Physical Therapy Commons^™

Falls And Physical Activity In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, J. J. Sosnoff, B. M. Sandroff, J. H. Pula, S. M. Morrison, R. W. Motl

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Objectives. To examine the association between fall history and physical activity using an objective measure of physical activity (i.e., accelerometry) in persons with multiple sclerosis.

Design. A community-based sample of 75 ambulatory persons with multiple sclerosis volunteered for the investigation. Participants self-reported fall history in the last year, underwent a neurological exam to determine Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, and wore an accelerometer around the waist for 7 consecutive days to determine physical activity.

Results. Overall, 37 persons (49.3% of the sample) reported falling in the last year with 28 of the 37 falling more than once. Persons who …

Aging, Neuromuscular Decline, And The Change In Physiological And Behavioral Complexity Of Upper-Limb Movement Dynamics, S. Morrison, K. M. Newell

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Aging is characterized by a general decline in physiological and behavioral function that has been widely interpreted within the context of the loss of complexity hypothesis. In this paper, we examine the relation between aging, neuromuscular function and physiological-behavioral complexity in the arm-hand effector system, specifically with reference to physiological tremor and isometric force production. Experimental findings reveal that the adaptive behavioral consequences of the aging-related functional decline in neurophysiological processes are less pronounced in simple motor tasks which provides support for the proposition that the motor output is influenced by both extrinsic (e.g., task related) and intrinsic (e.g., coordination, …

Approved Clinical Instructors' Perspectives On Implementation Strategies In Evidence-Based Practices For Athletic Training Students, Dorice A. Hankemeier, Bonnie L. Van Lunen

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Understanding implementation strategies of Approved Clinibal Instructors (ACIs) who use evidence-based practice (EBP) in clinical instruction will help promote the use of EBP in clinical practice.

Objective: To examine the perspectives and experiences of ACIs using EBP concepts in undergraduate athletic training education programs to determine the importance of using these concepts in clinical practice, clinical EBP implementation strategies for students, and challenges of implementing EBP into clinical practice while mentoring and teaching their students.

Design: Qualitative study.

Setting: Telephone interviews.

Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen ACIs (11 men, 5 women; experience as a certified athletic trainer = 10 …

Overcoming Barriers To Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practice Concepts In Athletic Training Education: Perceptions Of Select Educators, Sarah Manspeaker, Bonnie Van Lunen

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: The need to include evidence-based practice (EBP) concepts in entry-level athletic training education is evident as the profession transitions toward using evidence to inform clinical decision making.

Objective: To evaluate athletic training educators' experience with implementation of EBP concepts in Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)-accredited entry-level athletic training education programs in reference to educational barriers and strategies for overcoming these barriers.

Design: Qualitative interviews of emergent design with grounded theory.

Setting: Undergraduate CAATE-accredited athletic training education programs.

Patients or Other Participants: Eleven educators (3 men, 8 women). The average number of years teaching was 14.73 ± …

Mobility, Balance, And Falls In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, Jacob J. Sosnoff, Michael J. Socie, Morgan K. Boes, Brian M. Sandroff, John H. Pula, Yoojin Suh, Madeline Weikert, Steven Morrison, Robert W. Motl

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: There is a lack of information concerning the relation between objective measures of gait and balance and fall history in persons with MS (PwMS). This investigation assessed the relation between demographic, clinical, mobility and balance metrics and falls history in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: 52 ambulatory persons with MS (PwMS) participated in the investigation. All persons provided demographic information including fall history over the last 12 months. Disease status was assessed with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Walking speed, coordination, endurance and postural control were quantified with a multidimensional mobility battery.

Results: Over 51% of the participants …

The Reliability Of Portable Fixed Dynamometry During Hip And Knee Strength Assessments, Roger O. Kollock Jr., James A. Onate, Bonnie Van Lunen

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Insufficient lower extremity strength may be a risk factor for lower extremity injuries such as noncontact anterior cruciate ligament tears. Therefore, clinicians need reliable instruments to assess strength deficiencies.

Objective: To assess the intrarater, interrater, intrasession, and intersession reliability of a portable fixed dynamometer in measuring the strength of the hip and knee musculature.

Design: Crossover study.

