Lumbar spinal stenosis and lower extremity motor control: the impact of walking-induced strain on a performance-based outcome measure.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to quantify the lower extremity movements and capabilities of a population with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) compared with healthy age-matched controls under conditions of strain and no strain. The secondary objective was to identify challenging movement conditions for a population with LSS, on a lower limb aiming task with different levels of difficulty, compared with healthy age-matched controls under conditions of strain and no strain.

Methods: Using a nonrandomized, controlled, before-and-after design, LSS patients (n = 16) and healthy controls (n = 16) performed 2 blocks of great toe-pointing movements to a series of projected squares.

The origin, and application of somatosensory evoked potentials as a neurophysiological technique to investigate neuroplasticity.

Somatosensory evoked potentionals (SEPs) can be used to elucidate differences in cortical activity associated with a spinal manipulation (SM) intervention. The purpose of this narrative review is to overview the origin and application of SEPs, a neurophysiological technique to investigate neuroplasticity. Summaries of: 1) parameters for SEP generation and waveform recording; 2) SEP peak nomenclature, interpretation and generators; 3) peaks pertaining to tactile information processing (relevant to both chiropractic and other manual therapies); 4) utilization and application of SEPs; 5) SEPs concurrent with an experimental task and at baseline/control/pretest; 6) SEPs pain studies; and 7) SEPs design (pre/post) and neural reorganization/neuroplasticity; and 8) SEPs and future chiropractic research are all reviewed.

Validation of GAITRite and PROMIS as high-throughput physical function outcome measures following ACL reconstruction.

New healthcare demands for quality measures of elective procedures, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery, warrant the establishment of high throughput outcomes for high volume clinics. To this end, we evaluated the PROMIS and GAITRite as physical function outcome measures to quantify early healing and post-operative complications in 106 patients at pre-operative and 3, 10, 20 and 52 weeks post-ACL reconstruction with bone-tendon-bone autograft, and compared the results to the current IKDC validated outcome measure. The results showed that both PROMIS and GAITRite were significantly quicker to administer versus IKDC (p<0.

Quantifying the passive stretching response of human tibialis anterior muscle using shear wave elastography.

Background: Quantifying passive stretching responses of individual muscles helps the diagnosis of muscle disorders and aids the evaluation of surgical/rehabilitation treatments. Utilizing an animal model, we demonstrated that shear elastic modulus measured by supersonic shear wave elastography increases linearly with passive muscle force. This study aimed to use this state-of-the-art technology to study the relationship between shear elastic modulus and ankle dorsi-plantarflexion angle of resting tibialis anterior muscles and extract physiologically meaningful parameters from the elasticity-angle curve to better quantify passive stretching responses.

Neck and back pain specific outcome assessment questionnaires in the Spanish language: a systematic literature review.

Background Context: Accurate measurement of functional improvement in clinical practice is becoming increasingly recognized as essential in demonstrating whether patients are deriving meaningful benefit from care. Several simple questionnaires have been developed for this purpose. The majority of these have been developed in English.

Changes in weight loss and lipid profiles after a dietary purification program: a prospective case series.

Objective: The purpose of this case series was to describe immediate changes to weight and lipid profiles after a 21-day Standard Process whole food supplement and dietary modification program.

Methods: Changes in weight and lipid profiles were measured for 7 participants (6 men and 1 woman) participating in a 21-day program. The dietary modifications throughout the Standard Process program were consumption of (1) unlimited fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits and preferably twice as many vegetables as fruits, (2) ½ to 1 cup of cooked lentils or brown rice each day, (3) 4 to 7 teaspoons of cold pressed oils per day, and (4) at least 64 oz of water a day.

Changes in anthropometric measurements, body composition, blood pressure, lipid profile, and testosterone in patients participating in a low-energy dietary intervention.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe changes in anthropometric measurements, body composition, blood pressure, lipid profile, and testosterone following a low-energy-density dietary intervention plus regimented supplementation program.

Methods: The study design was a pre-post intervention design without a control group. Normal participants were recruited from the faculty, staff, students, and community members from a chiropractic college to participate in a 21-day weight loss program.

Relationship between shear elastic modulus and passive muscle force: an ex-vivo study.

As muscle is stretched, it reacts with increasing passive resistance. This passive force component is important for normal muscle function. Unfortunately, direct measurement of passive muscle force is still beyond the current state-of-the-art.

Test-retest reliability, repeatability, and sensitivity of an automated deformation-controlled indentation on pressure pain threshold measurement.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to construct a computerized deformation-controlled indentation system and compare its test-retest reliability, repeatability, and sensitivity with a manual algometer for pressure pain threshold (PPT) measurements.

Methods: Pressure pain threshold measurements were made on 16 healthy subjects for 2 sessions on bilateral erector spinae muscles at L1, L3, and L5 spinal levels, consisting of 5 repeated trials each using computerized algometry on one side and manual algometry on the other side. Mean, SD, coefficient of variation, standard error of measurement, minimal detectable change, and intraclass correlation coefficient were calculated for both manual and computerized PPT measurements.

An international survey of gross anatomy courses in chiropractic colleges.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide the first comprehensive description of gross anatomy course design in chiropractic colleges internationally and to provide baseline data for future investigation, future comparison with other health care professions, and identification of trends.

Methods: A 72-question cross-sectional electronic survey was sent to the anatomy department chair at 36 chiropractic colleges internationally using Zoomerang, a web-based survey instrument. To augment the survey response data, public sources of data also were collected.

Towards the application of one-dimensional sonomyography for powered upper-limb prosthetic control using machine learning models.

