Physical Therapy Referral From Primary Care for Acute Back Pain With Sciatica : A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Few studies have examined primary care management for acute sciatica, including referral to physical therapy.

Objective: To evaluate whether early referral to physical therapy reduced disability more than usual care (UC) alone for patients with acute sciatica.

Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial.

Implementation of an Alternative Pathway for Patients Seeking Care for Low Back Pain: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

Background: In the United States, low back pain (LBP) is among the most common symptoms prompting a health care visit. Patients can receive escalated care, such as advanced imaging or invasive procedures, before guideline-recommended options offered by physical therapists. A guideline-concordant alternative care pathway (RapidAccess) that emphasized early physical therapy for patients with LBP before they consulted a physiatrist was implemented.

Early Physical Therapy vs Usual Care in Patients With Recent-Onset Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Low back pain (LBP) is common in primary care. Guidelines recommend delaying referrals for physical therapy.

Objective: To evaluate whether early physical therapy (manipulation and exercise) is more effective than usual care in improving disability for patients with LBP fitting a decision rule.

An Eccentrically Biased Rehabilitation Program Early after TKA Surgery.

Rehabilitation services are less-studied aspects of the management following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) despite long-term suboptimal physical functioning and chronic deficits in muscle function. This paper describes the preliminary findings of a six-week (12 session) eccentrically-biased rehabilitation program targeted at deficits in physical function and muscle function, initiated one month following surgery. A quasiexperimental, one group, pretest-posttest study with thirteen individuals (6 female, 7 male; mean age 57 ± 7 years) examined the effectiveness of an eccentrically-biased rehabilitation program.

The long-term contribution of muscle activation and muscle size to quadriceps weakness following total knee arthroplasty.

Purpose: Many older individuals have persistent quadriceps strength impairments after a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). A combination of muscle atrophy and neuromuscular activation deficits apparently contributes to residual strength impairments. The purpose of this short report is to describe the contribution of quadriceps muscle activation and muscle volume to impaired muscle strength in older individuals an average of 21 months following a TKA.

Chitosan-coated silica as a solid phase for RNA purification in a microfluidic device.

Chitosan-coated silica particles and chitosan-coated microchannels have been explored as an alternative to a standard silica phase for DNA extraction in a microdevice (Cao, W.; Easley, C. J.

Reversing muscle and mobility deficits 1 to 4 years after TKA: a pilot study.

Unlabelled: Muscle and mobility deficits can persist for years after a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purposes of this study were (1) to determine if 12 weeks of rehabilitation with resistance exercise induces increases in muscle size, strength, and mobility in individuals 1 to 4 years after a TKA; and (2) to compare the muscle and mobility outcomes of a traditional resistance exercise rehabilitation program with a rehabilitation program focused on eccentric resistance exercise. Seventeen individuals (13 women, four men; mean age, 68 years; age range, 55-80 years) with either a unilateral or bilateral TKA (total of 24 knees) were included in this matched and randomized repeated-measures rehabilitation pilot trial.

Total knee arthroplasty: muscle impairments, functional limitations, and recommended rehabilitation approaches.

Unlabelled: The number of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgeries performed each year is predicted to steadily increase. Following TKA surgery, self-reported pain and function improve, though individuals are often plagued with quadriceps muscle impairments and functional limitations. Postoperative rehabilitation approaches either are not incorporated or incompletely address the muscular and functional deficits that persist following surgery.