Physical Therapy Commons^™

An Emg And Video Analysis Of The Wrist Flexors During A Sidearm Baseball Delivery, Cordell J. Mack

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

By understanding proper pitching mechanics, therapists can develop better preventative and rehabilitation programs for pitchers. The purpose of this study was to explain the joint motions and muscle activity that occur at the elbow during both an overhand and sidearm baseball pitching delivery. Three healthy adult pitchers with recreational sidearm pitching experience were examined with synchronized high-speed video digitization and surface electromyography (EMG). It was proposed that the increased valgus moment during the acceleration phase due to the sidearm delivery would subsequently show an increase in EMG activity by the wrist flexor-pronator group to provide additional varus torque in minimizing …

An Electromyographic Study Of Trunk Muscle Activity During Exercise On The Fitness Plus Rotary Torso Unit, Melanie F. Rystedt

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Strengthening of trunk musculature is an important part of prevention and treatment for low back pain. Various machines have been developed to target the trunk muscles. The Rotary Torso Unit is being marketed by Fitness Plus Inc, however, no research has been conducted to validate the claims made by the manufacturer. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure and describe the muscle activity elicited while exercising on the Fitness Plus Rotary Torso Unit. For this study we used 14 healthy male subjects between the ages of22 and 40 and with no prior history of back pathology.

The results …

The Effects Of Training On Cervical Range Of Motion Between Unilateral Breathers And Bilateral Breathers In Collegiate Swimmers During Freestyle Swimming, Anjanette Wong

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The purpose of this study was to establish data on active cervical range of motion for collegiate freestyle swimmers, to determine if training has an effect on cervical range of motion, and to investigate if breathing style influences cervical rotation to the right and left after training. The sample consisted of 29 varsity swim team members from the University of North Dakota (12 females and 17 males) who had participated in experiment IRB-9504-257. This past study was performed at the start of the competitive swim season, and its measurements used as pre-season data. The same CROM device was used to …

Headache Intervention: A Nonpharmacologic Approach To The Treatment Of Tension-Type Headaches, Marty D. Mohr

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Headaches have long been a problem for many people with hundreds of thousands seeking medical attention for their head pain each year. Migraine and tension-type are by far the most common forms of headaches, but from a physical therapy standpoint, the literature indicates that tension-type headaches respond better from the services provided by a therapist. The objective of this literature review will be to examine the different nonpharmacologic physical therapy approaches to the treatment of tension-type headaches. The techniques to be examined will include spinal manipulation, traditional physical therapy, electro acupuncture, and biofeedback and relaxation training. Examination of the literature …

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Clinical Application, Amy Schneider

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) causes irritation or compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel at the wrist. CTS is caused by factors including bony abnormalities, neuropathic conditions, inflammatory conditions, and most commonly, cumulative trauma. The trauma involves excessive repetition, force, bending, vibration, and impact activities performed at home or at work. As a result, the median nerve becomes irritated and intermittent sensory deficits occur initially leading to motor dysfunction with advanced disease. Once CTS is diagnosed, the first line of defense is conservative treatment which may result in operative care if unsuccessful. Modified activity and early postoperative hand …

Eating Disorders And Their Relevance To The Health Professional, Tammy L. Surdez

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have become more prevalent among young people in our society. This rising pursuit of thinness can be attributed, in part, to our society's idealistic view of beauty and appeal, in addition to several other causal factors. Adolescents and young adults struggle to meet the unrealistic demands of society, often resorting to potentially fatal behaviors such as starvation, binging, and purging. These disorders often present with identifiable signs and symptoms. As health professionals, we must be prepared to identify these characteristic signs and symptoms in order to identify patients who are at …

Magnetic Therapy: An Alternative Approach To Treatment, Becky S. Rohr

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Magnetic therapy has been a treatment of choice for hundreds of years in many European countries as well as in several areas of the Orient, but has only recently been gaining popularity in the United States and Canada. It is believed that applying static magnets to a painful body structure will bring relief to the patient. It is also proposed that a general feeling of well ness and increased energy will be gained from magnetic therapy. These benefits are theorized to be attained through the placement of a static magnet on the surface of the body, which blocks the transmission …

The Effect Of Interset Rest Period Length On Quadriceps Muscle Recovery In Strength Training, Jesse J. Wosick

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Lower extremity strength training is one of the skills performed by physical therapists. The purpose of this experiment was to measure the percent of recovery of the quadriceps muscles after specified interset rest period lengths to obtain the optimal interset rest period length between sets in strength training.

