Physical Therapy Commons^™

Use Of Pelvic Clocks For Physical Therapy Management Of A Patient With Sacroiliac Dysfunction And Low Back Pain: A Case Report, Amber Huener

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose. This case study describes the evaluation and treatment of a patient with sacroiliac dysfunction and low back pain. The purpose of this case study is to explore the effects of pelvic clocks used as muscle energy techniques in the treatment of sacroiliac dysfunction and low back pain.

Description. The patient was a 62-year-old woman with a 5-month history of SI pain who was seen for outpatient physical therapy over a 5-week period. The client presented with decreased strength in hip abduction bilaterally, decreased knee ROM, sacroiliac pain, and referring pain down to the knee on the left. …

Use Of Aquatic Therapy/Core Stabilization And A Multi-Disciplinary Treatment For A Patient With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Report, Jesse Elis

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: This case report describes the use of two different conservative treatment approaches on a patient suffering from chronic nonspecific low back pain. The case report illustrates the difference between aquatic therapy/core stabilization, which focuses on the biological aspect of the injury, and multi-disciplinary treatment, which treats the injury on a biopsychosocial level.

Case description: The patient was a 32-year old man that suffered two disc herniations from lifting a large box at work. After the injury, the patient received conservative treatments 3 months prior to this specific case report. Neurological deficits were present and the patient had …

Quad Strengthening And Hamstring Stretching As A Treatment Of Pes Anserine Bursitis, Jennifer Bernardy

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background/Purpose: This case study describes a 28-year-old woman’s six physical therapy visits over a period of four weeks for treatment of right pes anserine bursitis. The purpose of this case study is to describe the treatment of an individual with pes anserine bursitis using hamstring stretching, quadriceps strengthening, and iontophoresis and to describe the outcomes.

Case Description: Following a fall down eight steps in her home with her right knee underneath her. The patient presented with increased pain, swelling, loss of range of motion, and tenderness at the pes anserine. Treatment consisted of iontophoresis, hamstring stretches, and quadriceps strengthening.

Outcomes: …

Acute Physical Therapy Management Of Pediatric Patient With Traumatic Brain Injury, Michelle Holt

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Traumatic brain injury can cause many deficits including decreased balance and coordination. The purpose of this case report is to describe the interventions used and subsequent outcomes for a pediatric patient following traumatic brain injury in the acute care setting. Also, this case report serves to describe the methods and tools used in a hospital that is not equipped with pediatric-specific equipment or utilities.

Case Description: This paper describes the four-day inpatient physical therapy management of a six-year-old female who fell from a horse and sustained a left open depressed frontal skull fracture with an underlying subdural …

Status Post Rotator Cuff Repair With Interrupted Therapy And Comorbidities: A Case Report, Whitney Lesnau

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background & Purpose: The purpose of this case study is to describe the plan of care that was completed despite interruption from multiple complications. Interrupted therapy has not been explored in research even though it is something physical therapists encounter often.

Case Description: This 45-year-old patient went through a right rotator cuff repair surgery followed by physical therapy to regain functional use of her shoulder. Her therapy was interrupted twice; first by her mother’s heart condition and then by her own neurological condition.

Intervention: The main component of treatment with this patient was range of motion exercises including passive, active-assistive, …

Outpatient Physical Therapy Management Of A Patient With Chronic Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome, Kaley Schultz

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose. Iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITBFS) is one of the most common repetitive injuries treated in outpatient physical therapy and if left untreated, can lead to debilitating consequences for an individual. The purpose of this report is to describe the progression of conservative interventions that were used during outpatient physical therapy for a patient with the diagnosis of ITBFS in order for the patient to return to pain free activities of daily living.

