Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Preparatory Program For Women During Pregnancy/Postpartum And Transitioning Back To Work Or School, Bria Runnels, Rebecca King

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Despite the importance of maternal health during the prenatal, postnatal, and parenting stages, there is a lack of research on the role of occupational therapists (OTs) in addressing the occupational challenges faced by women during this transitional phase. This dissertation aims to develop a program that raises awareness of the role of occupational therapy in maternal health and promotes occupational therapists as part of an interdisciplinary team within the scope of maternal health care. By adapting co-occupation for mothers, occupational therapists can play an important role in individualizing occupations for enhanced transitioning and overall quality of life. The study highlights …

An Ot Program To Support Women With High-Risk Pregnancy, Mackenzie M. Morgan, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This poster is an overview of an occupational therapy program developed at a Women's Health OBGYN Clinic in Texas. The program was designed to address the needs of women with high-risk pregnancy and focused on mental health, physical health, energy conservation, emotional regulation, and social participation. The findings indicate the needs for further research to understand how occupational therapy can support women's health and an expansion of program offerings to increase support for high-risk pregnancy.

A Qualitative Study On Mother's Occupational Engagement After A Nicu Experience, Rachel Garcia, Mary Ann Smith, Julie Heftie Ms, Otr/L

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Mothers who are “at-risk” for complications during pregnancy have an increased probability for mental health conditions following delivery, adversely affecting their engagement in motherhood occupations. This qualitative study identifies how best to address the needs of “at-risk” pregnant women. Through the process of conducting semi-structured interviews with women who have experienced NICU with their babies, and interviews with healthcare practitioners working in the NICU, their narrative addresses what approaches would support women while they are going through their “at-risk” pregnancies to assist them with the transition to their occupational roles as mothers and promote bonding with their baby.

Occupational Therapy For Perinatal Women: An Online Educational Course, Rachel Killorin, Steven M. Gerardi, Sabina Khan

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

A freely accessible website and online educational course was developed to inform occupational therapy practitioners and maternal healthcare professionals about the role that occupational therapy has on the perinatal healthcare team. Perinatal Occupational Therapy. https://www.perinataloccupationaltherapy.com/

Building Resilience Through Pregnancy Utilizing Tools From Occupational Therapy And Yoga, Rachel Brown

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through a partnership with Nurture Nashville, a local yoga and movement studio focused on promoting wellness and connection for pregnant and postpartum people throughout their journey in motherhood. The primary focus of this project was developing resources to promote resilience during the perinatal period by utilizing tools from both occupational therapy and yoga practice. Outcomes included the synthesis of research into a resilience toolkit, the creation and implementation of a 5-week yoga and sharing circle curriculum, and the re-establishment of a community-centered studio event titled “Meet the Doulas.”

Occupational Therapy's Role In Infant Feeding & Postpartum Support, Megan Gallagher

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

A smooth transition to parenthood requires education and preparation on what to expect and new roles, responsibilities, and occupations. This capstone, in collaboration with Nurture Columbus, developed educational resources for new parents to help meet their infant feeding goals and facilitate a smooth transition throughout the postpartum period. In addition, education for healthcare professionals on the distinct value of occupational therapy during the perinatal period is included.

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Unplanned Motherhood, Cierra Stewart, Karen Park

Summer 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

For women experiencing unplanned pregnancy, the thought of becoming a mother can increase stress and affect the mother’s mental health. Maternal adjustment can include depression, anxiety, worry, stress, and happiness (Mihelic et al., 2016). The impact that this new role has effects daily demands, leading to a disruption in occupational engagement, environmental changes, and overall less time for the mother (Horne et al., 2005). There is currently not a well-defined role for occupational therapy within pregnancy medical clinics to support women experiencing unplanned pregnancy and their transition to motherhood. The purpose of this project is to provide care to new …

Exploring The Occupational Impact Of Pregnancy And The Role Of Occupational Therapy During The Prenatal Period, Monica Wutzke, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Pregnancy is a major transitional period accompanied by different physiological changes that can impact performance and engagement in meaningful and needed daily occupations. There is currently limited research that examines the transition to parenthood during the prenatal period through an occupational therapy (OT) perspective.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact pregnancy has on an individual’s roles, routines, and daily occupations. This study aimed to investigate this through an OT lens in order to better identify how the needs of pregnant individuals fall within the scope of OT.

