Digital Commons Network^™

Life History Of Sonia Zimmerman, Ph.D., Otr/L, Faota, Emily Kollodge, Samantha Scheel

Oral History Posters

Occupational therapy (OT) has evolved over its 100 year existence as a profession. There are many individuals who facilitated changes in the profession, however not all of them are written about textbooks. This life history is one of 29 life history interviews which are part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy and North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to gather information about the history and evolution of IT practice through the life history of an individual who has been influential in developing OT. This study …

Meniscectomy Of A College Athlete, Aaron Bakker

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this case study is to describe the case of an athlete who sustained a meniscus injury and his subsequent course of physical therapy.

Case Description: The patient in the study is a 20 year old college football player seen by physical therapy following a left knee arthroscopic lateral meniscectomy. He injured his knee while cutting to change direction during football practice.

Intervention: Initial treatment for the patient started off as basic body weight resistance along with modalities and ice to reduce inflammation. Each week he progressed from bodyweight to weighted resistance activities and …

The Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale And Its Use In The Stepping On Program To Determine The Relationship Between Balance Confidence And Fall Risk, Erin Yankovec

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Introduction: Due to the high incidence of falls in the elderly population, there is a continued need to develop intervention strategies and prevention programs to help reduce the risk of fall related injuries. Stepping On is a 7 week program designed to reduce falls and build confidence in older adults. Participants are educated on balance and strengthening exercises along with information on home hazards, community mobility, safe footwear and equipment, coping, and many other topics to help reduce falls.

Purpose: To determine if group education and exercise classes, like Stepping On, improve balance confidence levels, if balance confidence …

A Case Study: Adhesive Capsulitis After Breast Cancer Surgery, Kelsey Kratzke

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this case report was to outline the physical therapy interventions and factors affecting rehabilitation of a patient with adhesive capsulitis following breast cancer surgery.

Case Description: A 65 year-old female, with limited range of motion in the right shoulder and right anterior chest pain, was seen at an outpatient physical therapy clinic. Past medical history included unilateral right mastectomy, right lymph node dissection, and chemotherapy. The physical therapy examination and patient history led to the diagnosis of adhesive capsulitis of the right shoulder and fibrosis of the anterior chest wall musculature.

Plan of Care …

Evaluation Of Fall Risk, Functional Mobility, And Quality Of Life Changes Of Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Parkinson's Disease Participating In A Community Exercise Program: Part Ii, Lauren Trudel, Courtney Mcdonald, Brittany Bleichner

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Purpose/Hypothesis: As a person ages, the risk of a fall increases. Parkinson Disease (PD) is most commonly seen in the elderly population, which presents with symptoms such as bradykinesia, decreased balance, tremors, postural instability, and muscle weakness. These symptoms are associated with an increase in falls; therefore, a person with PD is more susceptible to falls than the average elderly individual. Exercise has been shown to combat those symptoms affecting people with PD. This study is an extension of a previous study, which examined the effect of a community based exercise program, for people with PD, on quality of …

Electromyographic Activity Of Hamstrings And Quadriceps Muscles During Jumping And Landing: Pilot Study, Joseph Burckhard, Tyler Kemnitz, Mikaela Dick, Alexandria Sweeney

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose. The purpose of this pilot study was to find if there was a difference in the activation and firing time of the quadriceps (vastus medialis and vastus lateralis) compared to activation times of the hamstrings (biceps femoris and semitendinosus) in active males and females.

Methods. Subjects consisted of two male and two female athletes in good physical condition with no previous knee pathologies. During each of the trials, the muscle activity of each muscle was recorded. The EMG activity recorded using a Noraxon TeleMy02400 G2 telemetry unit with a sampling rate of 1 kHz which …

Life History Of Jan Stube, Phd, Otr/L, Faota, Samantha Albrigtson, Elisabeth Melde

Oral History Posters

The life history of Jan Stube was one of 29 life history interviews conducted apart of a larger project of Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. Purpose of this Life History is to gather information about the history and evolution of OT practice from individuals like Dr. Jan Stube who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. This study is intended to provide current and future generations of occupational therapists a view of the history and how OT practice has evolved from its inception to …

Evolution Of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History Of Kelly Taubert, M.S. Otr/L, Amber Fernandez, Hannah Fiser

Oral History Posters

This life history is one of twenty-nine life history interviews, which are a part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of this project is to gather information about the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. It is anticipated the life history process will be a powerful way to gather this information. This study is intended to provide current …

Kathy Dolan Life History, Mpa, Otr/L, Micaela Monn, Ashleigh Mora, Amanda Steffen