Case Description. The patient was a 29 year old male who experienced pain over his c right greater trochanter and pain and snapping over …

Outpatient Physical Therapy Management Of A Patient Who Is Status Post Right Lunate: Open Reduction Internal Fixation With Hardware Removal: A Case Report, Jaime Garness

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: This case report follows a 20 year old male through his five week out patient rehabilitation for an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) pinning of his right lunate and subsequent hardware removal following a motor vehicle accident. The patient presented with pain, decreased strength and range of motion of his right wrist. A deficit was also identified in his right shoulder stemming from decreased use of his right upper extremity. The reason for this case study is to look into benefits of physical therapy interventions as well as their functional outcomes.

Interventions: Patient warmed up on …

The Influence Of Partial Body Weight Support On The Muscle Activity In Normal Subjects: On Incline/Decline Surfaces At A Constant Speed, Kristin Citterman, Leanne Gere, Jessica Price, Kayley Uvaas

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study was to collect data on the effects of incline and decline surfaces, combined with partial body weight support (PBWS), on muscle activity of the lower extremities during treadmill walking for normal subjects. By collecting lower extremity electromyographical (EM G) data we hope that the information may be applied to the development of treatment alternatives or future research options for patients with both neurological and orthopedic dysfunction.

Methods: Twenty subjects (14 female, 6 male) were recruited for this study. EMG data was collected for lower extremity muscle activity during conditions of level, incline …

Effectiveness Of Pelvic Floor Exercises On Women With Urinary Incontinence :, Kayla Bucher, Brittany Carter, Ashley Waller, Rachel Zinski

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Effectiveness of Pelvic Floor Exercises in Women with Urinary Incontinence Purpose: Urinary incontinence is common in women; especially those who have had one or more vaginal deliveries. The purpose of our case study was to measure the effectiveness of pelvic floor exercises and biofeedback in women with urinary incontinence (VI) in a rural midwest physical therapy clinic.

Methods: Patients participating in this study were referred to a physical therapy clinic by their physician for a urinary incontinence program. During the initial evaluations, baseline biofeedback readings were recorded and home exercise programs were given. Patients were then seen for follow-ups at …

The Effects Of A Heel Lift On Gait Parameters During Ambulation For People With Hemipareses, Bryan Avery, Lindsay Riley, Shannon Webster

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

People with hemiparesis can have difficulty weight-bearing through their involved lower extremity. This can lead to asymmetry during static standing and dynamic activities including gait. Previous research has shown improved symmetry in static standing when a heel lift is inserted under the non-paretic lower extremity. The purpose of this study is to determine if a heel lift can improve symmetry during dynamic gait in people with hemiparesis.

Five subjects (1 female, 4 male) with unilateral hemiparesis were recruited from the community. All demonstrated greater than 55% of weight-bearing on the non-paretic limb in static standing. Hemiparesis resulted from either a …

Effects Of External Ankle Support On Dynamic Movements: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Danny Henderson, Brian O'Neal, Kevin Voss, Bret Zowada

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Ankle sprains, are one of the most common injuries among athletes and individuals that perform dynamic activities on a daily basis. A common treatment or prevention for ankle sprain is the use of external ankle support in the form of braces or tape. This study's purpose was to determine whether external ankle support influenced dynamic performance measures.

The study consisted of 15 males and 15 females totaling thirty participants with a mean age of24.67 years old. Subjects were included if they were healthy and had no previous ankle injuries. Using the NeuroCom Balance Master 8.2, each subject performed two dynamic …

Emg Analysis Of A Hamstring Co-Contraction And Its Effects On Abdominal Strength, Stephanie Rodman, Heather Robbins, Rebecca Thurn

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Back pain and instability are common diagnoses treated by physical therapists. Treatment often includes abdominal or core strengthening exercises that act to improve stability about the lumbar spine. Hip flexors prevent the weaker abdominal muscles from working to their full potential and increase the lumbar lordosis placing the spine at risk of injury. Hip extensors work with abdominal muscles to reduce the lumbar lordosis, and restrict the hip flexor activity, allowing a stronger abdominal contraction. The purpose of this study was to determine if a co-contraction of the hamstring muscles during an abdominal crunch increased the electromyographic …

