Physical therapy
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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.
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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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The influence of elevated fear-avoidance beliefs on change in functional status is unclear. ⋯ The influence of fear-avoidance beliefs on change in functional status varies among specific shoulder impairments.
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The Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE) questionnaire is a tool designed for self-assessment of forearm pain and disability in patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET). However, an Italian version of this questionnaire has not been available. ⋯ The Italian version of the PRTEE questionnaire is internally consistent, demonstrates expected correlations with other measures, and is more responsive than the DASH in Italian patients with chronic LET.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of interferential therapy parameter combinations upon experimentally induced pain in pain-free participants: a randomized controlled trial.
Little evidence exists regarding parameter selection for hypoalgesia using interferential therapy (IFT). ⋯ This study showed that IFT delivered at high, to-tolerance intensity and high AMF does not produce significant segmental and extrasegmental hypoalgesic effects on PPT in participants who were healthy compared with a control or placebo group. Further research is warranted to investigate the hypoalgesic effect of different IFT parameter combinations and to explain its possible mechanism of action.