Physical therapy
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Few data are available on predictors for a favorable outcome in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP). ⋯ At short-term follow-up, no association was found for the factors of age and sex with the outcomes of pain intensity and disability. At long-term follow-up, smoking had the same result. At long-term follow-up, pain intensity and fear of movement had no association with disability. At short-term follow-up, conflicting evidence was found for the association between the outcomes pain intensity and disability and the factor of fear of movement. At long-term follow-up, conflicting evidence was found for the factors of age, sex, and physical job demands. At long-term follow-up, conflicting evidence also was found for the association between return to work and age, sex, and activities of daily living. At baseline, there was limited evidence of a positive influence of lower pain intensity and physical job demands on return to work. No high-quality studies were found for the outcomes of quality of life and global perceived effect.
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Classification of patients with extremity problems is commonly based on patho-anatomical diagnoses, but problems exist regarding reliability and validity of the tests and diagnostic criteria used. Alternatively, a classification system based on patient response to repeated loading strategies can be used to classify and direct management. ⋯ This study demonstrates that trained clinicians can classify patients with extremity problems into MDT classifications and that these classifications remain stable during the treatment episode. Further work is needed to test the efficacy of this system compared with other approaches, but if derangements are as common as this survey suggests, the findings have important prognostic implications because this syndrome is defined by its rapid response to repeated movements.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Relationship between intensity of quadriceps muscle neuromuscular electrical stimulation and strength recovery after total knee arthroplasty.
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) can facilitate the recovery of quadriceps muscle strength after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), yet the optimal intensity (dosage) of NMES and its effect on strength after TKA have yet to be determined. ⋯ Higher NMES training intensities were associated with greater quadriceps muscle strength and activation after TKA.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Comparison of two methods for interpreting lifting performance during functional capacity evaluation.
Functional capacity evaluation (FCE) requires determination of effort by observation of effort indexes for performance interpretation. Waddell signs have been shown to be associated with decreased functional performance. Whether determination of effort by observational criteria and Waddell sign testing can be used interchangeably to interpret lifting performance is unknown. ⋯ In people with chronic nonspecific low back pain, Waddell sign testing and determination of physical effort by observational criteria should not be used interchangeably to interpret lifting performance during FCE.