Oral History Posters

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a better understanding of the life experiences of Kathy Dolan, an influential occupational therapist in the development and advancement of the profession in the state of Wyoming. Purposive sampling was utilized by the project directors to obtain participants for the study. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview and observation. Interview questions were structured to address the person, environment, and occupation components influencing each participant. The Kawa model was also utilized to guide the interview schedule in order to develop a timeline of the participant’s life journey. Data from the interview …

Evolution Of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History Of Marsha Waind, Otr/L, Patrick Finnegan, Jared Skoog

Oral History Posters

This project, one of 29 life history interviews which are a part of a larger project, is titled Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to gather information about the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. It is anticipated that the life history process will be a powerful way to gather this information. This study is intended to provide current …

Efficacy Of Yoga Therapy In Treating Low Back Pain, James M. Mckivigan

College of Health & Human Services (TUN) Publications and Research

Background: Non-specific low back pain is a frequent condition that is often treated using non-pharmaceutical interventions such as exercise therapy. Yoga is one popular form of mind-body workout that can be applied to treat nonspecific low back pain.

Objective: To evaluate the impact yoga as a treatment therapy for chronic non-specific low back pain has on pain and functional ability in comparison to no exercise or the prescription of medication.

Search Methods: A review of existing studies that described randomized control trials that focused on the treatment of chronic low back pain with yoga and were published …

Occupational Therapy Students’ Self-Efficacy, Experience Of Supervision, And Perception Of Meaningfulness Of Level Ii Fieldwork, Lynne Andonian

Faculty Publications

Background: This study explored the relationship of perceived self-efficacy to demographic and fieldwork variables for occupational therapy (OT) students. Self-efficacy is related to student and employee success and competency.Methods: OT students (n = 306) from 42 OT programs in the United States completed the Student Confidence Questionnaire and the Demographic Questionnaire and Survey addressing demographics, practice setting, students’ experience of supervision, and perceptions of the fieldwork’s personal meaning during Level II fieldwork. Correlational and regression methods examined the relationships among the variables. Analysis of variance methods tested differences between higher and lower self-efficacy student groups.Results: The degree of self-efficacy was …

Data Note: Time From Vr Application To Closure In Employment For Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Alberto Migliore, Uchenna Nwangwu, John Butterworth, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Getting a job as soon as possible after applying for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services is important for job seekers with intellectual disabilities. This DataNote describes how long it takes for job seekers with intellectual disabilities to go through the steps from application for VR services to determination of eligibility, completion of an individual employment plan, and closure into integrated employment.

Data Note: Reasons For Exiting Vr Services Without Employment, Alberto Migliore, Cady Landa, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Only 23% of adults with intellectual disabilities work, compared to 73% of people without disabilities (statedata.info). To bridge this gap, the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program offers valuable services including assessment, job search assistance, and counseling. In FY 2014, over 46,000 adults with intellectual disabilities exited the national VR program. About 38% of them reported an employment outcome. However, a large proportion of them exited without employment, and were reported as either having lost interest in receiving services (29%), or unable to be located by VR staff (17%). These two reasons combined represented 46% of the total number of case closures …

Snack Food Reinforcement During Work And Non-Work Hours Among U.S. Office Workers, Sherise Larks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current epidemic of overweight and obesity has been partly credited to a growing trend for snacking and sedentary work behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional survey was to investigate whether the difference between snack food reinforcement during work and non-work hours and work food motives predicted BMI among U. S. office workers. This study was based on the theoretical framework of the individual differences theory, in the context of the behavioral choice theory and reinforcement theory. The independent variables were food reinforcement and food motives; the dependent variable was BMI. Descriptive, correlational, and exploratory analyses were used. The …

Influence Of Psychological Empowerment, Leadership, And Climate On Safety Outcomes, Christine Healy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has demonstrated that safety outcomes are impacted by workplace risk factors, but also supervisory practices and employee actions. An area that has not been explored is the impact of employee cognitions on safety outcomes defined as work-related injuries. Based on the conceptual framework of psychological empowerment (PE), the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of employee cognitions as measured by PE as related to leadership and safety climate and the occurrence of work-related injury. The research examined the mediating effect of (PE) on the factors of leadership and safety climate and their relationship to work-related injury. …

Upper Limb Prosthesis: A Functional Replacement For The Biological Limb?, Ari Schacter

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The 21st century continues to produce major advancements in prosthetic limb technology. Specifically, improvements to the myo-electric prosthesis have helped numerous upper limb amputees, especially transhumeral patients. Targeted muscle reinnervation surgery has allowed for more seamless control of the prosthetic device by creating new control centers for the unused nerves of the residual arm. Additionally, improvements in pattern recognition technology have enabled transhumeral amputees to gain more natural control of the prosthesis and consequently better imitate a biological limb. Another important development is in regards to the configuration and placement of electromyography electrodes on the amputee’s body. Using high-density electrodes …

