Back schools. Past, present, and future.

Back schools are playing an ever increasing role in the nonsurgical management of patients with low back pain. With different studies reporting that from 50% to 85% of adults seek medical attention for low back pain, there is a need for increasingly effective treatment and rehabilitative programs. The multiple factors that determine a patient's symptom complex are ill defined.

Pathomechanics, gait deviations, and treatment of the rheumatoid foot: a clinical report.

This article describes the five major foot deformities or problems often seen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: hallux valgus, pronation of the foot, depression of the metatarsal heads, hammer or claw toes, and tendocalcaneal bursitis or subplantar spur formation. These deformities contribute to the development of common rheumatoid gait deviations such as decreased velocity, cadence, and stride length; poor heel-toe pattern; and abnormal patterns of weight bearing. Nonsurgical treatment for these problems includes joint protection methods, assistive gait devices, orthotic intervention, and physical therapy procedures.