Using Step Counts to Prescribe Physical Activity: What Is the Optimal Dose?

ABSTRACT: An activity goal of 10,000 steps per day is widely known but was not initially developed based on scientific evidence. The last several years have seen an increase in both the availability of consumer-based step counting devices and research examining the link between daily step counts and various health outcomes. Daily step counts are an intuitive metric of physical activity and are useful for goal-setting and motivating behavioral change. This article reviews the current evidence for daily step counts as related to common health conditions to determine activity goals to prescribe to patients, and also discusses factors to consider when counseling patients on physical activity.

Sleep and Injury Risk.

ABSTRACT: Sleep has been found to have wide-ranging effects on sports performance and overall well-being. Recent research has found evidence relating chronic suboptimal sleep with the risk of musculoskeletal pain and sports injury. The amount of sleep that consistently has been found to be associated with increased risk of injury is ≤7 h of sleep, which when sustained for periods of at least 14 d has been associated with 1.7 times greater risk of musculoskeletal injury. However, it is unknown if sleep loss predisposes the athlete to specific types of musculoskeletal injuries. The role of sleep on musculoskeletal pain is important to understand as studies in both children and adults have found that suboptimal sleep more consistently predicts next-day pain as compared with pain predicting subsequent sleep loss. Despite the evidence that certain aspects of sleep behavior seem to increase the risk of musculoskeletal injury and pain, sleep should be considered as only a part of the athlete's overall health and well-being when assessing the athlete for risk of injury.

SPINE20 A global advocacy group promoting evidence-based spine care of value.

PURPOSE: The Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) Studies have estimated that low back pain is one of the costliest ailments worldwide. Subsequent to GBD publications, leadership of the four largest global spine societies agreed to form SPINE20. This article introduces the concept of SPINE20, the recommendations, and the future of this global advocacy group linked to G20 annual summits. METHODS: The founders of SPINE20 advocacy group coordinated with G20 Saudi Arabia to conduct the SPINE20 summit in 2020. The summit was intended to promote evidence-based recommendations to use the most reliable information from high-level research. Eight areas of importance to mitigate spine disorders were identified through a voting process of the participating societies. Twelve recommendations were discussed and vetted. RESULTS: The areas of immediate concern were "Aging spine," "Future of spine care," "Spinal cord injuries," "Children and adolescent spine," "Spine-related disability," "Spine Educational Standards," "Patient safety," and "Burden on economy." Twelve recommendations were created and endorsed by 31/33 spine societies and 2 journals globally during a vetted process through the SPINE20.org website and during the virtual inaugural meeting November 10-11, 2020 held from the G20 platform. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first time that international spine societies have joined to support actions to mitigate the burden of spine disorders across the globe. SPINE20 seeks to change awareness and treatment of spine pain by supporting local projects that implement value-based practices with healthcare policies that are culturally sensitive based on scientific evidence.

Significance of Asymptomatic Tendon Pathology in Athletes.

Symptomatic tendinopathy can be a disabling condition for athletes. Common sites of tendinopathy in athletes include the rotator cuff (RTC), Achilles, and patellar tendons. Advanced imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound occasionally identify tendinopathic changes in asymptomatic individuals. Such asymptomatic changes have been documented in the RTC, Achilles, and patellar tendons of athletes. In the RTC, tendinopathy, partial-, and full-thickness tears have been demonstrated in asymptomatic athletes, though only small numbers of these athletes may develop symptoms despite prolonged periods of ongoing, competitive play. In the Achilles and patellar tendons, neovascularization, hypoechogenicity, and tendon thickening are commonly noted findings in asymptomatic athletes, and though all have been associated with tendon pain in the literature, there is some inconsistency as to which are the strongest predictors of future tendon pain. Evidence on how best to address or intervene upon such asymptomatic changes is limited.

Rehabilitation Strategies for the Athletic Individual with Early Knee Osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of disability in the United States. The condition has most commonly been associated with elderly sedentary individuals; however, it also can affect those who participate in regular athletic activities. The diagnosis and management of these individuals can be challenging because of both their higher level of physical activity and their overall athletic goals. Treatment requires an appropriate exercise regimen, rehabilitation program, and education of both the athlete and the coach. The focus of our article is to provide an up-to-date overview of the evaluation and management of the athletic individual who presents with symptomatic early knee OA, in particular, the nonsurgical rehabilitation treatment options available to the practitioner and the evidence to support these recommendations.