Setting: Sports medicine research laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants: Three raters (A, B, C) participated in this 2-phase study. Raters A and B tested 11 healthy college graduate students (2 men, 9 women) in phase 1. Raters A and C tested 26 …

An Assessment Of Burnout In Undergraduate Athletic Training Education Program Directors, Jessica M. Walter, Bonnie L. Van Lunen, Stacy E. Walker, Zahra C. Ismaeli

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Athletic training education program directors (ATEPDs) often manage their time among students, program administration, and patient care.

Objective: To assess the level of burnout in ATEPDs and to determine the relationship between burnout and various demographics of ATEPDs.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Public and private colleges and universities nationwide.

Patients or Other Participants: Two hundred forty-nine ATEPDs of undergraduate athletic training education programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.

Intervention(s): We administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to all participants.

Main Outcome Measure(s): The MBI consisted of 21 items assessing 3 characteristics of burnout: emotional …

The Effects Of A Short Course Of Muscle Energy Technique On Sacral Dysfunction In Patients With Acute Lumbosacral Pain, Regina O'Hara

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purposes of this research study were to examine the effects of treating patients with suspected acute iliosacral rotational dysfunction with muscle energy techniques (MET) on (1) disability, (2) perceived pain during lumbar motion in neutral, flexion, and extension, (3) lumbar range of motion in flexion and extension, and (4) sagittal innominate rotation. Subjects were randomly assigned to the experimental and placebo groups. Experimental subjects received MET treatments, and placebo subjects received a stretching placebo treatinent. Subjects were treated four times over the course of one week. The initial examination and treatment occurred within 72 hours of the onset of …

The Effect Of Three Foot Orthoses On Plantar Pressure Under The First Metatarsophalangeal Joint Of Pes Planus Foot Type During Standing And Slow Running, Lacey Ann Nordsiden

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of three different foot orthoses on plantar pressure under the first metatarsophalangeal joint during standing and slow running. Twenty physically active participants, 12 males (19.7±1.3 years, 181.5±6.3cm, 83.6±12.3kg) and 8 females (20.8±1.5 years, 172.7±11.2cm, 69.9±14.2kg) with navicular drop greater than 10mm, no history of surgery to the lower extremity, and no history of pain or injury to the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint in the past six months volunteered for the study. Each subject performed standing and slow running tasks with four different orthosis conditions: no orthosis, metatarsal dome, U-shaped orthosis, and …

The Hand Center: Considerations Related To The Design, Planning, Staffing, And Marketing, Marcia L. Miller

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

A therapist intent on planning a hand therapy center has no resources that are specific to this specialty area of practice. There are contributions utilized to plan occupational and physical therapy departments that can be synthesized to a degree in the planning of a hand therapy center. The practice of hand therapy incorporates a high degree of physical interaction, with close proximity to the patient and handling by the therapist. This paper explores the unique requirements of a hand therapy department. In order to determine hand therapists' preferences for equipment and space utilization a survey was developed and distributed to …

Abnormal Electrical Potentials In Lower Limb Muscles After Ankle Sprain Grades I, Ii And Iii, Talal A. Al-Shatti

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Fibrillation and positive sharp wave potentials have been found after ankle sprain in muscles around the injured joint. The purpose of this study was to better define and explain the reaction of the muscles around the ankle joint after grades I, II and m ankle sprains. Methods: Fifteen subjects (9 males and 6 females, mean age of 33.2 years) with ankle sprains voluntarily participated in this study. A stress x-ray was done to determine the grade of ankle sprain. Nerve conduction velocity and EMO studies were done three weeks after the injury. None of the patients in this study manifested …

The Effect Of Jogging On Anterior Knee Laxity After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Fawzi F. Bouzubar

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Jogging is commonly performed in the latter stages of the rehabilitation program (2½-3 months) following ACL reconstruction. However, its cyclic loading effect on the ACL graft, 4-6 months after surgery has not been examined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine changes in anterior knee laxity before and after 15 minutes of jogging on the treadmill. Subjects (N=l 1) were 8 males and 3 females (X age= 30.27 ± 4.76 years; heights= 175.7 ± 10.7 cm; weights= 81.1 ± 15.9 kg) with unilateral ACL reconstruction (central 1/3 patellar tendon graft, postoperation range = 4-6 months). Measurements were made …

The Effect Of Floor Sitting Posture On Low-Back Pain, Knee Pain And Hip Pain Among Kuwaiti Men, Sameera H. Al-Jedi

