Guiding Principles for the Practice of Integrative Physical Therapy.

Integrative health is an emerging specialty inside multiple disciplines within the medical community, yet the practice of integrative physical therapy remains undefined. This perspective paper suggests a set of guiding principles to support the role of physical therapy in integrative health. These guiding principles, including therapeutic partnership, whole person health, living systems, movement as an integrative experience, and salutogenesis, are described and explored in-depth as they relate to all aspects of patient care and clinician experience. These guiding principles are articulated within the context of social determinants of health and the interrelated roles that environment, trauma, stress, and lifestyle all play within an integrative physical therapy plan of care. Examples of current integrative physical therapy practices that embody these principles are described. The 5 guiding principles are designed to elicit interprofessional inquiry into how integrative health models can be applied to the art and science of physical therapy practice. The expansion of integrative health into the field of physical therapy has the potential to improve individual and population health, as integrative physical therapy can be used to address prevention, health promotion, primary care, and wellness while acknowledging the complex, dynamic, and interconnected nature of the human condition. IMPACT: This perspective article presents 5 guiding principles to establish a framework to define and shape the growing application of an integrative health model to physical therapy practice. These integrative physical therapy guiding principles aim to improve the quality of whole-person, patient-centered care.

Sustained release myofascial release as treatment for a patient with complications of rheumatoid arthritis and collagenous colitis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Myofascial release (MFR) is a manual therapeutic technique used to release fascial restrictions, which may cause neuromusculoskeletal and systemic pathology. PURPOSE: This case report describes the use of sustained release MFR techniques in a patient with a primary diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a secondary diagnosis of collagenous colitis. Changes in pain, cervical range of motion, fatigue, and gastrointestinal tract function, as well as the impact of RA on daily activities, were assessed. METHODS: A 54-year-old white woman presented with signs and symptoms attributed to RA and collagenous colitis. Pre and post measurements were taken with each treatment and during the interim between the initial and final treatment series. The patient recorded changes in pain, fatigue, gastrointestinal tract function, and quality of life. Cervical range of motion was assessed. Six sustained release MFR treatment sessions were provided over a 2-week period. Following an 8-week interim, two more treatments were performed. RESULTS: The patient showed improvements in pain, fatigue, gastrointestinal tract function, cervical range of motion, and quality of life following the initial treatment series of six sessions. The patient maintained positive gains for 5 weeks following the final treatment, after which her symptoms returned to near baseline measurements. Following two more treatments, positive gains were achieved once again. CONCLUSIONS: In a patient with RA and collagenous colitis, the application of sustained release MFR techniques in addition to standard medical treatment may provide short-term and long-term improvements in comorbid symptoms and overall quality of life.