A Controlled and Retrospective Study of 144 Chronic Low Back Pain Patients to Evaluate the Effectiveness of an Intensive Functional Restoration Program in France.

Study Design: A controlled and retrospective study of 144 chronic low back pain patients to evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive functional restoration program in France.

Objective: Evaluating the efficiency of an intensive, dynamic and multidisciplinary functional restoration program in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP), during 6 and 12 months follow up.

Summary Of Background Data: Chronic low back pain disease has a multifactor nature, involving physical, psychological professional and social factors.

Functional restoration of the spine: effect of initial pain level on the performance of subjects with chronic low back pain.

Background: Chronic low back pain is a persistent lumbar pain of multifactorial origin. The initial pain level remains poorly used to analyze and compare responses in low back pain patients in a reconditioning program.

Objective: To assess and evaluate the responses of subjects with very painful chronic low back pain in a dynamic and intensive care program.

Effects of a five-week intensive and multidisciplinary spine-specific functional restoration program in chronic low back pain patients with or without surgery.

Objective: Evaluating the efficacy of an intensive, dynamic and multidisciplinary spine-specific functional restoration program in patients with chronic low back pain with or without surgery.

Methods: One hundred and forty-four subjects with chronic low back pain included in the retrospective study and divided into two groups: patients who had spine surgery (GI, n=81) and patients who did not have surgery (GC, n=37). The two groups followed the same functional restoration program (175 hours).

Quantitative assessment of the velocity-dependent increase in resistance to passive stretch in spastic plantarflexors.

Background: Although numerous studies revealed that isokinetic dynamometers were valuable tools for assessing spastic hypertonia, no standard methodology using such devices is currently widespread in clinical setting. The aim of this study was to standardize a protocol to assess spastic hypertonia in the triceps surae.

Methods: The passive resistance during dorsiflexions imposed from 10 to 300 degrees /s with an isokinetic dynamometer was measured at the neutral position in 15 patients with spastic hypertonia and 12 healthy subjects.

Differences in kinematic parameters and plantarflexor reflex responses between manual (Ashworth) and isokinetic mobilisations in spasticity assessment.

Objective: The purpose of this study was first to compare the kinematic parameters of imposed ankle mobilizations measured during Ashworth or isokinetic tests and, second, to better understand why the stretch reflex was more or less easily elicited by one method or the other.

Methods: Passive dorsiflexions were applied on eight adult patients with plantarflexor spasticity in two conditions: (i) manually, using the Ashworth test where passive dorsiflexions were performed freely by seven rehabilitation clinicians, and (ii) instrumentally, using an isokinetic device (Cybex Norm) and a dorsiflexion velocity at 300 degrees /s. Mean values of initial ankle position, maximal angular velocity (theta;'(max)), maximal angular acceleration (theta;''(max)) and plantarflexor reflex responses obtained with each method were compared.