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Background and Purpose. Ground resting posture is common in Kuwait and other Arab communities. Kuwaiti men gather daily, especially on weekend nights socializing in the Diwaniya. Diwaniya is a special room in every Kuwaiti house. The Diwaniya is traditionally furnished with seating cushions and pillows. Men are seated on the floor in a tailor-sitting posture for long periods of time. The tailor-sitting posture flexes the trunk. hips, and knees. The flexion position has been shown to decrease the lumbar lordosis and increase joint compression in hips and knees. However there are no studies about the effect of floor sitting …

Patellofemoral Joint Compressive Forces During Backward And Forward Running At The Same Speed, Hesham N. Alrowayeh

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A previous study found that the patellofemoral joint compressive force (PFJRF) during backward running was less than during forward running at free speed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the patellofemoral joint compressive forces during backward and forward running at the same speed. Ten runners (4 females, 6 males) between the age of 20-25 (X=22, SD=2) ran in backward and forward directions at the slow speed of 2.3 mph (1.0 m.sec^-1). Using the inverse dynamic technique the knee extensor moment and PFJRF during the slow backward and forward running were calculated. Results showed that the …

Comparison Of The Emg Activity Of The Supraspinatus And Infraspinatus Muscles During Various Closed Chain Exercises, I-Chen Lin

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Advantages of closed chain exercises used in the lower extremity have been well documented. However, the effects of closed chain exercises on the upper extremities have not been studied very much. Thus, the purpose of this research is to analyze the EMG activity of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles and compare the relative amounts of activities by performing different isotonic closed chain exercises and an open chain exercise in normal subjects. The supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles in 1 o healthy subjects were studied with fine wire, intramuscular, electromyographic electrodes while performing 5 closed chain exercises and a D2. open chain …

Reliability Of The Dynamic Gait Index In Vestibular Disorders, Diane M. Wrisley

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) when used with patients with vestibular disorders. Subjects included 30 patients aged 27-88 years, with vestibular disorders, who were referred for vestibular rehabilitation. Subjects' performance on the DGI was concurrently rated by two physical therapists experienced in vestibular rehabilitation to determine inter-rater reliability. To determine intra-rater reliability each subject repeated the DGI one-hour later. Percent agreement and kappa statistics were calculated for individual DGI items. Kappa statistics for individual items were averaged to yield a composite kappa score of the DGI. …

Windlass Taping Technique For Symptomatic Relief Of Plantar Fasciitis, Beth Anne Ernst

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the biomechanical and symptomatic effects of a newly described taping technique to support the longitudinal arch in symptomatic plantar fasciitis patients. The subjects were 20 individuals all diagnosed by a physician with unilateral plantar fasciitis, ambulating full weight-bearing without an assistive device.

Measurements were taken pre and post-taping for calcaneal position, tibial position and navicular height, with the subjects serving as their own control. The subjects also reported pain level pre and post tape using a visual analog scale. The statistical analysis performed on the biomechanical data was the t-test, and Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed ranks test was …

Reliability Of The Modified-Modified Schober Method Of Measuring Lumbar Range Of Motion, Mira H. Mariano

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of the Modified-modified Schober (MMS) method of measuring lumbar flexion and extension on subjects with low back pain. Thirty patients (19 females, 11 males) between the ages of 18 to 61 years (mean=40.0, SD=l 1.7) were measured by two physical therapists who each had six years of orthopedic experience.

Each subject was evaluated twice, in random order, by each tester using the MMS method. Trials 1 and 2 were used to calculate intratester reliability for each tester and intertester reliability was calculated between the two testers. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) …

Changes In Spinal Height Supine And Walking In Subjects With And Without Lower Back Pain, Dave Gregory

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and test a device that could be used in clinical situations to measure spinal height in subjects with lower back pain.