Chronic Ankle Instability And Aging, Kyle B. Kosik

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Lateral ankle sprains are the most common musculoskeletal injury among the general population and U.S. military personnel. Despite the common perception of being a minor injury, at least 1 out of 3 individuals with a previous ankle sprain will develop chronic ankle instability (CAI). This clinical phenomenon creates a significant barrier for patients to return to their prior level of physical function. Specifically, CAI is associated with reductions in physical activity level, leading to decreases in lower health-related quality of life and increase risk of developing of post-traumatic ankle osteoarthritis. Current evidence has largely focused on characterizing the mechanical and …

The Effect Of One-On-One Intervention In Athletes With Multiple Risk Factors For Injury, Kathryn Schwartzkopf-Phifer

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Background: Lower extremity (LE) musculoskeletal injuries in soccer players are extremely common. These injuries can result in many days of lost time in competition, severely impacting players and their respective teams. Implementation of group injury prevention programs has gained popularity due to time and cost-effectiveness. Though participation in group injury prevention programs has been successful at reducing injuries, programs often target a single injury and all players do not benefit from participation. Players with a greater number of risk factors are most likely to sustain an injury, and unfortunately, less likely to benefit from a group injury prevention program. …

Social Participation In Schools: Developing The Role Of Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Kelly L. Leigers

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

The aim of this dissertation is to build the repertoire of occupational therapy practitioners so that they are better prepared in the provision of services addressing social participation of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Students with disabilities in general education classrooms tend to have greater difficulty establishing and maintaining friendships (Wight & Chapparo, 2008), have fewer reciprocated friendships (Kemp & Carter, 2002), and lower stability in relationships than peers without disabilities. Furthermore, studies indicate that students with disabilities are less social accepted (Ekornas, Heimann, Tjus, Heyerdahl, & Lundervold, 2011) and are more isolated (Nadeau & Tessier, 2006). …

Prediction Of Acute And Recurrent Ankle Sprains In Athletes, Ryan S. Mccann

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Ankle sprains are not only among the most common sport-related injuries, but also associated with a high rate of recurrence. While prevention is a favorable approach to reducing the incidence of index and recurrent ankle sprains, identifying individuals at greater risk may improve allocation of preventative resources. This dissertation aimed to accomplish the following through three aims: 1) determine the ability of baseline clinical tests to predict acute lateral ankle sprain (LAS) in an understudied athletic population, 2) describe the degree of residual impairments and activity limitations in athletes returning to play from a LAS, and 3) determine the ability …

Alternative Therapies For People With Special Needs: An Emphasis On Animal-Assisted Therapies, Emily Hamilton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper contains research examining the effectiveness of alternative therapies - play therapy, art therapy, music therapy, horticulture therapy, and animal-assisted therapies – in helping various special needs populations. The focus of this research was on animal-assisted therapies that utilized therapy dogs or horses. These therapies provide a plethora of benefits physically, mentally, and psychologically. 11 interviews were conducted with counselors, psychologists, therapy dog owners, and an equine therapy director to further examine the effectiveness of these alternative therapy programs. Each interview presented unique evidence of the positive impact these therapies are having on various populations. All research into these …

What Does A Promis T-Score Mean For Physical Function?, Jeff Houck, Zane Wise, Amanda Tamanaha, Judith Baumhauer, Luke Skerjanec, Alexandra Wegner, Chris Dasilva, Michael Bass

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Introduction/Purpose: The use of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) continues to expand beyond research to involve standard of care assessments. Although the PROMIS physical function (PF) is normalized to a T-score it is unclear how to interpret and apply this information in the daily care of patients. The T-score is abstract and unanchored to patient abilities impairing its clinical utility when shared with the patient. Patient questions are concrete such as “when will I be able to run again after this procedure?” The purpose of this research was to link PROMIS PF T-scores with physical function activities and provide a visual map …

Reading The Future: Predicting Who Will Benefit From Bunion Surgery, Ashlee Macdonald, Jeff Houck, Judith Baumhauer

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Introduction/Purpose: Hallux valgus is a common condition of the foot with 4.4 million patients seeking care yearly for this condition. A previous study suggested specific pre-operative cut-off scores based on Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical function (PF), pain interference (PI), and depression (D) values could predict post-operative outcomes in foot and ankle surgery. Though hallux valgus correction, among other procedures, were identified as one of the most common surgeries in the previous study, specific conditions were not considered separately. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of applying a published comprehensive pre-surgical PROMIS profile …

Comparison Of Patient Reported Outcomes Using Promis In Patients With Shoulder Pain, Benjamin Strong, Raymond James Kennedy, Joseph Christopher Schaffer, Jon Hedgecock, Jeff Houck, Michael D. Maloney, Ilya Voloshin

