Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Sensory Processing Approach For Young Children With An Adversity To Eating, Zondra S. Thompson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Eating and drinking are basic to our health and survival; it is also an integral part of our social life. For parents, feeding their children is a vital part of how they care for and nurture them. It is difficult for both the parents and the child when eating becomes a stressful experience. Children with sensory processing dysfunction often approach mealtimes with apprehension and discomfort. The willingness or inability to eat may be a sensory-processing based problem, which often exhibits as a behavioral problem such as, the child refusing to eat, to try new foods, or to touch different foods. …

Information Literacy And Library Attitudes Of Occupational Therapy Students, Daniel G. Kipnis, Msi, Anthony J. Frisby, Phd

Academic Commons and Scott Memorial Library Staff Papers and Presentations

Information literacy, often described as a person's ability to effectively find and evaluate answers to questions using a variety of information resources, is of particular importance to health care workers. This paper presents the results of an information literacy survey presented to the occupational therapy (OT) students at Thomas Jefferson University during a series of required class activities. Also described are the authors' activities with the faculty and courses at Jefferson. The survey was made available to first-, second-, third-, and fourth-year occupational therapy students along with nursing students and pharmacy students. The survey is designed to identify research habits, …

Kinematic And Kinetic Differences In The Trunk, Pelvis, And Lower Extremities In Women With And Without Patellofemoral Pain When Descending Stairs, H. James Phillips

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Development Of A Matrix For The Evaluation Of Clinical Reasoning In Occupational Therapists, Elizabeth M. Torcivia

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Top 10 Positional-Release Therapy Techniques To Break The Chain Of Pain, Part 1, Timothy E. Speicher, David O. Draper

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Positional-Release Therapy (PRT) is a treatment technique that is gaining popularity. The purpose of this two-part column is to briefly explain the theory and application of PRT. Then, we will present our top 10 list of what we think are the most commonly treated tender points by athletic therapists, five in Part 1 and five in Part 2, along with general tips, patient self-treatments, and adjunctive techniques.

PRT, originally termed strain–counterstrain, is a therapeutic technique that uses tender points (TPs) and a position of comfort (POC) to resolve the associated dysfunction. Essentially, PRT is the opposite of stretching.

PRT is …

Recreational Manual For Caregivers Of Individuals With Cerebral Palsy, Erica Bucher

Occupational Therapy Capstones

A brief literature review was conducted on cerebral palsy to gain general information and statistics. After reviewing the literature, it was noted that there is a significantly high number of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year. These individuals are at a high risk to experience the lack of opportunity for a wide choice of recreational activities. To understand the magnitude of the problem an extensive literature review was done on this topic. It was found that the lack of access and participation in independent recreational opportunities may lead to the development of dependent behavioral patterns, learned helplessness and depression. …

Resource Manual For Rural Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Janae Marie. Hughes

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Rural hospitals have been an integral part of the culture of rural America, where clients were once able to seek services needed in their hometowns. Now more than ever, rural facilities are facing increased challenges to remain viable and at the same time continue to deliver high quality care to their communities (American Hospital Association, 2005). With small towns becoming smaller, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit allied health professionals to these areas. The reasons for this vary from area to area yet there are some commonalities such as; the misperceptions of limited community activities and resources, lower pay …

A Treatment Protocol Utilizing Sensory Integrative Techniques For Treating Self-Mutilation, Nikki Stevens

Occupational Therapy Capstones

“It is estimated that one to two million people in the United States intentionally and repeatedly bruise, cut, burn, mark, scratch and mutilate different parts of their own bodies. This estimate represents only the adolescents and adults who actually seek help for the behavior” (Ferentz, 2002). The reasons for self-mutilation behaviors span across a considerable range from post-traumatic stress disorder to hypersensitivity. The research indicates parallels between children who have been sexually, physically, or emotionally abused and self-mulitlation. Basically, it is an unhealthy coping strategy to deal with overwhelming and intense feelings. The current treatment regime varies and includes: medication, …

Universal Design: An Educational Presentation For Occupational Therapy Students, Steve Fugere, Heather Grasser

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Universal design is an emerging practice area within the profession of occupational therapy. Because universal design is an emerging area, educational resources on the topic are limited. If practitioners wish to work in this emerging area, more knowledge and skills need to be developed. The purpose of this scholarly project was to create a resource that could be used to educate occupational therapy students on universal design concepts. Information included in the presentation will help students understand the role of the occupational therapist in the design process.

