Physical therapy
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Comparative Study
Inflammatory myelopathies and traumatic spinal cord lesions: comparison of functional and neurological outcomes.
Outcomes knowledge is essential to answer patients' questions regarding function, to plan the use of resources, and to evaluate treatments to enhance recovery. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) with those of patients with inflammatory spinal cord lesions (ISCLs). ⋯ The results indicate that, at admission, patients with SCI have a greater physical dependence for assistance with activities of daily living than patients with ISCLs who have comparable neurological status. Such a difference depends on factors not related to the spinal cord lesion, such as the presence of associated lesions, the need to wear an orthotic device, or the sequelae of surgery. The outcomes of patients with SCI are determined more by factors such as lesion level and severity and age than by etiology. This finding could have implications for health care planning and rehabilitation research.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of education on return-to-work status for people with fear-avoidance beliefs and acute low back pain.
People with acute low back injury and fear-avoidance beliefs are at risk for remaining off work for an extended period of time. However, the effectiveness of intervention strategies for improving return-to-work status in people with acute low back pain and fear-avoidance beliefs has not been reported. The objective of this study was to determine whether education and counseling on pain management, physical activity, and exercise could significantly decrease the number of days that people with low back injury are off work. ⋯ Education and counseling regarding pain management, physical activity, and exercise can reduce the number of days off work in people with fear-avoidance beliefs and acute low back pain.
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The methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is commonly evaluated in order to assess the risk of biased estimates of treatment effects. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify scales used to evaluate the methodological quality of RCTs in health care research and summarize the content, construction, development, and psychometric properties of these scales. ⋯ Many scales are used to evaluate the methodological quality of RCTs, but most of these scales have not been adequately developed and have not been adequately tested for validity and reliability. A valid and reliable scale for the assessment of the methodological quality of physical therapy trials needs to be developed.
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Quantifying muscle mass is an essential part of physical therapy assessment, particularly in older adults and in people with chronic conditions associated with muscle atrophy. The purposes of this study were to examine the relationship between muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and volume by use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to compare anthropometric estimations of midthigh CSA with measurements obtained from MRI. ⋯ Muscle CSA measured from a single slice provides a good indication of volume, but the most representative slice should be chosen on the basis of the muscle group of interest. Thigh circumference is not correlated with muscle volume and, therefore, should not be used as an indicator of muscle size. The development of population-specific reference equations for estimating muscle CSA from anthropometric measurements is warranted.