A preliminary analysis of outcomes and end range procedures used to achieve centralization in people with low back pain.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between clinical outcome and the types of end range procedures used to achieve centralization in a sample of patients with low back pain (LBP) and/or peripheral symptoms. METHODS: Small sample retrospective analysis of an observational cohort. Patients with LBP who centralized during initial visit at two physical therapy clinics were recruited to participate. The types of end range procedures used to achieve centralization were documented during each office visit and a chart review was performed after 4 weeks. Outcomes were determined by improvement in the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score after 4 weeks. Statistical analysis determined the association between the types of end range procedures and outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients gave consent to participate. Nineteen patients met inclusion criteria and were included in data analysis. After 4 weeks, the improvement in mean ODI scores was 15.89 ± 16.28. Differing end range procedures were used to achieve centralization within this cohort. The types of end range procedures used to achieve centralization were not significantly associated with outcomes. DISCUSSION: The results observed in this study promote exhausting many different types of end range procedures to determine if centralization can be achieved. Limiting the end range procedures used to assess centralization may fail to identify patients who can achieve centralization and subsequently have positive clinical outcomes. Larger cohort studies investigating relationships between outcomes and the types of end range procedures used to achieve centralization would contribute to management of people with LBP. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

Long-term results of radial extracorporeal shock wave treatment for chronic plantar fasciopathy: A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with two years follow-up.

Numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for chronic plantar fasciopathy (cPF). However, only two such RCTs investigated a follow-up period of more than 1 year, both applying focused ESWT. Corresponding data for radial ESWT (rESWT) have not yet been reported. We therefore tested the hypothesis that rESWT is effective and safe for the management of cPF with long-term follow-up of 2 years. To this end n = 50 patients with cPF were randomly allocated to either two sessions of rESWT (one session per week; 2,000 shock waves with energy flux density of 0.16 mJ/mm2 per session) (n = 25) or to placebo treatment (n = 25). Evaluation was by change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score and Roles and Maudsley (RM) score. Mean pretreatment VAS scores for the rESWT and placebo groups were 8.5 and 8.9, respectively. 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment, the mean VAS scores for the rESWT and placebo groups were 0.6, 1.1, 0.5, 2.3, and 1.4 and 7.6, 7.7, 7.4, 6.9, and 5.6 (p < 0.001), respectively. Differences in mean RM scores were statistically significant between groups at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months post treatment, but not at baseline. There were no significant complications. These data indicate that rESWT is effective and safe for the management of cPF with long-term follow-up of 2 years. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:1532-1538, 2017.

Short-term combined effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation in individuals with mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial.

STUDY DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the short-term effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation combined with cervical spine nonthrust manipulation (experimental group) versus cervical spine nonthrust manipulation alone (comparison group) in individuals with mechanical neck pain. BACKGROUND: Research has demonstrated improved outcomes with both nonthrust manipulation directed at the cervical spine and thrust manipulation directed at the thoracic spine in patients with neck pain. Previous studies have not determined if thoracic spine thrust manipulation may increase benefits beyond those provided by cervical nonthrust manipulation alone. METHODS: Sixty-four participants with mechanical neck pain were randomized into 1 of 2 groups, an experimental or comparison group. Both groups received 2 treatment sessions of cervical spine nonthrust manipulation and a home exercise program consisting of active range-of-motion exercises, and the experimental group received additional thoracic spine thrust manipulations. Outcome measures were collected at baseline and at a 1-week follow-up, and included the numeric pain rating scale, the Neck Disability Index, and the global rating of change. RESULTS: Participants in the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvements (P<.001) on both the numeric pain rating scale and Neck Disability Index at the 1-week follow-up compared to those in the comparison group. In addition, 31 of 33 (94%) participants in the experimental group, compared to 11 of 31 participants (35%) in the comparison group, indicated a global rating of change score of +4 or higher at the 1-week follow-up, with an associated number needed to treat of 2. CONCLUSION: Individuals with neck pain who received a combination of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation plus exercise demonstrated better overall short-term outcomes on the numeric pain rating scale, the Neck Disability Index, and the global rating of change.

Clinical instructors' perspectives: what should we be teaching in pediatrics?

PURPOSE: This study explored clinical instructors' perspectives regarding specific aspects of pediatric content that should be included in the curricula of entry-level physical therapist education programs. METHODS: This mixed methods sequential explanatory study was conducted using 2 groups of participants. The survey-only group consisted of 278 participants who anonymously completed a Web-based survey. The mixed-data group consisted of 9 purposively selected participants who completed the Web-based survey and participated in a one-on-one qualitative interview that explored their survey responses. RESULTS: Participants provided recommendations pertaining to the depth and breadth of pediatric content in entry-level curricula. A diagram was created to depict the participants' perspectives on how pediatric content in the entry-level curricula should be structured. CONCLUSION: Clinical instructors offer valuable insights that can be used to guide entry-level curricular content in pediatrics. The results of this study may assist physical therapist faculty in preparing students for entry-level practice in pediatrics.