Method: A literature review was conducted to examine the impact of the …

Body Mechanics Program For A Material Handling Environment, Jeremy Laine

Occupational Therapy Capstones

A series of improper body mechanics can lead to injury with in a manual material handling environment (Hagan, 2001). Improper body mechanics are a result of poor work habits that negatively reinforce a worker. When a worker in a manual material handling environment conducts his or her essential job functions, while ambulating to do their job, certain behaviors negatively reward a worker such as completing their tasks faster or what is perceived as more efficient. These behaviors specifically include, but are not limited to: increasing job pace or reckless speed, twisting repetitively, bending at the pelvis, back extension, forceful action, …

Giving All Children A Good Start To School: A Protocol In Defining Occupational Therapist's Role In School Readiness, Specifically In The Smart Program, Melissa Boll

Occupational Therapy Capstones

More children are entering school "not ready." Current research is showing that many "healthy" children are entering school not developmentally ready for formal learning. Based my own experiences working as a school occupational therapist for the past four years in rural area schools, this new trend is becoming more apparent. Teachers and other school professionals have increasing concerns over the numbers of children that seem "clumsy" or "awkward" compared to their peers. Children are expected to learn more than ever before upon entering school, the curriculum is no longer age-appropriate due to the pushing down of academics. Upon entrance to …

Word-Retrieval Treatment In Aphasia: Effects Of Sentence Context, Anastasia Raymer, Francine Kohen

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Word-retrieval treatment studies in aphasia have reported the greatest influences on picture naming for trained words. To increase treatment effects to untrained words and sentence contexts, we investigated a sentence-reading treatment hierarchy that moves from errorless to generative production of sentences incorporating target nouns and verbs. In an individual with nonfluent aphasia, treatment resulted in improved picture naming for nouns and verbs and generalized increases in numbers of grammatical sentences and content words following noun therapy. A second individual with fluent aphasia improved little in picture-naming and sentence-generation tasks for both nouns and verbs. This sentence-based word-retrieval training, in which …

Role Identity Formation Of Occupational Therapy Students, Denise A. Rotert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an examination of the professional socialization process of occupational therapy students from a role identity theoretical perspective. First-year students, second-year students, fieldwork students, and faculty at an occupational therapy educational program at a Midwestern institution volunteered to participate in the study. Data were collected through focus group interviews and surveys. The focus of the study was to determine factors associated with occupational therapy students’ identity salience, commitment, and role-person merger. Interviews and surveys were used to determine what factors, over and above didactic education, influence the socialization of students into the profession of occupational therapy and what …

Low Back Pain In Police Officers, Jennifer Gwyn Arts

Masters Theses

Low back pain (LBP) is something that police officers deal with on a daily basis. The purpose of this research was to explore whether police officers have a higher incidence of LBP than the general population and to explore what factors officers believe contribute to the LBP they experience. Surveys were made available to all police departments in Kent County and all sworn officers were asked to participate. The difference between LBP experienced by police officers (60.2%) and that experienced by the general population (60-90%) was not found to be significant. The top two answers given by officers as to …

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 …

The Physical And Psychosocial Health Status Of Clients With Spinal Cord Injury Awarded Damages In Litigation, Irmo Marini, Eva Miller

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

As the specialization of life care planning continues to evolve, a greater emphasis is occurring from both within the discipline and externally for empirically driven data to support life care planner opinions. One area remaining unresolved pertains to life care planners’ knowledge of how, or if, their life care plan has been implemented post-settlement. A related area pertains to the daily physical and psychosocial health issues of persons with spinal cord injury which can impact the development of their life care plan. The present pilot study explored injury related characteristics and the post-settlement expenditures of former life care plan clients …

