyclic NMES, and sensory stimulation. This trial did not show one method was better for wrist-hand function after stroke.
• PTOther2017Effects of a standard transfer exercise program on transfer quality and activities of daily living for transfer-dependent spinal cord injury patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding a six-week transfer exercise and image training program to general physical therapy improved transfer quality and some daily independence in spinal cord injury patients who needed help transferring. Usual therapy alone did not show these gains.
• PTOther2017The effects of preceding exercise on myocardial damage in rats.Journal of physical therapy scienceHigh-intensity treadmill training in rats before a long run kept heart damage blood markers lower than no preceding training. Moderate training also lowered them. This is an animal finding, not evidence for people.
• PTNarrative Review2017Demystifying Poststroke Pain: From Etiology to Treatment.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPost-stroke pain has several causes: central pain, CRPS, spasticity, shoulder subluxation. PT options include exercise, strapping, and FES, but evidence is mixed and drug trials are limited.
• PTOther2017The effects of upper extremity task training with symmetric abdominal muscle contraction on trunk stability and balance in chronic stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding abdominal bracing to paretic upper limb task training improved trunk scores and balance more than task training alone in chronic stroke patients, but posture scores did not separate.
• PTCohort2017Beneficial Effects of Dry Needling for Treatment of Chronic Myofascial Pain Persist for 6 Weeks After Treatment Completion.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationAfter three weekly dry needling treatments, pain remained lower than before treatment for 6 weeks in 45 patients with chronic upper trapezius myofascial pain, especially when trigger points changed from active to latent or absent. There was no comparison group.
• PTOTOther2017Validating accelerometry as a measure of physical activity and energy expenditure in chronic stroke.Topics in stroke rehabilitationStandard accelerometry thresholds underestimate activity intensity in stroke survivors with hemiparetic gait. New stroke-specific cutpoints for Actical monitors were developed, showing that walking at 2.0 mph is vigorous intensity for this population, not light or moderate.
• PTOther2017Comparison of anterior gluteus medius fiber activation during general exercises and PNF exercises.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 15 healthy men, PNF hip exercises activated the front of gluteus medius more than wall-press and pelvic-drop exercises, with extension-abduction-internal rotation PNF highest. This is muscle activity only, not patient outcomes.
• PTOther2017Functional electrical stimulation to the abdominal wall muscles synchronized with the expiratory flow does not induce muscle fatigue.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn nine healthy adults, 15 minutes of expiratory-synchronized abdominal electrical stimulation did not change abdominal muscle fatigue measures; peak expiratory flow fell but stabilized.
• PTOTCohort2016Association Between Time to Rehabilitation and Outcomes After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAfter traumatic spinal cord injury, a 10% longer wait for inpatient rehabilitation was associated with a 1.50-point lower FIM motor score at discharge. This was an observational association, not proof that delay caused worse function.
• PTOTOther2016Use of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Short Version in Mild to Moderate Parkinson Disease.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationThe WHOQOL-BREF showed people with mild to moderate Parkinson disease reported lower quality of life than controls in physical, psychological, social, overall, and health satisfaction, but not environment. Fatigue, depression, apathy, and daily function related more closely to quality of life than motor scores.
• PTOTOther2016Measurement characteristics for two health-related quality of life measures in older adults: The SF-36 and the CDC Healthy Days items.Disability and health journalCDC Healthy Days items matched SF-36 physical and mental health scores in older adults, except physical functioning. A brief unhealthy-days question may miss function-specific problems.
• PTCohort2017The Diagnostic Accuracy of Special Tests for Rotator Cuff Tear: The ROW Cohort Study.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationJobe's test was positive in 88% of patients with rotator cuff tears. The drop arm test was positive in 24%, but a positive result made a tear likely. Negative results did not rule out a tear.
• PTOTSLPOther2017Effects of friction massage of the popliteal fossa on blood flow velocity of the popliteal vein.Journal of physical therapy scienceFriction massage to the back of the knee increased popliteal vein blood flow velocity in 15 young healthy men. This is a physiological finding in a small sample; it does not prove the massage treats edema, pain, or circulation disorders in patients.
• PTRCT2017Effect of maitland mobilization in cervical and thoracic spine and therapeutic exercise on functional impairment in individuals with chronic neck pain.Journal of physical therapy scienceCervical and thoracic joint mobilization added to therapeutic exercise reduced pain and neck disability more than exercise alone in a small trial. Balance and muscle tone improved similarly in both groups.
• PTRCT2017The effects of exercise training using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on breathing in patients with chronic stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding transcranial direct current stimulation to breathing exercises improved lung capacity more than sham stimulation in chronic stroke patients. Both groups showed gains, but the tDCS group achieved significantly higher forced vital capacity and expiratory volume, suggesting the electrical stimulation enhances the effect of standard respiratory training.