Shoulder injuries attributed to resistance training: a brief review.

The popularity of resistance training (RT) is evident by the more than 45 million Americans who engage in strength training regularly. Although the health and fitness benefits ascribed to RT are generally agreed upon, participation is not without risk. Acute and chronic injuries attributed to RT have been cited in the epidemiological literature among both competitive and recreational participants. The shoulder complex in particular has been alluded to as one of the most prevalent regions of injury. The purpose of this manuscript is to present an overview of documented shoulder injuries among the RT population and where possible discern mechanisms of injury and risk factors. A literature search was conducted in the PUBMED, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and OVID databases to identify relevant articles for inclusion using combinations of key words: resistance training, shoulder, bodybuilding, weightlifting, shoulder injury, and shoulder disorder. The results of the review indicated that up to 36% of documented RT-related injuries and disorders occur at the shoulder complex. Trends that increased the likelihood of injury were identified and inclusive of intrinsic risk factors such as joint and muscle imbalances and extrinsic risk factors, namely, that of improper attention to exercise technique. A majority of the available research was retrospective in nature, consisting of surveys and descriptive epidemiological reports. A paucity of research was available to identify predictive variables leading to injury, suggesting the need for future prospective-based investigations.

Chronic plantar fasciitis treated with two sessions of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy.

BACKGROUND: Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (RSWT) has been previously demonstrated as an efficient treatment option for chronic plantar fasciitis (PF) when administered in three sessions. The present study tested the hypothesis that chronic PF can also be treated successfully with RSWT when only two treatment sessions are performed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 patients with unilateral, chronic PF were randomly assigned to either RSWT (n = 25) or placebo treatment (n = 25). RSWT was applied in two sessions 1 week apart (2,000 impulses with energy flux density = 0.16 mJ/mm(2) per session). Placebo treatment was performed with a clasp on the heel. Endpoints were changes in the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score and the modified Roles & Maudsley (RM) score from baseline to 4 weeks, 12 weeks and 24 weeks followup. RESULTS: Mean VAS scores were reduced after RSWT from 8.5 +/- 0.3 (mean +/- SEM) at baseline to 0.6 +/- 1.5 at 4 weeks, 1.1 +/- 0.3 at 12 weeks and 0.5 +/- 0.1 at 24 weeks from baseline. Similar changes were found for mean RM scores from baseline after RSWT but were not observed after placebo treatment. Statistical analysis demonstrated that RSWT resulted in significantly reduced mean VAS scores and mean RM scores at all followup intervals compared to placebo treatment (each with p < 0.001). No serious adverse events of RSWT were observed. CONCLUSION: RSWT was successful in the treatment of chronic PF even when only two sessions with 2,000 impulses each were performed 1 week apart.

Immediate effects of a thoracic spine thrust manipulation on the autonomic nervous system: a randomized clinical trial.

Thoracic spine manipulation has been shown to be effective for the management of neck pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate effect of a T3-T4 spinal thrust manipulation on autonomic nervous system activity in subjects with chronic cervical pain. An additional aim was to determine if the manipulation resulted in an immediate pain relief in patients with chronic neck pain when compared to a placebo intervention. One hundred subjects with chronic neck pain were randomly assigned to receive either a thoracic thrust manipulation or a placebo intervention. The Friedman's test was used to evaluate the change in pupil diameter within both groups. The Wilcoxen signed-ranks test was used to explore pupil changes over time and to make paired comparisons of the pupil change between the groups. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the change in pain perception for the chronic cervical pain group subjects receiving either the thrust manipulation or the placebo intervention. The results demonstrated that manipulation did not result in a change in sympathetic activity. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the subject's pain perception (P = 0.961) when comparing the effects of the thrust manipulation to the placebo intervention within this group of subjects with chronic neck pain. The clinical impression of this study is that manipulation of the thoracic spine may not be effective in immediately reducing pain in patients with chronic neck pain.

Shoulder joint and muscle characteristics in the recreational weight training population.

Shoulder disorders attributed to weight training are well documented in the literature; however, a paucity of evidence-based research exists to describe risk factors inherent to participation. Shoulder joint and muscle characteristics in the recreational weight training (RWT) population were investigated to determine specific risk-related adaptations that may occur from participation. Ninety participants, men between the ages of 19 and 47 (mean age 28.9), including 60 individuals who participated in upper-extremity RWT and 30 controls with no record of RWT participation, were recruited. Active range of motion (AROM), posterior shoulder tightness (PST), body weight-adjusted strength values, and agonist/antagonist strength ratios were compared between the RWT participants and the control group. Statistical analysis identified significant differences (p < 0.001) between the groups when analyzing shoulder mobility. The RWT participants had decreased mobility when compared with the control group for all AROM measurements except external rotation, which was greater. Strength ratios were significantly greater in the RWT group when compared with the control group (p