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 …

Parent And Therapist Perceptions Of Sensory Based Strategies Used By Occupational Therapists In Family-Centered Early Intervention Practice, Juliet Bertaut Copeland

Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative approach was used to explore the perceptions of parents and therapists in early intervention regarding sensory diets and their efficacy, particularly their goodness of fit within family routines and occupations. Open-ended interviews were conducted with therapist and parent participants and analysis of the data resulted in a model depicting how sensory diets became a "way of life" for families. The Sensory Diet "Way of Life" Model revealed seven themes that illustrated how occupational therapists in early intervention enter the homes of the families they serve and establish a "partnership" with parents to address a child's needs. Once this …

An Exploration Of How And Why Primary Care Providers Educate Infant Caregivers About Positioning, Amy Greenspon Choffin

Theses and Dissertations

A review of the literature indicates that how infants are positioned is related to the risk of SIDS, the incidence and severity of plagiocephaly, torticollis, and developmental delays. A quantitative approach with survey methodology was used with 66 pediatric primary care providers responding to 26 questions. Overall, PCPs are educating caregivers about sleep positioning with a high frequency. There was a relationship between practice site, and the frequency of sleep positioning education is provided. While the participants provide education about awake positioning, and the use of positioning devices, it was with less frequency than they do about sleep positioning; there …

Resistance Exercise In Men Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy For Prostate Cancer, Daniel A. Galvao

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis encompasses two literature reviews (chapter 2 & 3) and two experimental chapters (4 and 5) examining the available literature on exercise and cancer, resistance training and its anabolic responses in older men and women, the side effects of Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer and finally, the role of resistance exercise as a clinical intervention to counteract such changes as an adjuvant therapy.

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 …

Effects Of Sprint Training On Extrarenal Potassium Regulation With Intense Exercise In Type 1 Diabetes, Alison R. Harmer, Patricia A. Ruell, Michael J. Mckenna, Donald J. Chisholm, Sandra K. Hunter, Jeanette M. Thom, Norman R. Morris, Jeff R. Flack

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Effects of sprint training on plasma K⁺ concentration ([K⁺]) regulation during intense exercise and on muscle Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase were investigated in subjects with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) under real-life conditions and in nondiabetic subjects(CON). Eight subjects with T1D and seven CON undertook 7 wk of sprint cycling training. Before training, subjects cycled to exhaustion at 130% peak O₂ uptake. After training, identical work was performed. Arterialized venous blood was drawn at rest, during exercise, and at recovery and analyzed for plasma glucose, [K⁺], Na⁺ concentration ([Na⁺]), catecholamines, …

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 …

The Discomfort Rating And Pain Relieving Behavior In High Heel Wearers And The Clinical Implication, Wei-Hsien Hong, Yung-Hui Lee, Fuk-Tan Tang, Chia-Ling Chen, Wen-Lung Liu, Yu-Cheng Pei

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

This study aimed at the development of a questionnaire to investigate the discomfort rating and pain relieving behavior in high heel wearers and to assess any clinical implication. A sample of 317 subjects received the questionnaire. The internal consistency was 0.78-0.85 and the test-retest reliability was 0.85-0.90 (p＜0.0l), indicating the reliability of the questionnaire was adequate. With regard to the factor structure, a 5-factor modality was confirmed, made up of four domains for the comfort rating including ”foot discomfort”, ”biomechanical effect”, ”balance and safety” and ”effect on the daily living” and a final domain, ”measures to relieve pain”. Among these …

Correlation Between Special Physical Testing And Soft Tissue Ultrasound Findings In Evaluation Of Shoulder Pain: Using Likehood Ratio, Shao-Li Han, Han-Shiang Ko, Yau-Wai Wai, Wai-Keung Lee

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Shoulder pain is one of the most troublesome problems evaluated in our clinic. Numerous special physical tests have been developed to localize the origin of such pain. Soft tissue ultrasound, as an ancillary procedure, offers multiple advantages in evaluation of shoulder disorders: reliability, reproducibility, no radiation exposure, and low cost. Many authors have demonstrated that a strong correlation exists between ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in detecting shoulder pathology. In the current study, we determined the correlation between clinical presentation, findings on special physical tests, and findings from soft tissue ultrasonography in evaluation of shoulder pain. In order to eliminate …