Twelve male and twelve female healthy subjects were divided into three equal groups of eight (four males, four females). The subjects performed two sets of six repetitions of unilateral isokinetic knee extension with their dominant lower extremity on the Chattanooga KIN-COM Dynamometer. One, two, or three minute interset rest period lengths were …

A Literature Review And Introductory Pediatric Aquatic Therapy Manual, Dena Wright

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Aquatic therapy continues to grow as an acceptable and often times preferable means of achieving therapeutic goals across a variety of patient populations: pediatric to geriatric, orthopedic to neurologic. The unique properties of water allow people to exercise and to recover in a safe and relaxing environment that promotes similar goals to those on land. However, land exercises can not simply be performed in water due to the water's unique properties. Similarly, exercises for adults do not work as effectively for children. Many physical therapy programs across the nation provide only minimal instruction on aquatic or pediatric therapy as a …

Acupuncture And Pain: A Critical Analysis Of Current Research, Ryan K. Kuwahara

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Acupuncture as a treatment for pain relief has recently gained popularity in the United States despite the lack of substantial clinical proof of its analgesic effect. In the recent past there have been several reviews of the clinical studies on acupuncture's analgesic efficacy, all of which have demanded that future studies have more appropriate outcome measures, better design, and have proper credibility assessment. The present study critically analyzed the published literature over the past decade to see if the latest acupuncture studies provide a more definitive answer regarding acupuncture's efficacy. Analysis revealed that recent studies do not provide any more …

An Analysis Of Pathological Gait, Michael N. Nakamoto

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

No abstract provided.

A Review Of Anterior Instability Of The Shoulder, Ross M. Argent

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Shoulder dislocations are increasingly being recognized among physical therapists as a common disabling condition in the health care setting. Surgeons are constantly attempting to improve and develop new surgical techniques to help patients who present with anterior instability. The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of anterior instability and its clinical importance to physical therapy.

The shoulder complex demonstrates an important balance between stability and mobility. As the name implies, it is an extremely complicated joint with various components contributing to its strength. The shoulder joint is dislocated more often than any other major joint in the …

Correlation Between Isokinetic Plantarflexion Versus Vertical Height Jump Power Index, Eric H. Anderson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Twenty-five male subjects between the ages of 20 and 41 were tested on the KinCom isokinetic dynamometer to obtain peak torque values for the bilateral ankle plantarflexor muscle groups at 60 degrees/second. The subjects were also tested for vertical height jump (VHJ) and body composition to determine correlation between isokinetic plantarflexion peak torque and vertical height jump capacity.. VHJ was multiplied by the participant's body weight to obtain the vertical height jump power index (VHJPI). The results indicate that there was no significant correlation between VHJPI and peak torque of bilateral plantarflexion using the parameter of isokinetic peak torque.

Auricular Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation: A Review, Greg R. Burton

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Pain has oppressed man for centuries and is the most common symptom for which patients seek medical treatment. The goal of medical research has been to discover the simplest method of pain relief with the least detrimental or undesirable side effects. If pain is not treated successfully, it can lead to a chronic condition with crippling effects that can profoundly affect the individual's quality of life. Pain can also prevent the successful treatment of other disorders.

Auricular transcutaneous electrical stimulation (ATENS) is on~ of the most recent methods of pain management to arise from research. It combines both acupuncture and …

Upper Extremity Joint Mobilization, Carolyn Brown

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Musculoskeletal injuries are one of the most costly nonfatal pathologies in the United States. Eighty to 90% of persons afflicted with musculoskeletal dysfunctions will require a treatment other than surgery. Manual therapy is a system of techniques which may be used to ease the pain and dysfunction with which these patients present. The purpose of this paper and the accompanying video tape, is to provide the physical therapy student with a source to aid their study of upper extremity joint mobilization. The paper presents a brief history of manual therapy, beginning in ancient Thailand and Egypt and ending with the …

Correlation Of Generalized Joint Hypermobility And Knee Mobility With Knee Injury Prevalence And The Role Of Lower Extremity Dominance, Darin Didier

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of generalized joint hypermobility and knee mobility with knee injury prevalence among female high school basketball players. The role of lower extremity dominance with knee injury prevalence was also examined.