Methods: Pregnant individuals participated in an online …

Core Stabilization And Pelvic Motility Training For A 28-Week Pregnant Female With Low Back Pain And Sciatic Nerve Pain, Jenna Belser, Anne H. Boddy

St. Augustine, Fall 2018

The purpose of this case study is to determine the effects of core stabilization and pelvis mobility training for a 28-week pregnant female to improve function and decrease pain.

Low back pain during pregnancy is a common occurrence that affects a majority of the population.¹ Over the five treatment sessions, the patient was able to tolerate a full ten-hour work shift and sleep through the night. She also showed improvements in muscle strength and flexibility. As seen in non-pregnant females, the patient was able to have a decrease in pain and improvement in function with these techniques.⁴

Effect Of Comprehensive Physical Therapy On A 25-Year-Old Pregnant Female With Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: A Case Report, Maryann Tadros, Amanda Grant

St. Augustine, Summer 2018

The purpose of this case report is to examine the benefits of multifaceted physical therapy interventions in a pregnant adult female with EDS.

The Translation, Validity And Reliability Of The German Version Of The Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire, Katja Ehrenbrusthoff, Cormac G. Ryan, Christian Gruneberg, Benedict Wand, Denis J. Martin

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Background: The Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire (FreBAQ) claims to assess disrupted self-perception of the back. The aim of this study was to develop a German version of the Fre-BAQ (FreBAQ-G) and assess its test-retest reliability, its known-groups validity and its convergent validity with another purported measure of back perception.

Methods: The FreBaQ-G was translated following international guidelines for the transcultural adaptation of questionnaires. Thirty-five patients with non-specific CLBP and 48 healthy participants were recruited. Assessor one administered the FreBAQ-G to each patient with CLBP on two separate days to quantify intra-observer reliability. Assessor two administered the FreBaQ-G to each patient …

The Effect Of Asymmetry On Pregnancy-Related Pain In The Postpartum Period, Krista G. Meder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Nearly 50% of women experience back pain and other lower extremity pain during pregnancy, with many reporting lasting pain postpartum. Pregnant women experience changes to their pelvis and lower extremities that do not always return to pre-pregnancy baseline. Not much is known of the lingering effects of pregnancy related asymmetry and its relationship to pain. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess asymmetries of the pelvis and lower extremities to determine whether malalignment is related to areas of pain at the low back, hip, thigh, knee, leg, and foot/ankle. Methods: Seventeen postpartum women and seven nulliparous controls were …

Disrupted Body-Image And Pregnancy-Related Lumbopelvic Pain. A Preliminary Investigation, B Wand, R Elliott, A Sawyer, R Spence, D Beales, P O'Sullivan, A Smith, W Gibson

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Recent investigations have suggested that disrupted body-image may contribute to the lumbopelvic pain experience. The changes in body shape and size associated with pregnancy suggest that pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain might be a problem in which alterations in body-image are particularly relevant.

Objectives: To investigate if self-reported body-image is related to lumbopelvic pain status in women during pregnancy and explore the factors that might contribute to changes in body-image in women experiencing pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain.

Design: Cross-sectional cohort study.

Method: Forty-two women in the third trimester of pregnancy were recruited regardless of clinical status. Pain intensity and disability were measured …

A Case Study Of School Age Female Minority Athletes Who Became Pregnant, Floyd Jones Phd, Jennifer Y. Mak, Phyllis A. Jones Ed

Jennifer Y Mak

The purpose of this study is to provide an in-depth understanding of ''What had happened to the urban minority female athletes who became pregnant while playing high school basketball?'' The study wanted to provide a qualitative analysis of rich narrative data collected from questionnaire interviews of two separate groups (one in Pittsburgh, the other in New York City). The findings of this study suggest that in fact urban female African-Americans athletes still received benefits from sports participation.