Resistance exercise: how much is enough?

Multiple organizations recommend that resistance exercise be part of an adult health and fitness regimen. Extensive research has been done over the years on how to appropriately use a resistance exercise program to increase strength and power for general health and improve athletic performance. This article will review the literature on the components of a resistance exercise program and the recommendations for increasing strength and power in healthy adults.

Eccentric training for the treatment of tendinopathies.

Tendinopathy can result from overuse and is experienced in the affected tendon as pain with activity, focal tenderness to palpation, and decreased ability to tolerate tension, which results in decreased functional strength. While tendinopathy often occurs in those who are active, it can occur in those who are inactive. Research has shown that an eccentric exercise program can be effective in the treatment of tendinopathies. The earliest studied was the Achilles tendon, and subsequent studies have shown benefits using eccentric exercises on other body regions including the patellar tendon, proximal lateral elbow, and rotator cuff. In this article, we review the research on using an eccentric exercise program in the treatment of painful tendinopathy and proposed mechanisms for why eccentric exercises are effective in treating this and then finish by providing a general framework for prescribing an eccentric exercise program to those with a symptomatic tendinopathy.

Programmatic design for teaching the introductory skills and concepts of lumbar spine procedures to physiatry residents: a prospective multiyear study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a 2-day course teaching the introductory skills and concepts of lumbar spine procedures to physiatry residents. DESIGN: This is a 3-yr prospective study of a 2-day musculoskeletal course teaching the introductory skills and concepts of lumbar spinal procedures to the residents at a large academic physical medicine and rehabilitation program. The residents attending the course took multiple-choice pretests and posttests as well as participated in a procedural skills competency demonstration. RESULTS: Forty-two residents participated. The results were stratified according to the level of training and repetition of the material and revealed gains of medical knowledge at each level of residency training (P < 0.001). The postgraduate year 2 residents seemed to have the greatest overall improvement (P = 0.04). Half of the residents scored lower than 65% on the pretest, and these residents ultimately had the largest posttest gains. Forty (95.2%) residents achieved a grade of pass in the skills-based test. The residents felt that the course was valuable or extremely valuable. CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensive 2-day course teaching the skills and concepts of spinal interventions for physiatry residents enhances medical knowledge as an introduction to interventional spine care. Those who benefited the most were the residents who had the greatest deficit of medical knowledge on this topic before the course. This course curriculum does not replace fellowship training or closely monitored mentorship in the performance of spinal procedures.

Injectable medications for osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is one of the most frequent and chronic conditions that affect the U.S. population. Use of intra-articular injections is one of the established treatment options available in the nonoperative care for the management of symptomatic osteoarthritis. Common injectable medications include corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, and other less traditional compounds (for example, botulinum toxin). Corticosteroids work by anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive actions. Corticosteroids have been shown to decrease pain and symptoms associated with osteoarthritis for up to 3 weeks. Hyaluronic acid has an unclear mechanism of action, but it is thought to promote the restoration of hyaluronic acid within an osteoarthritic joint. The efficacy of hyaluronic acid is modest and is most beneficial between 5 and 13 weeks after treatment. Other injectable compounds have been studied and include botulinum toxin type A, which has been theorized to work as an antinociceptive agent. One must be aware of the potential adverse effects associated with these medications. For all of these injectable treatments, the placebo effect must not be overlooked, because it has be demonstrated in multiple studies that these medications provide similar relief of pain when compared with placebo. Image guidance with ultrasound or fluoroscopy may be considered when performing intra-articular injections to improve accurate placement of medication.

Proximal wrist extensor tendinopathy.

Proximal wrist extensor tendinopathy, which is also known as tennis elbow, is pain at or just distal to the lateral humeral epicondyle within the proximal wrist extensor tendon. It occurs commonly in certain athletes but can also occur in people with jobs that require repetitive movements of the hand and upper limb. In most cases the tendon involved shows no signs of inflammation or tendonitis, but instead shows fibroblasts, vascular hyperplasia, and disorganized collagen. Diagnosis is often made by history and physical exam alone. Most people respond to conservative measures including activity modification, analgesics, manipulation of tissue, and exercise. In some cases, an injection of corticosteroid or botulinum toxin may be used. Surgery is rarely needed.