THE INDEX

Every paper we have read

Each one summarised from the full article, not its abstract, and kept only if it speaks to physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology or nursing. Newest first.

35,183 PAPERS · PAGE 458 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTCohort2022The demographic and disability characteristics of individuals who regularly attend an urban adaptive fitness center: An observational study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPeople with significant disabilities who attend an adaptive fitness center are more disabled than 86% of the general population. Despite this, 96.8% exercise there at least twice a week, showing that high disability levels do not stop regular participation.
• PTOTCohort2022The Readiness for Return to Work Scale; Does it Help in Evaluation of Return to Work?Journal of occupational rehabilitationThe Norwegian version of the Readiness for Return to Work scale fails to measure a single clear construct and poorly predicts who returns to work. Clinicians should not use this questionnaire in the clinic or to evaluate interventions, as its subscales are too small and unstable to guide treatment.
• PTOTRCT2022Music Upper Limb Therapy-Integrated Provides a Feasible Enriched Environment and Reduces Post-stroke Depression: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationGroup music therapy reduced depression and increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor compared to home exercises. However, home exercises improved actual motor function and sensation, while music therapy only improved self-perceived recovery. Neither was superior on the primary motor outcome.
• OTSystematic Review2022Employment Sustainability for People with Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationVery little international research has examined how people with intellectual disability stay in regular paid work over time. Existing studies define sustainability differently, and societal barriers were largely missing.
• PTOTOther2022Development of reference charts for monitoring quadriceps strength with handheld dynamometry after total knee arthroplasty.Disability and rehabilitationNew reference charts let therapists compare a patient's quadriceps strength after knee replacement to typical recovery curves. This helps identify who is recovering poorly and needs more attention, though even top performers often remain weaker than healthy peers.
• PTMeta-Analysis2022Effectiveness of Ultrasound-Guided Versus Anatomic Landmark-Guided Corticosteroid Injection on Pain, Physical Function, and Safety in Patients With Subacromial Impingement Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationUltrasound-guided corticosteroid injection gave slightly more pain relief than landmark-guided injection in 10 trials of 795 adults with subacromial impingement. Function also improved slightly, but shoulder motion did not differ.
• OTSystematic Review2022In What Ways Does Health Related Stigma Affect Sustainable Employment and Well-Being at Work? A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationStigma from employers, co-workers, health professionals, family and the person themselves was reported as a barrier to finding, keeping and feeling well at work. It does not test how to reduce that barrier.
• PTCohort2022Mobility Analysis of AmpuTees (MAAT 7): Normative Mobility Values for Lower Limb Prosthesis Users of Varying Age, Etiology, and Amputation Level.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationMobility scores varied by age and cause of amputation. People with diabetes or dysvascular disease, and older adults, had the lowest scores. For congenital below-knee users, the study did not show clear age differences. These norms can help set realistic goals.
• OTSurvey2022Social Insurance Literacy of Dutch Workers Receiving Disability Benefits and its Associations with Socio-Economic Characteristics.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAbout one in three Dutch workers on disability benefits reported limited ability to navigate the social insurance system. This struggle was linked to not having a partner and poorer Dutch language skills, but surprisingly, those with lower education or weaker language skills rated the system itself as more understandable.
• OTRCT2022Evaluating occupational performance coaching to support fatigue management for people with multiple sclerosis: A feasibility study.Clinical rehabilitationAdding occupational therapy coaching to a fatigue website helped people with severe multiple sclerosis fatigue set goals and use the site more. While participants felt more confident and less impacted by fatigue, these improvements were not significant enough to prove the coaching works.
• PTOTQualitative2022Mobility experiences of adult lower limb orthosis users: a focus group study.Disability and rehabilitationOrthosis users do not simply wear their devices constantly. They actively choose between using an orthosis, a cane, both, or neither based on the specific terrain, distance, and attention demands of each activity.
• PTOTQualitative2022The experiences and beliefs of people with severe haemophilia and healthcare professionals on pain management, and their views of using exercise as an aspect of intervention: a qualitative study.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with severe haemophilia avoid pain medication and exercise due to fears of addiction, liver damage, and bleeding. They want functional improvement over pain elimination. Trust in haemophilia specialists is essential for them to accept advice.