• PTOther2017Maximal respiratory pressure in healthy Japanese children.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy Japanese children showed higher pressures when breathing in and out across age groups, and boys showed higher pressures than girls. Age, height, and weight were positively related to the pressures.
• PTSurvey2017The study of elbow injury in male adult kendo players.Journal of physical therapy scienceMale adult kendo players commonly reported posterior right elbow pain. Players aged 36 and older had restricted right elbow extension, and three with pain and limited motion had posterior osteophytes or free fragments on CT.
• PTOTRCT2017Physical Activity Self-Management and Coaching Compared to Social Interaction in Huntington Disease: Results From the ENGAGE-HD Randomized, Controlled Pilot Feasibility Trial.Physical therapyHome coaching to set walking and exercise goals was feasible in Huntington disease, with 77% retained in the activity group and 92% in the social interaction group. Possible differences in activity and mobility need larger trials.
• PTRCT2017The effects of action observation training and mirror therapy on gait and balance in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceNo group clearly outperformed the others. Watching movement videos then practicing them, with twice-weekly physical therapy, showed improved standing balance scores and shorter walking task times. Mirror therapy with physical therapy showed shorter walking task times. Watching videos alone did not show these changes.
• PTOther2017Walking activity during daily living in children with myelomeningocele.Disability and rehabilitationIn daily life, children with mid-high lumbar myelomeningocele averaged 4867 steps/day, lower than sacral, low lumbar and typically developing groups at 9166 to 9657 steps/day. Sacral and low lumbar step totals were similar to controls.
• PTRCT2017Fatigue influences lower extremity angular velocities during a single-leg drop vertical jump.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter a short cycling fatigue task, young women landed a single-leg drop jump with faster bending at the hip and knee than controls. Joint positions did not change, and the study did not measure injuries or patients.
• PTOTCohort2017Using diffusion tensor imaging to identify corticospinal tract projection patterns in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyDiffusion tensor imaging (DTI) identified the corticospinal tract in 81.8% of cases where TMS confirmed it, offering a practical alternative for children who cannot tolerate TMS. In children with bilateral connectivity, the tract from the damaged side showed poorer integrity than the healthy side.
• PTOther2017The effects of pelvic diagonal movements and resistance on the lumbar multifidus.Journal of physical therapy scienceSide-lying pelvic diagonal movements changed lumbar multifidus thickness, with anterior elevation greater than posterior depression. Adding resistance did not produce a further difference in thickness compared with no resistance.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Bayley-III motor scale and neurological examination at 2 years do not predict motor skills at 4.5 years.Developmental medicine and child neurologyBayley-III motor scores and neurological exams at 2 years did not predict motor difficulties at 4.5 years. Children with normal 2-year scores often developed significant motor problems later. Do not rely on these early assessments to rule out future motor issues in at-risk children.
• PTOTSLPOther2017Estimated Prestroke Peak VO2 Is Related to Circulating IGF-1 Levels During Acute Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn 15 acute stroke patients, estimated pre-stroke aerobic fitness correlated with circulating IGF-1 levels but not with IGFBP-3. Patients with higher IGF-1 had significantly higher estimated fitness. This small observational study links a biomarker to a calculated fitness estimate, offering no evidence that changing fitness alters stroke recovery.
• PTOTOther2016Community and social participation among adults with mobility impairments: A mixed methods study.Disability and health journalFor adults with mobility impairments, pain, fatigue, and limited function were the clearest barriers to community and social life. In 462 survey participants, better health and function were strongly linked to more participation; neighborhood factors and personal confidence were not.
• PTOther2016Quantifying passive muscle stiffness in children with and without cerebral palsy using ultrasound shear wave elastography.Developmental medicine and child neurologyUltrasound calf muscle stiffness was higher in children with cerebral palsy than matched typically developing children. Relative to their own relaxed position, stretch response was similar. Stiffness did not track spasticity, function level, or botulinum toxin history.
• PTOTCohort2016Social Support and Actual Versus Expected Length of Stay in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAlmost half of stroke, lower extremity fracture, and joint replacement inpatients left earlier than expected. Patients with no family or friend support were less likely to leave early in all groups, and more likely to stay longer in fracture or joint replacement.
• PTOTCohort2017Negative Neurodynamic Tests Do Not Exclude Neural Dysfunction in Patients With Entrapment Neuropathies.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationA negative median nerve neurodynamic test does not rule out carpal tunnel syndrome. In this cohort, over half of confirmed CTS patients tested negative on these maneuvers, and those with negative tests showed worse warm sensation loss than those with positive tests.
• PTOTCohort2017Parkinsonian signs are a risk factor for falls.Gait & postureOlder adults with mild parkinsonian signs were more likely to fall during follow-up, even after common fall risk factors were considered. Their falls were also more likely to result in injury and emergency service use.