Sixty female subjects evaluated for generalized joint hypermobility and knee mobility using the Beighton hypermobility criteria and KT-1000 knee ligament arthrometer, respectively, were followed-up for this study. Subjects were previously evaluated as sophomore high school basketball players. Fifty eight of the sixty eligible subjects participated in this study as high school juniors by: 1) completing a survey indicating their level …

The Relationship Between Vertical Jump Scores And Peak Force Measurements Of An Isokinetic Leg Press, David M. Silkey

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

This study evaluated potential correlations between related closed kinematic chain strength measurements on a Kin-Com isokinetic machine and a functional strength test. The correlation between standing vertical jump height and isokinetic leg press measurements were statistically analyzed. The following measurements were obtained from 22 subjects (mean age of 24.4 years): a body weight measurement, a vertical jump score, and the force measurements of an isokinetic leg press at 90°/second on each leg. Pearson correlation coefficients were significant (p < .001) when power quotient scores (vertical jump height multiplied by body weight) were compared to leg press results. However, second-order partial correlation coefficients did not find a significance (p > .005) between vertical jump scores and isokinetic leg press results when weight and gender were considered. A significant difference (p < .001) existed between left leg press and right leg press measures. Although isokinetics are useful for lower extremity assessment, this study found that the isokinetic leg press may not be appropriate in determining functional ability.

A Review Of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Jill C. Ballan

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is the most common pediatric rheumatoid disease in North America. and a principle cause of childhood disability. The disease course is unremitting in up to a quarter of the children with JRA, and a small percentage will grow-up with severe functional disabilities.. Physical and occupational therapy, along with prescribed drug and orthopedic provisions, are important in the management of JRA. The therapists, and other medical professionals involved, work toward the following goals: decreasing joint inflammation, relieving pain, achieving or maintaining an optimal level of function, and educating the patient and family on the disease course and …

Physical Therapy Techniques For Treating Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury (Tbi), Daren M. Flolo

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be devastating. Survivors of TBI and their families face complex needs that challenge physical therapists. To respond to this challenge, physical therapists need specific knowledge in regard to epidemiology, etiology, specialized treatment techniques, and the impact of the TBI on patients and their families.

With improvements in medical technology, the number of children and adults surviving brain injuries has increased. Many of these survivors require specialized training to improve impairments as a result of their injuries.

Physical therapists play a vital role in the evaluation and treatment of the patient with traumatic brain injury. In …

Trauma Rehabilitation Of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Physical Therapy Perspective In The Management Of Muscular Complications, Heterotopic Ossification, And Skin Breakdown, Erin N. Sabe

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is any combination of focal and/or diffuse central nervous system dysfunction, both immediate and delayed, at the brainstem level and above. The dysfunctions, which, are not developmental or degenerative, are due to the interaction of any external forces and the body, violent movements of the body, infection, toxicity, surgery, and non-age related vascular disorders. In the United States, TBI has reached epidemic proportions and is the leading killer and cause of disability in children and young adults.

The TBI survival rate is increasing due to life-saving technology. Survivors will face extensive rehabilitation services, which have been …

A Comparison Study Of Cervical Range Of Motion Between Unilateral Breathers And Bilateral Breathers In Collegiate Swimmers During Freestyle Swimming, Nadine K.M. Takai

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in cervical rotation between unilateral breathers and bilateral breathers for freestyle swimmers. The sample consisted of 44 (23 males, 21 females) University of North Dakota Varsity swim team members. Among the swimmers there were 19 bilateral breathers, 21 right unilateral, and 4 left unilateral breathers. The CROM device was the tool used to measure cervical rotation. An ANOVA analysis showed no significant difference in right rotation (p=.6585) and total rotation (p=.0693) for any breathing style, however a significant difference existed for left rotation (p=.0078) between bilateral and …

The Effect Of Intraarticular Injection Of Morphine Following Knee Arthroscopy, Chandel Dietz

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Postoperative pam IS common following knee arthroscopy and has been typically controlled with opioids, the most popular of which is morphine. Morphine has been traditionally administered by intramuscular, intravenous, or epidural injections. These methods of administering morphine have been very effective in producing prolonged analgesia; however, they have also produce negative central nervous system side effects.

Recent research has suggested administering morphine via intraarticular injections to provide postoperative analgesia without the central nervous system side effects. However, there is little evidence to suggest that this method is effective. Therefore, the purposes of this randomized, double-blinded study were to 1) investigate …

Concentric And Eccentric Isokinetic Normative Ratio Values Of The Quadriceps Muscle In Asymptomatic Knee Subjects, Donna Ho

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Technological advances in isokinetic devices allow the clinician to objectively assess and rehabilitate injuries using concentric and eccentric contractions at different speeds. The purpose of this research project is to establish concentric and eccentric normative ratio values of the quadriceps muscle on the Kinetic Communicator (Kin-Com, Chattecx Corp., Chattanooga, TN) dynamometer. A sample of 19 females and 12 males aged 20-38 (mean for females = 24.32 ± 3.87, mean for males = 27.67 ± 5.80) were tested on the KinCom for maximum concentric and eccentric torque values during knee extension using a 70° range of motion at 90 and 1200/sec. …