Disturbed Body Perception, Reduced Sleep, And Kinesiophobia In Subjects With Pregnancy-Related Persistent Lumbopelvic Pain And Moderate Levels Of Disability: An Exploratory Study, Darren Beales, Alison Lutz, Judith Thompson, Benedict M. Wand, Peter O'Sullivan

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Background: For a small but significant group, pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain may become persistent. While multiple factors may contribute to disability in this group, previous studies have not investigated sleep impairments, body perception or mindfulness as potential factors associated with disability post-partum.

Objectives: To compare women experiencing no pain post-pregnancy with those experiencing pregnancy-related persistent lumbopelvic pain (either low- or high-level disability) across multiple biopsychosocial domains.

Design: Cross-sectional

Methods: Participants completed questionnaires for thorough profiling of factors thought to be important in pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain. Specific measures were the Urinary Distress Inventory, Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale, Back Beliefs Questionnaire, Tampa …

Mindfulness: Being Present In The Moment, Stephanie Ann Stathas, Christine Frazer

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

This article serves to enlighten childbirth educators’ knowledge about mindfulness and the mother-baby benefits associated with incorporating mindfulness- based interventions into practice. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who developed the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program, brought the concept of mindfulness into the world of healthcare and mainstream society. Mindfulness is the practice of bringing awareness to the here and now using a variety of methods. Nancy Bardacke has taken the practice of mindfulness further and developed a program for expecting mothers, known as Mindfulness Based Childbirth and Parenting. This program has been shown to reduce stress responses that may be harmful to a …

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis With Cerebral Arterial Infarction During Pregnancy: A Casereport, Shih-I Huang, Tien-Wen Chen, Mao-Hsiung Huang

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) usually occurs in young adult or middle aged adult women. Although not of high incidence, it is an important cause of brain hemorrhage or infarction in pregnant women. According to previous studies, the most common symptom is headache. However, because of only headache mostly, correct diagnosis is a challenge before progression to stroke. The patient was a 30-year-old female. Except for hyperthyroidism history during last pregnancy, she did not have any special associated past history. She suffered sudden onset of left side weakness; when her term was 32 weeks. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed right middle …

Transient Osteoporosis Of The Hip During Pregnancy: A Casereport, Wen-Chuan Pai, Ching-Yang Lin, Mu-Jung Kao, Fong-Cheng Lin

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Transient osteoporosis, also called ”bone marrow edema syndrome”, is a rare disorder of unknown etiology. It primarily affects women in the third trimester of pregnancy as well as middle-aged, overweight men, and the hip joint is most commonly involved. The main symptom of transient osteoporosis of the hip is a sudden onset of pain at the lateral aspect of the hip. Mild limitation of hip range of motion is often present. A 36-year-old woman presented to our outpatient department 5 weeks after cesarean section with bilateral hip pain, which had begun suddenly during her eighth month of pregnancy. Magnetic resonance …

Transverse Myelitis In Pregnancy: A Case Report, Brian P. Mcdonald, Do, Nethra S. Ankam, Md

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty Papers

Objective: Describe the clinical course and treatment of a patient with paraplegia secondary to transverse myelitis during her pregnancy.

Setting: Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, University Hospital.

Participant: 36 year old Caucasian woman at 18 weeks gestation.

Interventions: Provided education and training on basic childcare tasks at a wheelchair level, and on how to obtain wheelchair accessible baby furniture. Provided availability of a peer who sustained a spinal cord injury prior to pregnancy. Maintained a close working relationship with maternal fetal health department regarding management of nausea and pain management, and educated team members about the possibility of autonomic …

A Case Study Of School Age Female Minority Athletes Who Became Pregnant, Floyd Jones Phd, Jennifer Y. Mak, Phyllis A. Jones Ed

Management Faculty Research

The purpose of this study is to provide an in-depth understanding of ''What had happened to the urban minority female athletes who became pregnant while playing high school basketball?'' The study wanted to provide a qualitative analysis of rich narrative data collected from questionnaire interviews of two separate groups (one in Pittsburgh, the other in New York City). The findings of this study suggest that in fact urban female African-Americans athletes still received benefits from sports participation.

