Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Age-Related Modifications To The Magnitude And Periodicity Of Neuromuscular Noise, Niklas König Ignasiak

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Evaluation of task related outcomes within geriatric and fall-prone populations is essential not only for identification of neuromuscular deficits, but also for effective implementation of fall prevention strategies. As most tasks and activities of daily living are performed at submaximal force levels, restoration of muscle strength often does not produce the expected benefit in functional capacity. However, it is known that muscular control plays a key role in the performance of functional tasks, but it remains unclear to what degree muscular control and the associated neuromuscular noise (NmN) is age-related, particularly in the lower-extremities.

Objectives: The aim of this …

Applying Principles Of Motor Learning And Control To Upper Extremity Rehabilitation, Lisa M. Muratori, Eric M. Lamberg, Lori Quinn, Susan V. Duff

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief review of the principles of motor control and learning. Different models of motor control from historical to contemporary are presented with emphasis on the Systems model. Concepts of motor learning including skill acquisition, measurement of learning, and methods to promote skill acquisition by examining the many facets of practice scheduling and use of feedback are provided. A fictional client case is introduced and threaded throughout the article to facilitate understanding of these concepts and how they can be applied to clinical practice.

Effects Of Hemodialysis Therapy On Sit-To-Walk Characteristics In End Stage Renal Disease Patients, Rahul Soangra, Thurmon Lockhart, John Lach, Emaad M. Abdel-Rahman

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Patients with end stage renal diseases (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD) have high morbidity and mortality due to multiple causes; one of which is dramatically higher fall rates than the general population. In spite of the multiple efforts aiming to decrease the high mortality and improve quality of life in ESRD patients, limited success has been achieved. If adequate interventions for fall prevention are to be achieved, the functional and mobility mechanisms consistent with falls in this population must be understood. Human movements such as sit-to-walk (STW) tasks are clinically significant, and analysis of these movements provides a meaningful evaluation of …

Comparison Of Intra Individual Physiological Sway Complexity From Force Plate And Inertial Measurement Unit, Rahul Soangra, Thurmon E. Lockhart

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Center of Pressure (COP) is a clinical measure to investigate the effect of sensory input disturbances on postural stability in healthy, old population as well in people suffering from neuromuscular disease. Increased center of pressure velocity and sway area are interpreted as decreased stability or poor balance and are associated with fall risk. Body mounted inertial sensors have shown great promise as an easily implemented clinical measure of balance. The aim of the present study is to investigate if force plate and accelerometer measurements provide similar physiological information when approximate entropy (ApEn) are valuated from the time series. Seven Young …

Assessment Of Postural Stability Using Inertial Measurement Unit On Inclined Surfaces In Healthy Adults, Chris Frames, Rahul Soangra, Thurmon Lockhart

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Fatal and nonfatal falls in the construction domain remain a significant issue in today’s workforce. The roofing industry in particular, annually ranks amongst the highest in all industries. Exposure to an inclined surface, such as an inclined roof surface, has been reported to have adverse effects on postural stability. The purpose of this preliminary study was to investigate the intra-individual differences in stability parameters on both inclined and level surfaces. Postural Stability (PS) and Limit of Stability (LOS) were assessed in seven healthy subjects (aged 25-35 years) on inclined and level surfaces using embedded force plates and an Inertial Measurement …

Wavelet Based Automated Postural Event Detection And Activity Classification With Single Imu (Tempo), Thurmon E. Lockhart, Rahul Soangra, Jian Zhang, Xuefang Wu

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Mobility characteristics associated with activity of daily living such as sitting down, lying down, rising up, and walking are considered to be important in maintaining functional independence and healthy life style especially for the growing elderly population. Characteristics of postural transitions such as sit-to-stand are widely used by clinicians as a physical indicator of health, and walking is used as an important mobility assessment tool. Many tools have been developed to assist in the assessment of functional levels and to detect a person’s activities during daily life. These include questionnaires, observation, diaries, kinetic and kinematic systems, and validated functional tests. …

Intramuscular Manual Therapy After Failed Conservative Care: A Case Report, Brent Harper

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background and Purpose: During intramuscular manual therapy (IMT), an acupuncture needle is inserted into the skin and muscle. The direct mechanical stimulation may interrupt the pathogenic mechanisms of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the application and efficacy of IMT on a patient suffering from right chronic elbow lateral epicondylalgia. Methods: A case study of a 26-year-old male presenting with a 6-month history of right elbow pain who failed 11 conservative physical therapy sessions and previous site-specific acupuncture. The patient received 5 IMT sessions over 4 weeks. Findings: The patient had …