• PTOTQualitative2022How does a lifetime of painful experiences influence sensations and beliefs about pain in adults with severe haemophilia? A qualitative study.Disability and rehabilitationMen with severe haemophilia described pain as central to their identity, not just a symptom. Fear of bleeding drove constant self-monitoring and avoidance of activity. Childhood experiences and family dynamics shaped adult beliefs, making pain management complex and deeply personal.
• OTQualitative2022Exploring Interactions in the Sickness Insurance System in Terms of Power and Trust.Journal of occupational rehabilitationClients on long-term sick leave described trying to prove their work ethic during evaluations, even pushing past their limits. They felt distrusted by the system, while clinicians who knew them often verified their genuine effort and desire to return to work.
• PTOTCohort2022African Americans and Women Have Lower Functional Gains During Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation After Hemorrhagic Stroke.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationFemale and African American patients with hemorrhagic stroke made smaller functional gains during acute inpatient rehabilitation than male and white patients. These differences persisted even after accounting for stroke severity, age, and location, pointing to unmeasured factors rather than clinical presentation.
• PTOTRCT2022Does Anesthetic Relief Correspond to Future Pain Relief?: A Prospective Trial Examining Future Pain Relief for Ultrasound-Guided Corticosteroid-Anesthetic Injections.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationImmediate pain relief from the anesthetic in a steroid injection poorly predicts long-term benefit. Patients without immediate relief still had a 50% chance of improvement by three months. Most patients report steroid relief within four days, though it can take up to two weeks.
• PTOther2023Unique characteristics of patients who choose an intensive lifestyle medicine program to address chronic musculoskeletal pain.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationSelf-reported function, pain interference, anxiety, and depression did not meaningfully separate lifestyle program patients from standard non-operative care; they were more racially diverse and had more obesity and diabetes. Versus surgical patients, they reported worse anxiety but less pain interference.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023A Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Utilization Between Patients Who Used Telemedicine and Office Visits in Outpatient Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics During the COVID-19 Pandemic.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationTelemedicine patients had more follow-up visits and higher opioid use, but no difference in emergency care. Sicker patients and people of color used telemedicine more. This reflects pandemic-era selection bias, not proof that video visits are safer or more efficient.
• PTOTCohort2023Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and the Outcome of Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections for Lumbar Radiculopathy.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationPatients with lower estimated family income had higher baseline pain but experienced a larger reduction in pain scores two weeks after a lumbar epidural steroid injection than those with higher income. Physical activity was linked to lower baseline pain and better outcomes.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Evaluating case diagnostic criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): toward an empirical case definition.Disability and rehabilitationCognitive dysfunction, post-exertional malaise, and sleep problems were the core symptoms reported by over 90% of participants. The Canadian Consensus Criteria best matched this symptom structure, while the IOM criteria required revision to make cognitive impairment a mandatory core symptom.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Intra- and interpersonal effects of coping style and self-efficacy on anxiety, depression and life satisfaction in patient-partner couples after stroke.Neuropsychological rehabilitationProactive coping and self-efficacy in stroke patients and their partners predicted lower anxiety and depression in both individuals over the first year. Intrapersonal effects were stronger, but a patient's coping style also reduced their partner's anxiety, supporting early screening of the couple rather than just the patient.
• PTOTCohort2023Occupational engagement, fatigue, and upper and lower extremity abilities in persons with melorheostosis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn 45 adults with melorheostosis, high-demand leisure activities were least retained and often given up. Physical fatigue was linked to lower activity retention, and lesion location was linked to extremity-specific function scores. Motivation and mental fatigue were not.
• OTOther2023Person-centered goal setting is feasible in people with Parkinson's disease who have subjective cognitive decline: a mixed methods study.Disability and rehabilitationPerson-centered goal setting was feasible: 30 people with Parkinson's disease and subjective cognitive decline set 166 goals, averaging 5.53 each, and 144 goals were rated seven or higher importance.
• PTOther2023External and Internal Work Load During a Mountain Time Trial in Trained Handcyclists Versus a World-Class Handcyclist and Determinants of Performance.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationA world-class handcycle rider had higher peak power and a faster race time than 10 trained riders. In the trained riders, higher peak power and power at the second breathing threshold were linked to faster finish times.