Determining The Level Of Knowledge Of Und College Women In Their Childbearing Years Regarding Exercise During Pregnancy, Tricia Flohr, Sara Hoerner, Kari J. Melby

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

With an increase in the number of pregnant women exercising, there is an increased need for patient education and the distribution of updated guidelines to promote appropriate exercise activities.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge in English-speaking, college women in their childbearing years attending the University of North Dakota regarding the risks, precautionary measures and recommended modes of exercise during pregnancy.

SUBJECTS & METHODS: Eighty-four women between the ages of 18 and 40 enrolled in the summer school session completed a thirty-one question survey. The survey was used to gather information about the …

Determining The Need For Program Development For Women In Their Childbearing Years, Tami Kae Parker

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The childbearing year for a woman is a time of physical change and adaptation that can potentially result in a variety of musculoskeletal problems. Acting as a clinician, educator, or consultant, physical therapists can offer a variety of services that would benefit women in their childbearing years. Despite the skilled services physical therapists have to offer, this population continues to display prevalent problems. As a result of these existing problems, a survey was constructed to provide direction for program development to promote the health and wellness of women in their childbearing years. The purpose of this study was to develop …

Determining The Need For Program Development For Women In Their Childbearing Years, Christel Parvey

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The childbearing year for a woman is a time of physical change and adaptation that can potentially result in a variety of musculoskeletal problems. Acting as a clinician, educator, or consultant, physical therapists can offer a variety of services that would benefit women in their childbearing years. Despite the skilled services physical therapists have to offer, this population continues to display prevalent problems. As a result of these existing problems, a survey was constructed to provide direction for program development to promote the health and wellness of women in their childbearing years. The purpose of this study was to develop …

Four Clinical Tests Of Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction: The Association Of Test Results With Innominate Torsion Among Patients With And Without Low Back Pain, Pamela Levangie

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Background and Purpose. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between innominate torsion (asymmetric anteroposterior positioning of the pelvic innominates) and the Gillet, standing forward flexion, sitting forward flexion, and supine-to-sit tests. Subjects. A sample of 21- to 50-year-old patients with low back pain (n=150) and a comparison group of patients with upper-extremity impairments (n=138) were recruited from outpatient physical therapy facilities. Methods. The association of single and combined test results with innominate torsion (calculated from pelvic landmark data) and with presence or absence of low back pain were estimated via odds ratios, sensitivities, specificities, and predictive …

Exercise And Pregnancy: A Guide For Health Care Professionals, Stacy L. Ripplinger

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Health and fitness has become nationwide trends resulting in people of all ages making wiser choices regarding nutrition and exercise. Pregnant women are also participating in this fitness revolution to help ease the discomforts of pregnancy, maintain fitness levels, and regain their shape after delivery. These women often turn to health care providers, including physical therapists, for guidance. The purpose of this independent study, accomplished by a review of the literature, is to provide physical therapists and general health care practitioners an overview of maternal body changes, nutritional requirements, and emotional changes that occur during pregnancy, and how these factors …

Exercise During Pregnancy, Sue Merkel

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Physical fitness and sports participation has increased in popularity over the years. This raises concerns as to whether exercising while pregnant is beneficial or harmful to the mother and her unborn child. Research has determined the maternal and fetal responses during various forms of exercise. This research has been used to help establish guidelines and recommendations for pregnant women. However, there continues to be controversy as to the exercise guidelines pregnant females need to follow. Women experience physical changes throughout their pregnancy which can lead to low back pain, abdominal or pelvic floor dysfunctions. These complications can be prevented or …