Initial evidence for the link between activities and health: Associations between a balance of activities, functioning and serum levels of cytokines and C-reactive protein.

Growing evidence shows interrelations of psychological factors, neurological and immunological processes. Therefore, constructs like a balance of activities, the so called "occupational balance", could also have biological correlates. The aim of this study was to investigate potential associations between occupational balance, functioning, cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients suffering from a chronic inflammatory disease like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthy people.

Reliability, validity, sensitivity and internal consistency of the ICF based Basic Mobility Scale for measuring the mobility of patients with musculoskeletal problems in the acute hospital setting: a prospective study.

Background: The assessment of mobility is important in the acute care setting. Existing tests suffer from limitations. The aim of the study was to examine the inter-rater reliability, the validity, the sensitivity to change, and the internal consistency of an ICF based scale.

A surface EMG test tool to measure proportional prosthetic control.

In upper limb amputees, prosthetic control training is recommended before and after fitting. During rehabilitation, the focus is on selective proportional control signals. For functional monitoring, many different tests are available.

Do patient-reported outcome measures cover personal factors important to people with rheumatoid arthritis? A mixed methods design using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as frame of reference.

Background: Personal factors (PFs) are internal factors that determine functioning and the individuals' experience of disability. Their coverage by patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) has not been examined in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) so far. The aims of this study were to identify PFs important in the life stories of people with RA and to determine their coverage by PROMs used in RA.

Development of patient-centred standards of care for osteoarthritis in Europe: the eumusc.net-project.

Objective: The eumusc.net project is an initiative founded by the European Community and the European League Against Rheumatism. One aim of the project was to facilitate equal standards for musculoskeletal health across Europe.

World Congresses of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 2013-2015: the way forward - from Beijing to Berlin.

Scientific congresses are an important tool to support communication among scientists, enabling exchange of knowledge and discussion of research results. They can also provide specialist education and allow a forum in which to develop the goals and policies of scientific societies. The World Congresses of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) aims at continuous improvement of congress quality.

Development of a new occupational balance-questionnaire: incorporating the perspectives of patients and healthy people in the design of a self-reported occupational balance outcome instrument.

Background: Self-reported outcome instruments in health research have become increasingly important over the last decades. Occupational therapy interventions often focus on occupational balance. However, instruments to measure occupational balance are scarce.

[Relevance of personal contextual factors of the ICF for use in practical social medicine and rehabilitation].

Personal contextual factors play an essential part in the model of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The WHO has not yet classified personal factors for global use although they impact on the functioning of persons positively or negatively. In 2010, the ICF working group of the German Society of Social Medicine and Prevention (DGSMP) presented a proposal for the classification of personal factors into 72 categories previously arranged in 6 chapters.

Development of patient-centred standards of care for rheumatoid arthritis in Europe: the eumusc.net project.

Objective: The eumusc.net project is a European Union (EU) commission and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)funded project that aims to facilitate equal standards for musculoskeletal health in all EU countries. One work-package was to develop evidence-based and patient-centred standards of care (SOC), for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) understandable for patients and professionals across Europe.

Health determining concepts important to people with Crohn's disease and their coverage by patient-reported outcomes of health and wellbeing.

Background And Aims: Busy clinical settings often restrict the possibility to focus on concepts that determine health in a positive way, commonly assessed by using patient-reported outcomes (PROs). We aimed to explore which determinants of health (DHs) are important to people with Crohn's disease (CD), to understand possible gender differences and to analyze whether these DHs are covered by PROs used in CD.

Methods: Two systematic literature reviews were done to identify relevant DHs and clinically relevant PROs.

Similar problem in the activities of daily living but different experience: a qualitative analysis in six rheumatic conditions and eight European countries.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare and contrast the concepts of functioning in daily life which were important to patients with different rheumatological conditions.

Method: The study comprised a qualitative analysis of 44 focus groups in eight European countries, in 229 patients with fibromyalgia, hand osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis, using the World Health Organization, 2001 International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a framework. Concepts and - where necessary - also sub-concepts and transcripts were combined and compared independently by two researchers who, in case of disagreement, achieved consensus through discussion.

Spectrum of topics for World Congresses and other activities of the International Society for Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM): a first proposal.

Background: One of the objectives of the International Society for Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine is to improve the continuity of World Congresses. This requires the development of an abstract topic list for use in congress announcements and abstract submissions.