Analyzing Seated Pressure On Different Surfaces Using The Fsa Pressure Mapping System, Christine Robinson, Sara Sailer, Jennifer Weber, Amber Weide

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Pressure ulcers are a current problem for many individuals, both ambulatory and non-ambulatory. Insurance companies offer few policies and programs for individuals with pressure ulcers who are ambulatory, leaving these individuals minimal options to acquire pressure reliving devices that are covered by insurance. Non-traditional, inexpensive pressure reliving devices may be used as a cost effective alternative to a more expensive cushion. Little research has been conducted to determine if a less expensive device, such as a Homedics Micropedic Therapy pillow, would be effective in relieving pressure while seated.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a …

An Electromyographic Study Of Hip Muscle Activity In Varying Subtalar Joint Positions: Implications For Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk, Holly Augustine, Allison Biwer, Greg Jorgensen, Mitch Kary

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if subtalar joint position affects the activity of hip musculature in static standing, and by those results imply a correlation between foot position and ACL injury risk.

Methods: Thirty participants took part in this randomized study in which EMG data were collected during 3 trials of 3 subtalar joint positions on the right lower extremity. Subtalar joint positions included a flat surface to represent a neutral subtalar position, a 5-degree incline rising from lateral to medial, promoting a supinated attitude of the foot, and the third position was on a 5- …

Barriers And Facilitators To A Healthy Diet And Physical Activity, Tiffany Black, Jennifer Buelt, Aubrey Trefz, Brian Tuchscherer

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the barriers and facilitators to a healthy diet and physical activity of students attending the University of North Dakota. The research was designed to determine the students overall perception of the specific barriers and facilitators, however researchers also wanted to specify disparities existing among the different ages, genders, physical activity levels, body mass index and ethnicity. This study determined the attitudes and beliefs of UND students towards a healthy lifestyle. From the information gathered the researchers were able to make recommendations for program implementation and improvement.

Methods: A sample …

Biomechanical Analysis Of The Upper Extremity During Multiple Softball Pitches, Amy Bookkless, Katelyn Bottelberghe, Tara Petersen

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Purpose: There are a large number of fast pitch softball participants including high school, college, Olympic, professional and recreational leagues. While a large number of studies describe the baseball pitch, there is a shortage of studies describing the windmill softball pitch. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to utilize electromyography (EMG) and motion analysis to determine the biomechanical factors of muscle recruitment, shoulder and elbow range of motion and joint velocities during the windmill softball pitch.

Subjects: Five Division II women's fast pitch softball pitchers, mean age 19 years, were included in the study. The player's pitching experience averaged …

Motion Analysis And Electromyographic Analysis Of Ambulation With Assistive Devices, Tracy Foltz, Danielle Jwanouskos, Steven Pederson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the amount of muscle activity of the rectus abdominis and external obliques during the gait cycle with the use of forearm crutches and three different weight bearing statuses. Subjects: Seven female adults were recruited from the University of North Dakota Physical Therapy program. Inclusion criteria: between the ages of 19 and 40 years of age, current physical therapy students, and healthy with no current upper or lower extremity injuries.

Instrumentation: The EMG data was collected by the Noraxon Telemyo 900 telemetry unit and analyzed using the MyoResearch XP software. Six Vicon …

Establishing Intra-Reliability And Normative Data In Physical Functioning Assessments: A Pilot Study, Scott Jackson, Ryan Schrock, Mark Wilson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

PURPOSE: Normative data ranges are not available for all functional balance tests for all age groups. The purpose is to establish intra-reliability and normative age-sensitive data ranges in a battery of functional balance-related measures including the modified Clinical Test for Sensory Integration and Balance (mCTSIB), One-legged Stance Test (OLST), Functional Reach Test (FRT), 30-second Sit-to-Stand Test (30STS), 1 O-meter Walk Test (10MWT), and Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC Scale).