• PTOTCohort2023Pain, obesity, and physical function in Mexican American older adults during 20 years of follow-up.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationOlder Mexican Americans with both pain and obesity had 2.31 times the odds of low physical function over 20 years compared to those with neither. Pain alone also increased risk. Obesity alone did not show a significant association in this high-functioning group.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Using Machine Learning to Examine Suicidal Ideation After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database Study.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationA machine learning model predicted suicidal ideation one year after TBI with excellent accuracy. Depressed mood and guilt were the strongest predictors, followed by anhedonia and concentration difficulties. Demographic and injury severity factors added no predictive value. This suggests screening for specific depression symptoms may be more useful than general risk factors.
• Narrative Review2022Biomarkers in the Degenerative Human Intervertebral Disc Tissue and Blood.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationThis review discusses inflammatory markers in disc tissue and blood. It does not test any treatments or report patient outcomes, so it offers no evidence to change clinical practice.
• OTSurvey2022Expectations of Mental Illness Disclosure Outcomes in the Work Context: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Dutch Workers.Journal of occupational rehabilitationDutch workers mostly expected that disclosure of mental illness at work could improve authenticity and work adjustments, but many also expected contract renewal or promotion problems. Expectations varied by experience, gender, education and workplace atmosphere.
• PTOTCohort2022Sex and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Within-Stay Readmissions During Inpatient Rehabilitation Among Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn 210,440 adults with traumatic brain injury, within-stay readmission rates were similar for men and women. Readmission was linked to older age, complications, lower admission function, and longer time from injury to rehabilitation; racial/ethnic minority patients had longer delays and stays before readmission.
• OTCohort2022The Association Between Payer Source and Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Outcomes: A TBI Model Systems Study.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationIn 8,558 adults under age 64 with moderate to severe TBI, worker's compensation/auto stayed longest in inpatient rehabilitation and had highest discharge independence, while uninsured stayed shortest. The insurance difference in discharge independence was no longer seen when length of stay was included.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022Adaptation of the Core Set for Vocational Rehabilitation for Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Consensus-Based Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationCancer survivors prioritized mental functions, interpersonal relationships, and workplace support for return to work. Stakeholders confirmed the adapted checklist covers these areas but recommended a single coordinator to manage the multi-disciplinary assessment.
• PTRCT2022Participatory Ergonomics Intervention to Prevent Work Disability Among Workers with Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial in Workplace Setting.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAdding workplace ergonomic visits to standard physiotherapy counselling did not improve work ability compared to counselling alone. Both groups saw similar pain reduction and absence rates, so this participatory approach showed no added benefit for preventing work disability.
• OTQualitative2022Swedish managers' experience-based understanding of the Capacity to work in employees with Common Mental Disorders: a Focus Group Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationManagers understood employees with depression or anxiety as losing the ability to concentrate, plan over time, work independently, keep up professional appearances, and interact socially. These are managers’ perceptions, not measured work capacity, and not evidence of how all employees with these conditions actually function.
• PTOTNarrative Review2022Effects of Exercise Mode on Improving Cardiovascular Function and Cardiorespiratory Fitness After Bariatric Surgery: A Narrative Review.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationAerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory fitness in bariatric surgery patients, often without additional weight loss. Resistance training alone did not improve fitness but helped maintain muscle. Combining both is recommended to maximize health benefits and prevent muscle loss, though evidence remains limited and protocols need standardization.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2022Association Between Self-Reported Disability and Lifetime History of Traumatic Brain Injury With Loss of Consciousness Among Veterans and Nonveterans in North Carolina.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationVeterans and nonveterans reporting a lifetime history of traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness had higher rates of current disability. Cognitive, independent living, and vision disabilities showed the strongest associations. This identifies a group needing careful functional assessment, but does not prove the injury caused the disability.
• OTSurvey2022Employment Consequences of COVID-19 for People with Disabilities and Employers.Journal of occupational rehabilitationA quarter of surveyed people with physical disabilities reported pandemic-related work changes, including pay cuts, reduced hours, or job loss. Nearly all surveyed employers reported business impacts.
• PTSystematic Review2022Reactive Balance Responses After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Scoping Review.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOnly three studies tested reactive balance after mild traumatic brain injury, and they did not agree. Perturbation tests may find balance problems in people with lingering symptoms, but evidence is too limited to guide treatment.