Reliability And Measurement Error In Using A Tape Measure To Determine Limb Circumference, Ching-Yi Wang, Chin-Lin Hsieh, Sheng-Kuang Wu, Chu-Kuei Chang, Chiew-Ju Hsish, Chien-Fen Lin

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

The purposes of this study were (1) to test the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of using a tape measure to determine limb circumferences and (2) to report the 95% CI of standard error of measurement (SEM) of repeated measures by the same tester to determine whether a clinically important change has occurred.Forty-six college students (6 men, 40 women) with a mean age of 20 years old volunteered to participate in this study. Subjects reported no neuro-musculo-skeletal diseases or disorders in their upper or lower extremities. To determine the inter-rater reliability, two testers measured the circumference of 4 locations on the …

The Trapezius Reflex: A New Reflex For Bilateral Motor Control, Wei-Jang Yen, Tzy-Fang Chu, Ta-Shen Kuan, Chia-Hui Chen, Chang-Zern Hong

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Close links between the bilateral trapezii are essential for the stability and coordination of neck and shoulder movements. However, there is no direct neurophysiological evidence to support such a bilateral motor control mechanism. Our study is the first to use an electrodiagnostic method to prove the existence of this reflex. In this study, we have identified a new uniform or standardized technique, named the trapezius reflex (TR), which is able to evaluate proximal shoulder motor function. The TR is defined as an electrically elicited reflex that originates from the synchronized activation of both trapezii by electric stimulation of the accessory …

Investigation Of The Magnetic Resonance Image Findings Of Neck And Shoulder Muscle Pain, Pei-Der Sheu, Jue-Long Wang, Ko-Long Lin, Chi-Chuan Shih, Shwu-Fen Sun, Kuen-Hwang Chen, Chiao-Wen Hwang

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

In the rehabilitation clinic, neck and shoulder pain are mainly attributed to muscle and fascia pain. Neck and shoulder pain resulting from cervical radiculopathy, such as herniated intervertebral disk, spondylolisthesis, and neuroforamen narrowing, can be detected with nerve conduction study, electromyography, and imaging. However, no objective test is available for the diagnosis of muscle and fascia pain.Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is promising for evaluation of tendon and connective tissue structure, there are no researches for application to neck and shoulder muscle pain. We administered pain questionnaires to 27 patients with soreness of the neck, shoulder, or upper back and …

Does Shortwave Diathermy Reduce The Intractable Spasticity Of Patients With Spinal Cord Injury?, Hung-Tzu Su, Tien-Wen Chen, Ming-Cheng Weng, Chia-Ling Lee, Mao-Hsiung Huang

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Spasticity is a hallmark of an upper motor neuron disorder and represents the most important impairments for individuals who care for patients with central nervous system disease. It may have an adverse effect on rehabilitation training. Shortwave diathermy is a modality that produces deep heat. It is usually used to relieve pain and stiffness, promote wound healing and relieve deep muscle spasm.In the present case, we show a 52-year-old male patient with spinal cord injury who has severe spastic hypertonia. He is disabling in motor and daily living. We have tried in vain with various physical therapy and medications. He …

Intraspinal Tumor Associated With Hydrocephalus: A Casereport, Sheng-Hsiang Su, Kuo-Sheng Hung, Jen-Wen Hung

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Intraspinal tumor associated with hydrocephalus is a well known but uncommon phenomenon. It is difficult to diagnose accurately if clinical hydrocephalus symptoms are presented, comprising unsteady gait, urinary incontinence, dementia, headache and papilledema. The patient in this study was a 77 years old male whose main problems included impaired walking, dementia and delirium. He received V-P shunt because of brain CT disclosing communicating hydrocephalus. Patient consciousness improved following operation, but bilateral lower limb weakness became worse. Following spinal MRI examination, an intraspinal tumor at L1 level was noted. The patient underwent laminectomy and partial tumor removal, but metastatic intraspinal adenocarcinoma …