Background: The inherent properties of surface electromyography limit its potential for multi-degrees of freedom control. Our previous studies demonstrated that wrist angle could be predicted by muscle thickness measured from B-mode ultrasound, and hence, it could be an alternative signal for prosthetic control. However, an ultrasound imaging machine is too bulky and expensive.

Effects of tea combined with high-protein meal replacement shakes on anthropometric measurements, lipid profiles, cellular biochemistry, neurochemistry, and microbial metabolism: a prospective observational study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report preliminary data on the effects of tea and high-protein meal replacement shakes on weight loss, waist-to-hip ratios, and lipid profiles in healthy subjects. Secondary analyses of urine samples assessed pre-post changes in cellular biochemistry, neurochemistry, and microbial metabolism.

Methods: This study used a pre-post intervention design without a control group.

Effects of foot orthotics on running economy: methodological considerations.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to collect preliminary data to address methodological considerations that may impact subject-specific reactions to foot orthotics during running.

Methods: Six endurance-trained recreational runners recruited from a chiropractic college campus wore their preferred running shoes and then inserted either their custom-made orthotics during 1 testing session or their shoe-fitted insoles during the other testing session. Comfort perception was measured for each footwear condition.

The role of chiropractic care in older adults.

There are a rising number of older adults; in the US alone nearly 20% of the population will be 65 or older by 2030. Chiropractic is one of the most frequently utilized types of complementary and alternative care by older adults, used by an estimated 5% of older adults in the U.S.

Effects of footwear comfort perception on the neuromuscular control of balance.

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of footwear comfort perception on the gain of the gastrocnemius H-reflex response during single leg balance tasks. Subjects performed single leg balance tasks while wearing aerobic sneakers with two different pairs of shoe insoles that were subjectively rated for comfort using a reliable 150 mm visual analog scale. The primary outcome was the consistency of decreasing the gain of the gastrocnemius H-reflex with increasing balance task complexity as a function of footwear comfort perception.

Immediate effect of nimmo receptor tonus technique on muscle elasticity, pain perception, and disability in subjects with chronic low back pain.

Objective: Objectives of this study were to (1) quantify the immediate effect of Nimmo technique on muscle elasticity, pain perception, and disability and (2) evaluate comparative effectiveness of treating all primary and secondary trigger points (TrPs) vs primary TrP only.

Methods: Fourteen chronic low back pain subjects recruited from a chiropractic college were tested in this within-day repeated-measures design study. Gluteus medius containing a prominent TrP was indented for 4 sessions using a mechanoacoustic indentor system.

Snowboarder's fracture caused by a wakeboarding injury: a case report.

Objective: The purpose of this case report is to describe the clinical presentation of a patient who had a lateral talar process fracture due to a wakeboarding injury.

Clinical Features: A 29-year-old male patient sustained a left ankle injury when the front edge of his wakeboard became immersed in the water. As he fell forward, his foot remained attached to the board, leading to inversion and dorsiflexion stress of the ankle.

A mechano-acoustic indentor system for in vivo measurement of nonlinear elastic properties of soft tissue.

Objectives: Soft tissue exhibits nonlinear stress-strain behavior under compression. Characterizing its nonlinear elasticity may aid detection, diagnosis, and treatment of soft tissue abnormality. The purposes of this study were to develop a rate-controlled Mechano-Acoustic Indentor System and a corresponding finite element optimization method to extract nonlinear elastic parameters of soft tissue and evaluate its test-retest reliability.

Spinal manipulative therapy for elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a case series.

Objective: The objective of this case series is to report the results of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who were older than 65 years.

Methods: The study design was a prospective case series. Six patients of a long-term care center who were older than 65 years and having COPD underwent a course of 12 SMT sessions over a 4-week period.

Manual therapy and ear pain: a report of four cases.

Purpose: To report and discuss four cases of ear pain which were treated successfully with manual therapy.

Methods: Report of four cases.

Results: Four patients with ear pain were referred for chiropractic consult.

The reliability of the Associate Platinum digital foot scanner in measuring previously developed footprint characteristics: a technical note.

Objective: An ink pad and paper, pressure-sensitive platforms, and photography have previously been used to collect footprint data used in clinical assessment. Digital scanners have been widely used more recently to collect such data. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intra- and interrater reliability of a flatbed digital image scanning technology to capture footprint data.

Variation Within and Among Vitis spp. for Foliar Resistance to the Powdery Mildew Pathogen Erysiphe necator.

To complement existing control strategies, grape growers desire cultivars with resistance to powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe necator. Numerous disease resistance screens of diverse Vitis germplasm have been conducted previously to identify powdery mildew resistance but ratings of named cultivars were inconsistent and identities of resistant individuals in wild species were not typically provided. In the current study, controlled inoculations of a single isolate were made onto detached leaves from 1,025 Vitis accessions.

Reliability of sonomyography for pectoralis major thickness measurement.

Objective: Muscle thickness is a widely used parameter for quantifying muscle function in ultrasound imaging. However, current measurement techniques generally rely on manual digitization, which is subjective, time consuming, and prone to error. The primary purposes of this study were to develop an automated muscle boundary tracking algorithm to overcome these limitations and to report its intraexaminer reliability on pectoralis major muscle.

Spinal manipulation impacts cervical spine movement and fitts' task performance: a single-blind randomized before-after trial.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if active cervical range of motion (ROM) and Fitts' task movement time differences occurred after high-velocity low-amplitude cervical spinal manipulation (SM) across various indexes of difficulty.

Methods: A single-blind randomized before-after trial was performed in a motor performance laboratory. Fifteen volunteers (21-42 years) with asymptomatic palpable intervertebral motion restriction at the C1-C2 level were randomly assigned to an SM group or to a no-intervention (NI) group.