The Clinical Status of Patients With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Reflects Their Individual Decision to Undergo or Defer Lumbar Spinal Surgery.

Objective: To evaluate whether functional, clinical, and self-reported tests reflect lumbar spinal stenosis patients' decisions to undergo or defer surgery.

Methods: Among 108 participants, 77 chose surgery (SG), and 31 opted to wait and see (WaSG) whether they got better spontaneously. Both groups were assessed at baseline (t0) and 3 months (t1), with additional self-reported measures at 6 (t2) and 12 months (t3).

Walking in multiple sclerosis improves with tDCS: a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study.

Objective: To evaluate whether multiple sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the primary motor (M1) cortex paired with aerobic exercise can improve walking functions in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: MS participants were recruited for a double-blind, parallel-arm, randomized, sham-controlled trial and assigned to 10 sessions (5 d/wk for 2 weeks) of either active or sham tDCS paired with unloaded cycling for 20 minutes. Stimulation was administered over the left M1 cortex (2.

Static and Dynamic Balance in Adults Undergoing Lumbar Spine Surgery: Screening and Prediction of Postsurgical Outcomes.

Introduction: Balance and fall risk before and after lumbar surgery was assessed to determine whether balance at baseline predicts long-term postsurgical outcomes.

Methods: Forty-three patients in the United States and Israel performed the single-leg stance (SLS) test, four square step test (FSST), and 8-foot up-and-go (8FUG) test before and 2 to 4 months after lumbar spine surgery. They completed the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and pain rating before and 12 months after lumbar surgery.

Immediate effect of visual, auditory and combined feedback on foot strike pattern.

Background: A growing body of literature supports the promising effect of real-time feedback to re-train runners. However, no studies have comprehensively assessed the effects of foots trike and cadence modification using different forms of real-time feedback provided via wearable devices.

Research Question: The purpose of the present study was to determine if a change could be made in foot strike pattern and plantar loads using real-time visual, auditory and combined feedback provided using wearable devices.

Health Competency Standards in Physical Therapist Practice.

Although the physical therapist profession is the leading established, largely nonpharmacological health profession in the world and is committed to health promotion and noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevention, these have yet to be designated as core physical therapist competencies. Based on findings of 3 Physical Therapy Summits on Global Health, addressing NCDs (heart disease, cancer, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and chronic lung disease) has been declared an urgent professional priority. The Third Summit established the status of health competencies in physical therapist practice across the 5 World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) regions with a view to establish health competency standards, this article's focus.

NEUROMUSCULAR CONTROL DURING PERFORMANCE OF A DYNAMIC BALANCE TASK IN SUBJECTS WITH AND WITHOUT ANKLE INSTABILITY.

Design: Cross-sectional, controlled laboratory study.

Background: Lateral ankle sprains are common injuries and often lead to chronic ankle instability (CAI). Individuals who previously sustained a lateral ankle sprain, but did not develop CAI, termed copers, may have altered postural control strategies compared to individuals who have developed CAI.

Toward core inter-professional health promotion competencies to address the non-communicable diseases and their risk factors through knowledge translation: curriculum content assessment.

Background: To increase the global impact of health promotion related to non-communicable diseases, health professionals need evidence-based core competencies in health assessment and lifestyle behavior change. Assessment of health promotion curricula by health professional programs is a first step. Such program assessment is a means of 1.

Effect of knee joint cooling on the electromyographic activity of lower extremity muscles during a plyometric exercise.

During sporting events, injured athletes often return to competition after icing because of the reduction in pain. Although some controversy exists, several studies suggest that cryotherapy causes a decrease in muscle activity, which may lead to a higher risk of injury upon return to play. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a 20-min knee joint cryotherapy application on the electromyographic activity of leg muscles during a single-leg drop jump in twenty healthy subjects, randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group.