Primary care-relevant interventions that include physical therapy can reduce falling among community-dwelling older adults, say authors of a systematic review published in the December 20, 2010, issue (Vol 153 No 12) of Annals of Internal Medicine. The reviewers evaluated research published in 2003 and researched databases from the end of that review’s search date to…
Read MoreProgressive resistance strength training appears to be an effective intervention to reduce physical disability in older adults, say authors of research published in the January 2011 issue of Disability and Rehabilitation. To maximize the effect, the authors suggest therapists use responsive outcome measures and a multi-component intervention approach. 2 reviewers independently researched data. The trial…
Read MoreAn analysis of 9 studies with more than 34,000 participants aged 65 and older suggests that gait speed may be an indicator of health of an older person. Published in JAMA and highlighted in USA Today, the study’s authors, which include APTA member Jennifer Brach, PT, PhD, GCS, say that “gait speed, age, and sex…
Read MoreNew guidelines issued this week by the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommend diagnostic imaging for patients with low back pain only if they have severe progressive neurologic deficits or signs or symptoms that suggest a serious or specific underlying condition. For all other patients evidence indicates that routine imaging is not associated with clinically…
Read MoreWomens health is a largely talked about topic. The September 17, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that nearly 24 percent of U.S. women are affected with one or more pelvic floor disorders. It describes the percentage of women affected by pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and fecal incontinence as well as…
Read MoreKnee surgery patients have a long road to recovery ahead of them. Whether you are getting a total knee replacement or fixing your torn meniscus, the healing process takes time. Your knee is one of the most important joints in your body. The inability to bend or use your knees can make simple tasks such…
Read MoreIn this study, 65 patients with CLBP were assigned to receive aquatic exercise or land-based exercise. The aquatic exercise program consisted of 20 sessions with a physical therapist 5 times per week for 4 weeks in a swimming pool at 33 degrees C. The land-based home exercise programs were demonstrated by a physical therapist on…
Read MoreSue Ivy of Raleigh, N.C., was seeing a physical therapist for a torn meniscus in her left knee when she suddenly developed pain and stiffness in the tops of her feet. Her therapist recommended stiffer soles for better foot support, along with a relatively new therapeutic approach known as kinesio taping, which involves the application…
Read MoreResearchers at the Queen’s University, Kingsland, Ontario, Canada, and Columbia University, New York, conducted a randomized clinical trial involving 136 sedentary older adults who were abdominally obese, meaning they had a waist circumference of at least 40″ for men or 35″ for women. For 6 months, participants were randomly assigned to one of 4 groups:…
Read MoreAs you age, the risk of hip fracture grows more prevalent. Swedish researchers have found a simple way to estimate the risk of hip fracture in older adults; ask them if they have impaired balance. “It maybe can be regarded as a self-evident result,” Dr. Karl Michaelsson of University Hospital in Uppsala, one of the…
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