METHODS: Ninety-two subjects (n =92), aged 19-87 years, were tested with each of these balance tests. Participants were randomly assigned the order in which to complete the six balance tests. Intra-rater …

A Pilot Study To Screen Fall Risk In Adult Health Care Employees, Patricia Borboa, Emily Hansen, Jessica Hoeft, Alicia Holzer

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Due to the increasing age of the working population, falls are becoming an escalating problem especially in the healthcare industry. The purpose of this research study is to develop a cost effective quick screen to determine fall risk in healthcare employees. Our overall goal is to take the results gained from this pilot study and apply them on a larger scale in hopes of preventing falls thus decreasing dollars spent by companies on work injury.

Subjects: Volunteers from a local Health Care System. Inclusion criteria: permanent employees, over the age of 20, without an assistive device. A …

Manual Therapy Technique For Treating An Acute Lateral Ankle Sprain In A Female Athlete, Steven Wynia

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Lateral ankle sprains are a very prevalent sports injury resulting in missed practice and competition. Several studies have shown manual therapy techniques to be effective in restoring normal active range of motion (AROM) and expediting return to activity compared to more traditional treatment approaches such as protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation (PRICE). This article describes a unique manual therapy approach to treating an acute ankle sprain in an athlete.

Case Description: The patient is a 16 year-old female with an acute lateral ankle sprain. This article describes a physical therapy episode of care involving an aggressive …

Rehabilitation Of A 49 Year-Old Male Who Underwent A Right Knee Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Moderate To Severe Degenerative Joint Disease Of The Left Knee, Roy W. Osborn

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background/purpose: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is reported to be one of the most common and most serious injuries among physically active individuals, There are a multitude of articles addressing rehabilitation following ACL reconstruction, but there is no clear "best method' identified in the evidence, Subjects with a combination of ACL rupture and degenerative joint disease are less frequent in occurrence, and also lack evidence to identify the most appropriate rehabilitation method.

Description: This case study provides the details of the first 8 weeks of rehabilitation for a 49 year old male subject who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction of …

Hip Adductor Or Iliopsoas Tendonitis In An Adolescent Athlete: A Physical Therapy Case Report, Julie Berry

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Groin pain can be caused by many different entities from a "pulled adductor muscle" to something as serious as a femoral neck stress fracture. Other possible diagnoses include slipped capital epiphysis, avulsion fractures, osteitis pubis, osteoarthritis, labral tem adductor tendonitis and hernia, Iliopsoas tendonitis is all under diagnosed clinical problem, This injury affects millions of athletes every year and is often misdiagnosed and not properly treated, Potential implications to function include a decrease in the ability to perform activities of daily living (dressing, transferring into and out of bed/car/chair, and climbing stairs), inability to control inflammation which could progress to …

A Work Injury Prevention Program For A Rural Manufacturing Company, Pete Angell, Tara Copenhaver, Dustin Martinson, Heather Martinson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Purpose: This article discusses how a group of four physical therapy students built upon traditional ergonomic and biomechanical programs and applied it to a rural manufacturing company of 160 employees.

Methods: Meetings were held with the corporation's Safety Specialist and upper management. Based on research supported by evidence and suggestions from the company's administration, the students constructed an injury prevention program consisting of two presentations for office and production workers, exercise programs, a lifting and posture DVD and assessment, and a modified office assessment.

Results: Seventy-one employees attended the production lecture. Thirty-six workers took part in the office presentation. Sixty-four …

Effects Of Ambulatory Assistive Devises On Subjects Post-Cva: A Series Of Case Studies, David Fulton, Richard Zaruba

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if regularly ambulating with and without an ambulatory assistive device will lead to differences in the spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters of gait demonstrated by the subjects status post cerebral vascular accident. This study was comprised of a series of three case studies. All subjects were a minimum of fifty years old, at least three months status post cerebral vascular accident, capable of effectively communicating with researchers, and in good health. Ambulation criteria for inclusion were to regularly ambulate independently for 50 feet without use of an ambulatory assistive device, and regularly ambulate …

Weight Lifting Through Life: A Guide To Safe Weight Training, John A. Andrew

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

You Can Lift Weights Withllut Getting Hurt!

