Methodological Issues Relevant to Blinding in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research.

Blinding in research is important, and the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation poses special consideration owing to the patient populations and treatment methodologies used. Historically, blinding has been increasingly relevant to conducting good-quality research. The main reason to blind is to reduce bias.

Effect of integrated exercise therapy and psychosocial interventions on self-efficacy in patients with chronic low back pain: A systematic review.

Objective: Investigate if integrated exercise and psychosocial (EP) interventions effect self-efficacy to manage pain and self-efficacy for physical functioning compared to alternate interventions, usual care, waitlists and attention controls for individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsychINFO, PEDro, and Cochrane Library were searched. Included randomized controlled trials utilized an EP intervention for CLBP and measured self-efficacy.

Interventions to improve adherence to pharmacological therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung condition characterised by persistent respiratory symptoms and limited lung airflow, dyspnoea and recurrent exacerbations. Suboptimal therapy or non-adherence may result in limited effectiveness of pharmacological treatments and subsequently poor health outcomes.

Objectives: To determine the efficacy and safety of interventions intended to improve adherence to single or combined pharmacological treatments compared with usual care or interventions that are not intended to improve adherence in people with COPD.

Joint movements associated with minimum toe clearance variability in older adults during level overground walking.

Background: Approximately one-third of falls are caused by the swing foot contacting an object or the ground, resulting in a trip. The increased incidence of trip-related falls among older adults may be explained by greater within-person minimum toe clearance (MTC) variability.

Research Question: Will kinematic variability at any of the 6 major joints in the lower limbs, individually or in combination, be associated with MTC variability?

Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated whether single or multiple joint movements best explained MTC variability in older adults.

Randomized Trial on the Effects of Attentional Focus on Motor Training of the Upper Extremity Using Robotics With Individuals After Chronic Stroke.

Objective: To compare the long-term effects of external focus (EF) and internal focus (IF) of attention after 4 weeks of arm training.

Design: Randomized, repeated-measures, mixed analysis of variance.

Setting: Outpatient clinic.

Test-retest reliability of the seated Functional Rotation Test in people with Parkinson's disease: a preliminary study.

This study established the test-retest reliability of a seated Functional Rotation Test monitoring hand-pointing, together with head and trunk-rotation performance, in people with Parkinson's disease. An ancillary purpose was to establish the concurrent validity between the Functional Rotation Test and an electrogoniometer. 10 males with Parkinson's disease (M age=70.

Contraindications for superficial heat and therapeutic ultrasound: do sources agree?

Objectives: To determine the amount of agreement among general rehabilitation sources for both superficial heating and therapeutic ultrasound contraindications.

Data Sources: English-language textbook and peer-reviewed journal sources, from January 1992 to July 2002. Searches of computerized databases (HealthSTAR, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase) as well as Library of Congress Online Catalogs, Books in Print, and AcqWeb's Directory of Publishers and Venders.

Test-retest reliability in performance of persons with hemiparesis tracking by means of compatibly displayed myoelectric feedback derived from upper limb muscles.

The aim of this study was to assess whether persons with hemiparesis will yield statistically reliable test-retest tracking performance on a procedure using limb-generated, compatibly displayed, myoelectric video feedback. A convenience sample of 50 inpatients and outpatients with upper extremity involvement of at least six months were recruited. 30 had hemiparesis and had both upper extremities tested.

Dynamic stability during walking following unilateral total hip arthroplasty.

The purpose of this study was to examine dynamic stability, defined as the vertical projection of the center of mass (COM) to the base of support (BOS) mediolaterally during walking in 16 healthy and 16 unilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA) persons. There was a significant effect of side for double limb support (DLS) for the healthy group and between groups but not significant for single limb support. The dynamic stability pattern for the THA group was to hold the COM in the midline during a longer DLS phase demonstrating a different motor control strategy compared to healthy adults.

Disability, chronic condition, and iatrogenic illness.

People with disabilities and chronic conditions are disadvantaged by the US health care system. Some people receive too few of the services they need; others receive too many services from practitioners who do not understand their disability-related needs and thus subject them to iatrogenic illnesses (health problems arising from the health care process). We explore this deprivation and excess and focus on 3 categories of iatrogenic illness that can harm this patient population and impede their ability to live independently.

Test-retest reliability of the functional rotation test in healthy adults.

Test-retest reliability and concurrent validity for a Functional Rotation Test, developed as a clinical tool for quantifying the extent of body rotation while sitting or standing, were evaluated with healthy adults in this study. Participants, ages 20 to 72 years (n = 36) donned laser-pointing devices, stood or sat in the center of a room calibrated for the test, and actively turned and pointed to the right (or left) as far as they could comfortably. The locations of the lasers were recorded and subsequently scored.