Introduction: Spinal height measurement provides information on the impact of spinal loading on the intervertebral disc. The stadiometer is presently the most accurate device for this purpose but users of the device must be trained to be measured. This excludes untrainable subjects such as those with lower back pain. For this study, a new ins1rument was developed combining aspects of the stadiometer and other devices to produce a simpler method …

Reliability Of The Saunders Electronic Inclinometer For The Assessment Of Lumbar Rom, Melanie C. Maneval

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The American Medical Association (AMA) advocates using the inclinometer for the measurement of spinal motion. Clinicians however, have not yet adopted this method in practice. Much controversy exists within the health care community with regard to which measurement method is the most reliable. The purpose of this study was: (1) to clarify the work that has been performed to date and (2) to examine the intrarater and interrater reliability of the Saunders Electronic Inclinometer for the assessment of lumbar flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation. The authors concluded that the SEI demonstrated moderate to good reliability for the assessment of …

Data On Gait Characteristics Of Four, Five, And Six Year Old Children Using Three Dimensional Video Motion Analysis, Donna Soave Nichols

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study resulted from a need to gather and analyze data on gait characteristics of normal children using the Peak Performance Technologies, Incorporated system, initiate a data base for the Motion Analysis Center at Old Dominion University and compare a computerized motion analysis system to studies using different methods. Fifteen children, aged four to six, were evaluated during gait using a video-based computerized motion analysis system manufactured by Peak Performance Technologies, Incorporated. The gait characteristics studied were stride length, cadence, angular displacements and angular velocities of the pelvis, hips, knees and ankles. The results showed that methods …

Patellofemoral Pain In Female Ballet Dancers: Correlation With Iliotibial Band Tightness And Tibial External Rotation, John Winslow, Evangeline Yoder

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Review of the literature reveals that ballet dancers have a high incidence of idiopathic patellofemoral pain. Twenty-four female ballet dancers were subjects in a study of the relationship between: 1) iliotibial band (ITB) tightness and patellofemoral pain, and 2) ITB tightness and degrees of tibial external rotation used in the dance demi-plie. Dancers were initially assessed by questionnaire to determine if any had knee pain. Twelve subjects mel the study criteria for patellofemoral pain, and 12 dancers without knee pain served as controls for the study. Iliotibial band tightness was measured (Ober test), and degrees of tibial external rotation used …

Investigation Of The Relationship Between Pelvic Tilt And Unilateral Sacroiliac Pain, Beth-Anne Moody Jones

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Low back pain is the nation's leading cause of disability. Differential diagnosis of a low back injwy can be complicated and uncommon disorders can be overlooked. Many of the signs and symptoms related to low back pain may in fact be caused by sacroiliac dysfunction. Reliability of the current clinical tests for detection of sacroiliac involvement has been of concern. Recently more focus has been given to the use of pelvic tilt measurement as a source of clinical information on the sacroiliac joint. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation of unilateral sacroiliac dysfunction with asymmetrical changes …

Biofeedback Gait Training Auditory Vs. Visual Techniques, Timothy D. Hiemenz

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Training lower extremity amputees to walk normally is quite a difficult task. Amputees must wear a prosthesis so they can walk at all. This allows them some mobility, but their walking pattern may be unnatural. If their gait is temporally asymmetric, they need to exert more energy to move about. This research was initiated to help lower extremity amputees to walk more efficiently using biofeedback gait training. Two types of feedback were developed and tested to determine which method gave the most understandable feedback, validating its use in a clinical setting.

A normal gait cycle uses the lower limbs to …

Correlation Between Hamstring Spasticity And Range Of Motion And Selected Gait Parameters In Pediatric Clients With Spastic Diplegia, Erin Mccain Glace

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Spasticity is often considered the primary limitation to function in children with spastic cerebral palsy. The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between hamstring spasticity and a functional activity, specifically gait. The gait parameters chosen were step length, stride length and velocity. A secondary purpose was to study the relationship between hamstring contracture and the same gait parameters. Reliability data were calculated for tone and ROM measurements. Eleven subjects (8 male and 3 female) between the ages of three years and fifteen years with a primary diagnosis of spastic diplegia were recruited for this study.

Hamstring spasticity …

F Response Frequency For The Median And Ulnar Nerves In A Normal Population, Patricia J. Killea

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The F wave or F response results form the recurrent discharge of antidromically activated anterior horn cells. F response latency represents an impulse which travels to and from the spinal cord through the central segment of a nerve. Study of the F wave is commonly done to assess proximal conduction in motor nerves, to measure motor nerve conduction velocity over a longer pathway than in orthodromic motor studies, and to assess motor neuron excitability. F response characteristics less commonly studied include duration, chronodispersion, shape, amplitude, and frequency. The primary purpose of this study was to determine F response frequencies of …