Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Advancing Type 2 Diabetes As A Condition For Primary Referral To Physiotherapy In Canada, Sarah M. Janssen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Obesity and sedentary lifestyle are increasingly prevalent risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D), characterized by high blood glucose levels. Adoption and maintenance of healthy eating, physical activity, and exercise is recommended for lowering blood glucose and weight management. Physiotherapists are experts in prescribing safe, effective exercise to optimize health for people with co-morbid health conditions. However, T2D is not a primary condition for referral to physiotherapy services in Canada. The overall question guiding a series of three related studies was, What is the current education and perspectives of Canadian physiotherapists about their role in managing T2D? Study one surveyed …

Consideration Of Executive Functioning For Physiotherapy Rehabilitation: Studies Of Physiotherapists’ Knowledge, Normative Data, And A Practice Application, Nicole A. Guitar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Executive functioning (EF) refers to cognitive abilities involved in decision-making and self-regulation and can be impaired in many patients referred for physiotherapy, including older adults and people living with chronic pain. This dissertation aimed to determine what physiotherapists understood about EF, to summarize normative data for application in physiotherapy practice, and to provide an assessment of feasibility for studying EF impairments in people living with chronic pain. Study one surveyed what physiotherapists understood about EF as a concept, what EF assessments they used, and if this was influenced by their primary area of practice. Respondents (N = 262) subjectively reported …

The Psychosocial And Physical Effects Of Therapeutic Horseback Riding For Children With Cerebral Palsy, Karen M. Pratt

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: Participation in specialized adapted activities such as therapeutic horseback riding (THR) is critical for children with cerebral palsy (CP) as they are at increased risk for lower habitual physical activity levels, social exclusion and mental health conditions. The benefits of THR for children CP are unclear despite positive anecdotal evidence. Purpose: The aim of the study is to explore the effects of THR participation for children with CP across multiple domains of health (psychological, social and physical) from the children themselves. Specifically, this study explored overall wellbeing including mental health, perceived independence, social inclusion and presence of fatigue and …

Therapeutic Interventions For Managing Diabetic Shoulder, Sanaa A. Alsubheen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Shoulder pain is a common complaint of diabetic patients that causes motion limitations and functional disability. Adhesive capsulitis (AC) is the most common disabling shoulder disorder. There is no optimal non-surgical treatment for managing AC in diabetic patients. Furthermore, the impact of diabetes on shoulder recovery and factors predicting shoulder function following shoulder arthroplasty is not well investigated.

Purpose and Methods

The main purpose of this thesis was to inform clinical practice about the best intervention for managing AC in diabetic patients, and to assess the impact of diabetes on functional outcomes after shoulder arthroplasty, with the following objectives: 1) …