Methods: An abstract topic list was developed on the basis of the definitions of human functioning and rehabilitation research, which define 5 main areas of research (biosciences in rehabilitation, biomedical rehabilitation sciences and engineering, clinical Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) sciences, integrative rehabilitation sciences, and human functioning sciences).

Impact of exercise training on inflammation and platelet activation in patients with intermittent claudication.

Background: Serum markers of inflammation and platelet activation are related to cardiovascular risk. Cardiovascular risk reduction is a major treatment goal in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Although current guidelines recommend supervised exercise training (SET) for PAD patients with intermittent claudication, its contribution to risk reduction remains unclear.

Determinants of satisfaction with individual health in male and female patients with chronic low back pain.

Objective: To examine health satisfaction and its predictors in subjects with and without chronic low back pain.

Subjects: Data for subjects aged 15-64 years were sourced from an Austrian representative population-based nationwide survey including 6,194 men and 6,183 women.

Methods: Health satisfaction and its determinants were assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF).

Arterial hypertension: a clinically relevant problem in physical medicine and rehabilitation?

Objective: Arterial hypertension is the most frequently observed vascular risk factor. Physical and rehabilitative interventions may affect arterial blood pressure. The frequency of hypertensive patients in an outpatient clinic of physical medicine is unknown.

Bone metabolism in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism before and after surgery.

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is accompanied with a reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and an increased risk of fracture. Surgery is the only option for cure. It is hypothesized that in patients with PHPT bone metabolism normalizes after parathyroidectomy (PTX) and that BMD gradually increases.

A position paper on Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine programmes in post-acute settings. Union of European Medical Specialists Section of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine (in conjunction with the European Society of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine).

Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) programmes in post-acute settings cover interventions for the rehabilitation of people with a variety of disabling health conditions. The setting of the intervention is more important than the timing and these programmes can be carried out in a variety of facilities. This paper describes the role of PRM services and of PRM specialists in delivering rehabilitation programmes to people, who have initially been admitted to hospital.

Non-invasive neuromuscular electrical stimulation in patients with central nervous system lesions: an educational review.

The aim of this educational review is to provide an overview of the clinical application of transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the extremities in patients with upper motor neurone lesions. In general two methods of electrical stimulation can be distinguished: (i) therapeutic electrical stimulation, and (ii) functional electrical stimulation. Therapeutic electrical stimulation improves neuromuscular functional condition by strengthening muscles, increasing motor control, reducing spasticity, decreasing pain and increasing range of motion.

Lymphedema: a therapeutic approach in the treatment and rehabilitation of cancer patients.

Lymphedema therapy has gone by many names in the recent past, being referred to as complex decongestive therapy, complex physical therapy, or decongestive lymphatic therapy, among others. There are two phases of lymphedema treatment: the acute "intensive" phase and the maintenance phase. In the acute phase of treatment, the individual is typically wrapped with medical short-stretch compression bandages; receives a therapeutic exercise routine, skin care, and education; and undergoes manual lymphatic drainage by a specially trained physical therapist or healthcare professional.

Exercise training increases endothelial progenitor cells and decreases asymmetric dimethylarginine in peripheral arterial disease: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Supervised exercise training (SET) is recommended as initial treatment to improve walking capacity in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients with intermittent claudication. Various mechanisms by which SET yields beneficial effects are postulated, however data regarding its influence on angiogenesis are scarce. Thus, we designed a prospective randomized controlled trial to study the impact of SET on markers of angiogenesis and endothelial function in PAD.

Brief ICF Core Sets for the acute hospital.

Objective: To identify candidate categories for brief International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets for the reporting and measurement of functioning in patients in the acute hospital.

Design: Prospective multi-centre cohort study.

Patients: Patients receiving rehabilitation interventions for musculoskeletal, neurological or cardiopulmonary injury or disease in acute hospitals.

Validation of the comprehensive ICF Core Sets for patients receiving rehabilitation interventions in the acute care setting.

Objective: To examine the relevance and completeness of the comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets for patients with rehabilitation needs in acute hospital care.

Design: Multi-centre cohort study.

Patients: A total of 391 patients (50.

Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle layer thickness of knee extensor muscles in intensive care unit patients: a pilot study.

Objective: It is known that patients in the intensive care unit show an enormous loss of muscle mass. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is effective in enhancing strength and endurance in immobilized patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle layer thickness of knee extensor muscles in intensive care unit patients.