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Objectives: Compare a disease specific questionnaire (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons [ASES]) and a multidimensional global health scale (Patient reported outcome measurement system [PROMIS]) across a variety of shoulder conditions

Generalizability And Validation Of Promis Scores To Predict Surgical Success In Foot And Ankle Patients: A Tale Of Two Academic Centers, Judith Baumhauer, Michael Anderson, Charles Saltzman, Man Hung, Florian Nickisch, Alexej Barg, Timothy Beals, Jeff Houck

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Introduction/Purpose: Patient-reported outcomes are advancing clinical care by improving patient satisfaction and engagement. A recent publication reported preoperative PROMIS scores to be highly predictive in selecting patients who would and would not benefit from foot and ankle (F/A) surgery. Although this publication used the data from 5 fellowship trained foot and ankle surgeons at one institution, the generalizability to other patient populations and geographic areas is unknown. This validation study assesses the pre-operative PROMIS physical function (PF) and pain interference (PI) t-scores as a predictor of post-operative success from a separate geographic area.

Can Foot Exercises Alter Foot Posture, Strength, And Walking Foot Pressure Patterns In People With Severe Flat Foot?, Jeff Houck, Lacey Seidl, Austin Montgomery, Joshua Keefer, Miranda Walker

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Introduction/Purpose: Muscle training muscle control for barefoot running (i.e. doming seated[DS] and standing[DSt]) and post foot and ankle injury (i.e. seated plantar flexion and inversion[SPFI]) are common. Although studies demonstrated improvement in foot posture (validated foot posture index [FPI]) immediately following a 4-week exercise program this was not assessed in people with flatfoot. Also, more rigorous assessment of foot function is lacking (i.e. foot posture, strength, and plantar pressure during walking). There is clearly a need for more rigorous clinical data on the effect of foot exercises. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the immediate effect of …

Clinical Utilization Of Patient Reported Outcome (Promis) Scores For Surgical Reconstruction Of Posterior Tibialis Tendon Dysfunction, Michael Anderson, Jeff Houck, Adolph Flemister, Judith Baumhauer, John Ketz, Benedict Digiovanni, David Ciufo, Irvin Oh

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Introduction/Purpose: Previous studies have demonstrated that preoperative Patient Reported Outcome Instrumentation System (PROMIS) scores effectively predict improvement in foot and ankle surgery. Adult acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD) and Posterior Tibialis Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD) are a common surgical problem, but it is unclear if the specific thresholds for the physical function (PF), pain interference (PI) and depression published previously for all foot and ankle surgeries apply to a specific diagnosis. Furthermore, the interplay of PROMIS scores and clinical variables has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was: 1) to investigate the change in PROMIS scales and radiographic measurements from …

The Road To Recovery For Bunion Surgery: Data Analytic Plots To Target Patient Progress, Ashlee Macdonald, Jeff Houck, Judith Baumhauer

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Introduction/Purpose: Patient reported outcomes (PROs) can provide information on individual patient’s progress throughout a treatment course and additionally, with common surgeries, powerful numbers can be generated to provide data analytic curves to provide a recovery road map for patients and surgeons. Those who deviate negatively from the predicted path may have a complication and early intervention can be initiated. Those who deviate positively have the potential to need less physical therapy, early return to sports or work. Hallux valgus (HV) is a common condition of the foot with 4.4 million patients seeking care yearly and surgery is equally common. The …

Changes In Postural Sway Behavior Across The Life Span, Maria M B N R Santos

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The present study aimed to investigate human balance control by assessing postural sway on three groups representing three stages of life (6-12, 19-40 and 65-74 years old). There were 14 individuals in each group and they were tested during upright bipedal stance with either eyes open or closed. Focus was given to multiple sway indices representing multi-dimensional features of postural sway in quiet stance and included: the center of pressure area, amplitude, root mean square (RMS), velocity, jerkiness, and sample entropy. Results confirmed that children and seniors swayed more (p<.004), faster (p<.001) and their body sway was shakier (p<.001) than young adults. Seniors also presented faster (p<.006) and shakier (p<.001) sway than children and a more unpredictable pattern of body sway in time (p<.002) than children and young adults. In addition, children presented a more random anterior-posterior sway (p<.034) and a more regular medio-lateral sway (p<.043) than young adults, and a higher synchronization between anterior-posterior and medio-lateral body sway (p<.012) than young adults and seniors. We also observed that postural control of children and young adults becomes relatively more challenged in experimental situations when eyes were closed for most postural indices. In conclusion, this study suggests that multi-dimension posturography is sensitive to detect subtle age-related changes in the postural behavior and each stage of life may have their own signature patterns of postural behavior. Therefore, we expect that quantifications of this nature may be used to assess not only postural instability and fall risk but also to aid the testing of the efficacy of balance interventional protocols.