Physical Therapy Commons^™

The False Wisdom Of Tuition Based Ranking Of Allied Health Programs, Is Your Program Affordable?, Tamara L. Little Phelan

All Faculty Scholarship

Purpose: The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the extent to which the ranking of programs based on total tuition cost changes when housing and program length were added to total tuition. Method: To accomplish this, the cost of tuition at 13 physical therapist education programs was compiled. Programs were ranked from most expensive to least expensive. The costs associated with housing, program length, and lost opportunity to earn wages were then added to total tuition. Programs were again ranked from most expensive to least expensive. Results: Regional differences in the cost of living and the total length of …

Lumbar Spine Extension Mobility Increases With Longer Participation In Football, Matthew Linback, Nicole Nord, Kari Pedersen

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Purpose: Football players are known to develop lumbar spine pathologies, especially extension pathologies (Le., spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis). This study examined the possibility of increased mobility in the lumbar spine with increased exposure to football, possible correlating the increased motion with lumbar spine pathologies. Extension of the lumbar spine in college football players was measured and the results of two groups were compared: those who had completed one or two years of eligibility versus those who had completed three or four years. The influence of the collision nature of football on lumbar extension was examined.

Subjects: Thirty-nine male collegiate football players …

Muscle Activation During Simulated Patient Transfers: Preliminary Study Of Experienced Versus Novice Patient Handlers, Benjamin Mitchell, Patrick Septon

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Purpose: Back injuries are a common problem in providing health care and manually transferring patients can be a cause of back injuries. Because of this fact, there has been a need for research looking into safe methods for manually transferring patients. The intent of this study was to compare muscle recruitment patterns of novice and experienced health care professionals during a simulated patient transfer. By comparing the muscle activity of the experienced group to that of the novice group, we hoped to see differences that could be used to refine training techniques, thus increasing the safety of novice health care …

Eating Disorder Programming In Four-Year College Recreation Wellness Centers, Tiffany Jean Anderson, Amanda Lynn Gulka

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Eating disorders are more prevalent in the college-age group when compared to the lifetime prevalence. Because of this increased prevalence, college recreation/wellness center staff should be aware of their clients in terms of the increased risk for eating disorders. College wellness/recreation centers, while serving the campus community, also serve the individuals within this community diagnosed with or at-risk for an eating disorder. Through survey research, we show who is employed at wellness/recreation centers, what type of training they receive regarding eating disorder, how this training is provided along with its content, and what method of public awareness on eating disorders …

Effect Of Instruction On Emg Activity Of The Rectus Abdominis During A Crunch On A Swiss Exercise Ball, Tina J. Boyer, Suzanne S. Hammer, Tyler L. Jepson, Eric G. Thompson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the benefit of instruction from a physical therapist in participant performance of an abdominal crunch on a Swiss ball, determined through electromyography (EMG) of the rectus abdominis.

Subjects: Our subjects included male (n=15) and female (n=15) college students between the ages of 18-50 years old. Exclusion criteria included a history of low back pain, prior spine surgery, pregnancy, previous formal instruction of crunches on a Swiss ball, and an allergic reaction to rubbing alcohol. Instrumentation: EMG biofeedback was used to test rectus abdominis muscle activity. This activity was transmitted by a …

Muscle Activation In Individuals Who Are Status-Post A Stroke During Over Ground, Treadmill, And Body Weight Supported Gait: A Comparative Study, Rhonda L. Breitbach, Kelly L. Malmin, Beth M. Nordmark, Jennifer A. Pederson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate individuals who are status post stroke during ambulation over ground, on a treadmill without support, and on a treadmill with partial body weight support (PBWS) to determine if there are any differences in muscle activation of major muscle groups in the lower extremity.

Subjects: Two subjects were recruited for this study. Subjects were included if they were over the age of 50 years, could fulfill a two-hour time commitment, and walk independently with or without the use of an assistive device. Subjects were excluded if they have had surgery or an …

The Role Of Lower Leg Muscle Activity In Blood Pressure Maintenance Of Older Adults, Michelle M. Masterson, Amy L. Morgan, Christine E. Multer, Daniel Cipriani

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose. Age-associated muscle weakness, postural instability, and orthostatic hypotension have been identified as contributing factors to falls , but the relationships among them are not clear. Therefore, the purpose of this study, a two-way factorial design, was to investigate the differences in lower extremity (LE) muscle activity, blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR) between young and older individuals in an upright position. Methods. Ten young males (20-24 yrs.) and 10 older males (65-82 yrs.) stood for 15 minutes while BP, HR, and LE electromyography (EMG) were recorded at one minute intervals . A two-way ANOVA was used …

Effect Of Keyswitch Design Of Desktop And Notebook Keyboards Related To Key Stiffness And Typing Force, Marcia J. Bufton, Richard W. Marklin, Mark L. Nagurka, Guy G. Simoneau

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This study aimed to compare and analyse rubber-dome desktop, spring column desktop and notebook keyboards in terms of key stiffness and fingertip typing force. The spring-column keyboard resulted in the highest mean peak contact force (0.86N), followed by the rubber dome desktop (0.68N) and the notebook (0.59N). All these differences were statistically significant. Likewise, the spring-column keyboard registered the highest fingertip typing force and the notebook keyboard the lowest. A comparison of forces showed the notebook (rubber dome) keyboard had the highest fingertip-to-peak contact force ratio (overstrike force), and the spring-column generated the least excess force (as a ratio of …

Influences On Health Related Quality Of Life In Community Dwelling Adults Aged 60 Years And Over, Hilary Beth Greenberger

Theses and Dissertations

Interest in patient-reported health care outcomes such as health related quality of life (HRQL) has increased dramatically over the past two decades. Typically, HRQL has been conceptualized as having at least three domains: physical, psychological, and social functioning. Although research has attempted to identify factors that influence HRQL,few studies have simultaneously examined how various factors impact HRQL in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a causal model to identify factors influencing HRQL. The constructs and observed variables hypothesized to influence HRQL included medical burden, housing satisfaction, socioeconomic status,religion/spirituality, age, gender, and marital status.Three hundred …

Physical Therapy 2006, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

A Retrospective, Descriptive Study Of Shoulder Outcomes In Outpatient Physical Therapy, A. Lynn Millar, Philip A. Jasheway, Wendy Eaton, Frances Christensen

Faculty Publications

Study Design: A retrospective, descriptive study of clients with shoulder dysfunction referred to physical therapy. Objectives: To (1) describe the clinical and functional outcomes of clients with shoulder dysfunction following outpatient physical therapy, and (2) to compare the outcomes by type of shoulder dysfunction. Background: Although individuals with shoulder dysfunction are commonly referred to physical therapy, few large descriptive studies regarding outcomes following physical therapy are available. Methods and Measures: Data for 878 clients (468 female, 410 male) were retrieved and analyzed. This database was developed between 1997 and 2000 and included 4 outpatient facilities from 1 healthcare system in …