• SLPCohort2022The Utility of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) Sleep Disturbance Item as a Screener for Insomnia in Individuals With Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationFor adults with moderate-to-severe TBI, a score of 2 or higher on the PHQ-9 sleep item accurately flags insomnia. This single question can trigger further evaluation without needing lengthy sleep questionnaires.
• OTQualitative2022"I Felt Supported by the Peers in My Group": Analyzing Experiences of Youths with Mental Health Challenges of a Supported Employment Program in Canada.Journal of occupational rehabilitationYoung adults with mental illness described a 16-week supported employment program as most helpful for building daily routines and peer connections that lasted beyond the course. They found the job application process and workplace stigma remained major barriers after the program ended, suggesting continued support is needed.
• PTOTNarrative Review2022Hyaluronan homeostasis and its role in pain and muscle stiffness.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationHyaluronan in muscle tissue may drive pain and stiffness through increased viscosity and pressure on nerves. While animal studies link low-molecular-weight hyaluronan to pain, human data suggests high accumulation causes stiffness. Hyaluronidase injections show promise in small trials, but evidence remains preliminary.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2022Concussion Evaluation Patterns Among US Adults.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationHalf of adults with a self-reported concussion never saw a doctor or nurse. The main reason was not cost or access, but believing the injury was not serious. Men and those with falls or sports injuries were least likely to seek care.
• Survey2023The Self-Regulation Assessment (SeRA) questionnaire: development and exploratory analyses of a new patient-reported outcome measure for rehabilitation.Disability and rehabilitationIn 563 former rehab patients, a new 22-item self-regulation questionnaire grouped into four areas: understanding the condition, understanding capabilities, trusting self and applying strategies, and organizing help. It is not yet tested in current rehab.
• PTOTOther2023Assessing wear time and perceptions of wearing an ankle foot orthosis in patients with peripheral artery disease.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationMost participants with PAD wore their ankle orthoses about five days a week for eight hours. They reported improved walking distance but faced barriers at home, on stairs, and while driving. Do not assume high adherence or efficacy from this small pilot.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Relationship Between Cachexia and the Functional Progress of Patients With Cancer in Inpatient Rehabilitation.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationMost cancer patients in inpatient rehab had cachexia, yet those with moderate weight loss recovered function as well as those without. Only the most severe cases gained less function and had poorer survival, suggesting standard rehab remains effective for many.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Views of in-person and virtual group exercise before and during the pandemic in people with Parkinson disease.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPeople with Parkinson disease who moved from in-person to virtual group exercise reported maintaining or improving mobility and balance. They valued the social connection and convenience of Zoom classes, though few had been referred to the program by a doctor.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Wheelchair service provision education for healthcare professional students, healthcare personnel and educators across low- to high-resourced settings: a scoping review.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyWheelchair service education is rarely integrated into university curricula, with most training occurring in high-income countries. Existing programs often lack standardization and detailed reporting, leaving a gap in evidence for how to effectively teach wheelchair skills globally.
• PTOTPilot2023Disparities in functional recovery after dysvascular lower limb amputation are associated with employment status and self-efficacy.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with dysvascular lower limb amputation who were not working full-time had significantly poorer prosthetic mobility and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of mobility, masking the direct contribution of employment status.
• PTQualitative2023Understanding decision-making in prosthetic rehabilitation by prosthetists and people with lower limb amputation: a qualitative study.Disability and rehabilitationProsthetists saw prosthesis design as their key decision, while people with limb loss focused on goals, comfort, and appearance. Trust and education mattered, but early design options were often not clear to users.
• PTOTCohort2023Prevalence of rapidly progressive osteoarthritis of the hip following intra-articular steroid injections.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationRapidly progressive hip osteoarthritis occurred in 2.8% of patients after steroid injections. Half of these cases appeared within three months, and most required hip replacement. Older age was linked to higher risk, but the study cannot prove the injection caused the joint destruction.
• OTOther2022Demographic Covariates, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and Employment Outcomes of Working-Age Adults with Anxiety Disorders: A Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis.Journal of occupational rehabilitationOnly 38.4% of adults with anxiety disorders in U.S. vocational rehabilitation records achieved competitive employment. Higher education, counseling, maintenance, or other services were linked to employment; supported employment and transportation were linked to lower employment.