Modalities in Physical Therapy

BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral pain syndrome, now generally referred to as patellofemoral pain (PFP), is one of the most common orthopaedic disorders, characterised by pain in the anterior or retropatellar knee region. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been proposed generally as a complementary treatment, associated with other interventions such as exercise, or as a single treatment to increase muscle force, reduce knee pain, and improve function. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects (benefits and harms) of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for people with patellofemoral pain...

Use of biologic scaffolds such as extracellular matrix (ECM) is a promising trend in the treatment of complex wounds in orthopedic trauma patients. In this clinical series we describe the technique of the successful application of porcine urinary bladder ECM products in the treatment of open fractures of the extremities with complex wounds and large soft tissue defects. The clinical outcomes demonstrated that even in challenging cases where local flap coverage of bone or neurovascular structures is not possible, sequential xenograft implantation allowed us to achieve a stable soft tissue envelope...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Suspension training (ST) has been utilized over exercises performed on a stable surface to train multiple muscle groups simultaneously to increase muscle activation and joint stability. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether ST augments muscle activation compared to similar exercises performed on a stable surface. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Twenty-five healthy adults (male: 16; women: 9; BMI: 23...

BACKGROUND: The use of foam rollers to provide tissue massage is a commonly used intervention by rehabilitation professionals for their patients and clients. Currently, there is no consensus on the optimal foam rolling treatment approach. Of particular interest are the effects of different instructional methods of foam rolling, as individuals ultimately perform these interventions independently outside of formal care. Finding the optimal instructional method may help improve the individual's understanding of the technique, allowing for a safe and effective intervention...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Muscle dysfunction is very common following musculoskeletal injury. There is very little evidence to suggest that muscle function may be positively impacted by soft tissue interventions, such as dry needling. The purpose of this case report is to describe the immediate effect of dry needling on muscle thickness in a subject after shoulder surgery. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 22 year-old competitive gymnast presented seven months post shoulder surgery with significant impairments and functional limitations...

KEY POINTS: Cold water immersion and active recovery are common post-exercise recovery treatments. A key assumption about the benefits of cold water immersion is that it reduces inflammation in skeletal muscle. However, no data are available from humans to support this notion. We compared the effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammatory and cellular stress responses in skeletal muscle from exercise-trained men 2, 24 and 48 h during recovery after acute resistance exercise...

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is chronic, intermittent pain and tenderness on the outside of the hip. The medical community once thought that a swollen hip bursa was the source of such pain, which led to the use of corticosteroid injections to the bursa to help decrease swelling and pain. However, researchers now believe that injuries to the muscles and tendons around the hip are the actual cause of this pain, and that inflammation is often not involved. A study published in the April 2017 issue of JOSPT explores dry needling as an alternative to cortisone injections to reduce pain and improve function in patients with GTPS...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of kinesiology tape (KT) on shoulder strength, proprioception, and scapular kinematics in healthy and Subacromial Impingement Syndrome (SAIS) subjects. DESIGN: Placebo-controlled quasi-experimental study. SETTING: Research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 30 physically active subjects participated. Ten healthy subjects with no previous history of shoulder pathology received KT on the dominant shoulder...

STUDY DESIGN: Double-blind, randomized parallel sham-controlled trial with concealed allocation and intention-to treat analysis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of an isolate myofascial release (MFR) protocol on pain, disability, and fear-avoidance beliefs in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: MFR is a form of manual medicine widely used by physiotherapists in the management of different musculoskeletal pathologies...

INTRODUCTION: Bone fractures fail to heal and form nonunions in roughly 5% of cases, with little expectation of spontaneous healing thereafter. We present a systematic review and meta-analysis of published papers that describe nonunions treated with low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS). METHODS: Articles in PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases were searched, using an approach recommended by the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS), with a Level of Evidence rating by two reviewers independently...

CONTEXT:   Therapeutic modalities that stimulate sensory receptors around the foot-ankle complex improve chronic ankle instability (CAI)-associated impairments. However, not all patients have equal responses to these modalities. Identifying predictors of treatment success could improve clinician efficiency when treating patients with CAI. OBJECTIVE:   To conduct a response analysis on existing data to identify predictors of improved self-reported function in patients with CAI...

CONTEXT:   Recent studies suggest the prophylactic use of low-powered laser/light has ergogenic effects on athletic performance and postactivity recovery. Manufacturers of high-powered lasers/light devices claim that these can produce the same clinical benefits with increased power and decreased irradiation time; however, research with high-powered lasers is lacking. OBJECTIVE:   To evaluate the magnitude of observed phototherapeutic effects with 3 commercially available devices...

CONTEXT:   Deficits in balance have been identified as a possible risk factor for knee injuries in athletes. Despite a lack of evidence for its effectiveness, kinesiology tape (KT) is widely used to prevent knee injuries. OBJECTIVE:   To investigate the influence of KT at the knee joint on balance ability in healthy men after eccentric exercise. DESIGN:   Crossover study. SETTING:   University laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:   Twelve young men with no history of lower limb injury volunteered for the study (age = 23...

AIM: This paper aims to systematically review studies investigating the strength of association between FMS composite scores and subsequent risk of injury, taking into account both methodological quality and clinical and methodological diversity. DESIGN: Systematic review with meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted for the period between their inception and 3 March 2016 using PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, Scopus, Academic Search Complete, AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine Database), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Health Source and SPORTDiscus...

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the acute effects of two different stretch intensities on muscle damage and extensibility. METHODS: Twenty-two physically active women (age 20 ± 1.0 years) were divided into two matched groups and undertook eight sets of 30-s passive hamstring stretching. One group stretched to the point of discomfort (POD) and the other to the point of pain (POP). Hamstring passive torque, sit and reach (S&R), straight leg raise (SLR), and markers of muscle damage were measured before, immediately after stretching and 24 h later...

[Purpose] This study evaluated joint mobilization and therapeutic exercise applied to the cervical spine and upper thoracic spine for functional impairment caused by chronic neck pain. [Subjects and Methods] Eighteen study subjects were randomly assigned to two groups of nine people each. Therapeutic exercise only was applied to the cervical and upper thoracic spine for Group I, while both therapeutic exercise and joint mobilization were applied to Group II. The visual analog scale, neck disability index, active cervical range of motion, static balance capacity, and muscle tone were assessed with a pre-test...

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are published by several sports medicine institutions. A systematic evaluation can help identify the highest quality CPGs for clinical use and identify any deficiencies that remain. PURPOSE: To identify and appraise CPGs relevant to clinical sports medicine professionals. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: Predetermined selection criteria were utilized by 2 reviewers who independently identified published CPGs before January 1, 2014...

BACKGROUND: There is debate as to whether the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is beneficial after acute skeletal muscle injury. Some studies have suggested that NSAID use may be detrimental to injured muscle. PURPOSE: To determine whether NSAID use affects recovery from skeletal muscle injury as assessed by strength loss, soreness, and/or blood creatine kinase level. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: An extensive systematic review was completed searching 16 databases (eg, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE)...

OBJECTIVE: The Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative combines payment of multiple services for episodes of care into 1 bundle. Rotator cuff repair is a likely candidate for future inclusion. The objective of this study was to determine cost-effective, high-quality postoperative rehabilitation dosing and cryotherapy for patients undergoing rotator cuff repair based on systematic review of the literature. METHODS: Systematic review of level I and level II articles was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Databases, and PEDro...