An Electromyographic Study Of Back And Lower Extremity Muscle Activity During Plyopress Exercises, A Squat Lift, And A Vertical Jump, Melissa K. James

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The ongoing research in the evolution of athlete training continues to reveal new principles and training designs which strive to heighten athletic performance and maximize athletic ability. One example of the application of such research is the Plyo Press machine, a patented device used in the Frappier Acceleration Program for athletes. This device was specifically designed to combine strength training with plyometrics to enhance speed and dynamic muscle activity without the excessive low back stress of traditional training methods.

As the Plyo Press has been recently designed and incorporated into training programs, no research has yet been conducted on the …

Applications Of Iontophoresis And Phonophoresis, Craig Hahn

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Many different drugs are used topically for treatment by the medical field. The benefit of some of these drugs can be enhanced by the use of ultrasound (phonophoresis) or electric current (iontophoresis). These methods have been used for many years by such disciplines as ophthalmology, dermatology, dentistry as well as physical therapy. With the inherent risks of blood borne pathogens, these methods are a great alternative to the injection of drugs into the system.

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature regarding iontophoresis and phonophoresis and present the results as a guide for the practicing physical therapist. …

Patellofemoral Joint Mechanics And Their Clinical Relevance, William S. Hokanson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Patellofemoral joint dysfunction is a common ailment affecting one in four of the general population and 30% of the athletic population. Patellofemoral dysfunction may stem from a number of different clinical diagnoses. The most common of these is chondromalacia patella. The term chondromalacia patella, however, refers only to a softening or fissuring of the retropatellar surface of the patella and cannot be used to diagnose all patellofemoral pain. Clinical diagnosis is sometimes very difficult because these patients present with a number of vague and nonspecific signs and symptoms.

The purpose of this literature review is to offer a clear, concise …

The Effects Of Velocity On Force Production Of The Elbow Flexors During Eccentric Isokinetic Muscle Contraction, Tracie Hildre

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The traditional eccentric force-velocity curve illustrates a continuous increase in muscle force production as velocity increases. Recently, this curve has been scrutinized by some researchers who have found a plateau or decline in eccentric force production at the higher velocities. The purpose of this study was to examine the eccentric isokinetic force-velocity curve of the elbow flexor muscles over a broad range of velocities to observe whether it follows the traditional force-velocity curve.

Fourteen healthy female and six healthy male volunteers were tested using. the Kinetic Communicator Dynamometer at velocities of 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, and 210 degrees …

A Wrist And Cervical Screening Of Grand Forks City Employees: A Pilot Study, William D. Jr. Kukuk

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs) developed at work are caused by repetitive movements or sustained postures. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and Cervical Radiculopathy (CR) are both CTDs resulting from repetitive wrist movements and sustained cervical postures respectively. Although both conditions can present with similar symptoms in the exact same hand and finger location, there has been no research comparing the prevalence of CTS and CR symptoms in a given population.

The purpose of this study was to identify hand and finger symptoms and correlate the severity of the symptoms with objective measures. Thirty employees of the City of Grand Forks, ND, …

Vestibular Disorders And Rehabilitation, Stephanie Ann Jones

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The management of patients with vestibular disorders is a formidable problem. Many individuals present to their physician with symptoms of loss of balance and dizziness. A major contributor to sustaining proper upright balance, the vestibular system, consists of a complex network of fluid-filled canals and organs which aid in orientation of the head to vertical and provide information on head movements. The vestibular system is also involved in the sensation and perception of motion and position. Peripheral vestibular dysfunctions, which involve the vestibular organs and/or nerve, can produce a variety of signs and symptoms.

Physical therapy is a key discipline …

Cardiac Rehabilitation: Patient Recall Of Exercise Guidelines And Implications For Physical Therapists, Mary Jones

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The efficacy of a cardiac rehabilitation program depends on adequate patient compliance. Patients with coronary heart disease and those recovering from heart surgery may have a successful recovery from acute episodes of myocardial infarction or following operation. It must be recognized that they may require long-term supervision and support. The purpose of this study was to identify if diagnosis of myocardial infarction or heart surgery was a determinant of compliance with exercise guidelines once a patient has graduated from a level II cardiac rehabilitation program. A retrospective chart audit was performed for the years 1991-1994. A data sheet was used …