Have you ever injured yourself when trying to lift weights or initiate an exercise program? If so, you are not alone. Over many years of working as a physical therapist in an outpatient orthopedic and sports medicine clinic I have been surprised by the number of people that walk through the doors that are hurt by weight lifting. This really concerns me as one should not get hurt lifting weights as this is the opposite of why you are training. You are trying to improve your health--not get hurt! I am amazed by …

Nonoperative Management Of A Client With A Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tear, Samantha Neary

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Shoulder pain caused by a rotator cuff tear may inhibit one's ability to perform activities of daily living. Although surgery is a common intervention with this diagnosis, some clients are not surgical candidates or do not wish to undergo surgical intervention leaving conservative treatment as their only option. Therefore, the purpose of this case report is to describe the intervention used in the nonoperative management of a client with a full-thickness rotator cuff tear. The client was a 68 year old male with the diagnosis of a right shoulder rotator cuff tear. The client participated in physical therapy 2 times …

An Outpatient Physical Therapy Non-Operative Management And Intervention For An Older, Athletic, Professional, Caucasian Male Patient With An Acute Gastrocnemius Medialis And Lateralis Muscle Rupture, Thea Loy Pallansch

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Description: The gastrocnemius muscle is a two joint muscle originating on the femur and inserting into the calcaneus through the Achilles tendon. The gastrocnemius spans the knee and ankle joint providing important stabilization and movement functions in walking, running, and jumping activities. Rupture of the Achilles tendon is one of the most common tendinous injuries. Non-operative, conservative treatment of the acute Achilles tendon rupture demonstrates comparable results to surgical intervention. Non-operative management promotes patient tolerance, low cost, and positive clinical outcomes. Previous studies have supported the concept of functional bracing as a conservative, alternate treatment for an acutely ruptured Achilles …

The Effect Of High Velocity Sport Specific Training On Throwing Velocity, Christopher Albrecht, Mandy Caspers, Jennifer Hammond

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Previous studies have shown strength training programs to be effective in improving throwing velocity. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was a significant training effect, as measured by an increase in throwing velocity, among subjects who had been instructed to perform proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques of the dominant upper extremity at a slow and controlled speed, subjects who had been instructed to perform PNF techniques of the dominant upper extremity at a sport specific speed, and a control group. A total of 28 male and female subjects, between the ages of21 and 30 participated in …

Physical Therapy Diabetic Protocol, Jered Field, Jason Hahn, Corey Samuelson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

As the number of individuals in the United States with Type II Diabetes continues to increase significantly, so too does the incidence of lower extremity secondary complications. Ulcer care and possible lower extremity amputation are very expensive to patients and the healthcare system and can be extremely debilitating. Preventative measures have been implemented; however, a greater focus in this area may provide significantly greater results. Previous research states that preventative programs for lower extremity complications are cost effective if they can provide a 25% decrease in these conditions. In this project, a comprehensive prevention program has been designed to increase …

Survey Of Parents Participating In An Infant Toddler Screening Program: Identification And Education Regarding Torticollis, Amanda Carlson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Since 1992 there has been an increased number of children diagnosed with congenital muscular torticollis (CMT), which is a condition that affects the position and shape of the head. This study was designed to find out from parents involved in an infant toddler screening program about the information they have received regarding torticollis and if they feel it has been satisfactory.

Subjects: A survey of 150 parents with children who participated in an infant toddler screening program were initially included in a randomized sample for this study. Fifty-four surveys were returned to the researchers, of which 4 …