Background: Uncompensated vestibular hypofunction can result in symptoms of dizziness, imbalance, and/or oscillopsia, gaze and gait instability, and impaired navigation and spatial orientation; thus, may negatively impact an individual's quality of life, ability to perform activities of daily living, drive, and work. It is estimated that one-third of adults in the United States have vestibular dysfunction and the incidence increases with age. There is strong evidence supporting vestibular physical therapy for reducing symptoms, improving gaze and postural stability, and improving function in individuals with vestibular hypofunction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The purpose of the study was to compare a time series of tibial nerve H-reflex trials between patients with subacute low back pain (LBP) and asymptomatic adults using pre and post high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA) spinal manipulation (SM) and control procedures.
Methods: Asymptomatic adults (n = 66) and patients with subacute LBP (n = 45) were randomized into 3 lumbosacral procedures: side-posture positioning, joint preloading with no thrust, and HVLA SM. A time series of 40 H/M ratios at a rate of 0.
The purpose of this research was to characterize unique neurophysiologic events following a high velocity, low amplitude (HVLA) spinal manipulation (SM) procedure. Descriptive time series analysis techniques of time plots, outlier detection and autocorrelation functions were applied to time series of tibial nerve H-reflexes that were evoked at 10-s intervals from 100 s before the event until 100 s after three distinct events L5-S1 HVLA SM, or a L5-S1 joint pre-loading procedure, or the control condition. Sixty-six subjects were randomly assigned to three procedures, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The purpose of this study was to determine if high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation (SM) altered the effects of corticospinal excitability on motoneuron activity innervating the paraspinal muscles. In a previous study using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), augmentation of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) from the gastrocnemius muscle after lumbar SM was reported. To date, there is no known report of the effect of SM on paraspinal muscle excitability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical efficacy of manual therapy interventions for relieving the signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) by comparing 2 forms of manual therapy techniques: Graston Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (GISTM) and STM administered with the clinician hands.
Methods: The study was a prospective comparative research design in the setting of a research laboratory. Volunteers were recruited with symptoms suggestive of CTS based upon a phone interview and confirmed by electrodiagnostic study findings, symptom characteristics, and physical examination findings during an initial screening visit.