Physical Therapy Commons^™

The Effects Of Balance Retraining Exercises On The Neurocom Balance Master® In Subjects With Multiple Sclerosis, Becky Coy

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) and is becoming an increasing concern for individuals between the ages of 15 to 50. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often progressive disease that may result in difficulties with vision, verbal communication, sensation, bowel and bladder function, balance, and ambulation.

The purpose of this study was to determine if significant changes occurred in static steadiness, symmetry, and dynamic stability in subjects with MS following a retraining program using the NeuroCom Balance Master® (NBM®). Ten subjects (6 females, 4 males) were placed in a control or …

An Electromyographic Study Of The Effects Of Plyometric Training Shoes On The Lower Extremity, Susan Buckley

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: P1yometric shoes have recently been introduced as an effective training tool to enhance several aspect of an athlete's ability, including vertical jump. The SkyF1ex@ system utilizes p1yomteric training shoes in conjuction with p1yometric exercises and drills to achieve maximum athletic performance. There is currently limited research to validate the manufacturer's claims of increasing vertical jump. The purpose of this study is twofold: l)To describe muscle activity during walking and jumping while wearing traditional athletic shoes and p1yometric training shoes. 2)To measure the vertical jump of subjects trained with p1yometric training shoes and a control group of subjects …

A Comparison Of The Maximal Torque Production Of The Quadriceps Muscle During Morning And Afternoon Strength Assessment, Shawn Dockter

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare maximal quadriceps torque production between morning (AM) and afternoon (PM) hours. Thirty healthy male subjects between the ages of 21 and 43 were tested during an AM and PM session on the Kin-Com dynamometer. Six concentric isokinetic contractions of the right quadriceps were tested at a speed of 60° Is. The maximal peak torque measurements were compared between the AM and PM sessions to establish the validity of results taken at differing times of day. No significant difference in strength assessment due to time of day was found. The data collected in …

An Electromyographic And Video Motion Analysis Study Of Elite Sprinters At Varying Speeds And Inclines, Samantha Gould

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Every athlete trains with the hopes of being bigger, stronger or faster than the competitor. Athletes are eager to jump on the "bandwagon" of new training techniques that claim to produce the results the athlete seeks. One such training technique is sprinting on a treadmill at high speeds and inclines. The purpose of this study is to describe muscle activity and joint motion while running on a treadmill at different speeds and inclines.

Six males between the ages of 21 and 27 years of age ran at 20 miles per hour and 0% grade and at 13 miles per hour …

An Electromyographic And Video Motion Analysis Study Of Elite Sprinters At Varying Speeds And Inclines, Anna Hillig

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Every athlete trains with the hopes of being bigger, stronger or faster than the competitor. Athletes are eager to jump on the "bandwagon" of new training techniques that claim to produce the results the athlete seeks. One such training technique is sprinting on a treadmill at high speeds and inclines. The purpose of this study is to describe muscle activity and joint motion while running on a treadmill at different speeds and inclines.

Six males between the ages of 21 and 27 years of age ran at 20 miles per hour and 0% grade and at 13 miles per hour …

Stroke Rehabilitation: A Case Study, Darrin Goyn

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Stroke is the largest single cause of neurologic crippling in the United States, with approximately 550 000 Americans having a new or recurrent stroke each year. The costs associated with strokes are estimated at $30 billion annually. Due to the continuing decline of the health care dollar, stroke rehabilitation units must be designed to reduce functional limitations and disabilities in both a timely and cost effective manner.

The goals of stroke rehabilitation are to reduce functional limitations, prevent complications, educate the patient and family, and improve the patient's quality of life. A proper rehabilitation setting and active participation by the …

Holistic Medicine: Therapeutic Touch And Implications For Physical Therapy, Lea Hoff

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Alternative therapies and holistic medicine have been gaining popularity recently. It is important that health care providers have a general knowledge of holistic medicine and some of the approaches being used. Being informed will help health care providers make wise treatment choices.

Therapeutic touch (TI) is a holistic treatment approach which claims to induce physiologic effects through modulating the "human energy field ." Proponents of TI claim that healing is facilitated through conscious intent of practitioners to help the patient and rebalance the patient's energy field. TI research findings are controversial. Much of the research is based on qualitative data, …

The Direct And Indirect Patient Benefits Of Orthopedic Physical Therapy Specialization, Amy Lynne Dipman

Masters Theses

This research surveyed 25% of Orthopedic Certified Specialists to determine the direct and indirect patient benefits resulting from the American Physical Therapy Association specialization process. The newly developed questionnaire included questions pertaining to demographics, professional activities, and professional opinions regarding specialty certification. The results showed a statistically significant relationship between the number of PT’s on staff at a facility and the amount of therapist mentoring. Overall, only 50% of the therapists subjectively reported improved patient care secondary to specialization. The qualitative data showed that many therapists reported providing high quality care prior to specialization. Patients are receiving direct and indirect …

Functional Outcome Measures Following Isometric Quadriceps Strengthening In Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis, Rochelle Cibor, Damon Collier, Kris Cooper

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if the strength gained from the performance of a six week isometric training program for the quadriceps femoris would result in improvements in the disability level, strength, pain, stiffness, and functional abilities of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Twelve subjects with symptomatic knee OA were randomly assigned to either control or experimental groups, with the experimental group completing a six week isometric program. Pre- and post-test measures included strength assessment on the Biodex and completion of the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index. Results indicate that experimental subjects had significant improvements in strength and disability …

Physical Therapist Characteristics And Practices That Affect Patient Willingness To Comply With Home Exercise Programs, Greg Angell, Andrea Glaspie, Melinda Winters

Masters Theses

Home exercise programs are a vital part of sustaining physical therapy treatment effectiveness and encourages the patient to become an active participant in their care. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between compliance with therapeutic home exercise programs (HEP) and the patient’s perception of a physical therapist’s characteristics such as appearance, demeanor, role modeling behaviors, and humanistic traits. 250 survey questionnaires were distributed to seven outpatient physical therapy clinics in west Michigan with a 49.6% return rate. The results of this study demonstrate physical therapist personality traits and clinical practices were perceived by patients to be …

The Pre-Absorptive, Instantaneous Effects Of Natural And Refined Sugar On Quadriceps Peak Torque, Brian Adams, Kevin Valdes, Scott Vanzanten

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of natural and refined sugar at an instantaneous, pre-absorptive level on quadriceps peak torque and to measure any prolonged effect on normal, healthy subjects. The experimental group (n=40) was randomly assigned to sugar testing order, with refined sugar testing occurring on one day and natural sugar testing occurring on the opposite day. The control group (n=10) followed the same protocol but held distilled water in their mouth. Isokinetic peak torque was recorded for each subject at three intervals, pretest, post-test I (~1 min.), and posttest n (-15 min.). Results showed …

The Effect Of Cognitive Load On Stance Width Of Healthy Older Adults, Susan Brown, Amy Thackery

Masters Theses

Research has shown that narrower stance widths lead to increased postural sway. There is also evidence of increased postural sway with cognitive loading. However, no research has been done to investigate the effect of a cognitive load on stance width. The purpose of this study was to determine if a cognitive task affected the stance widths of healthy, community dwelling 65-80 year old adults. Subjects underwent six task trials (three cognitive, three non-cognitive) after which their stance width was measured. Cognitive task trials required subjects to count backwards by 7's; non-cognitive task trials required subjects to look at a picture …

The Effect Of Nutritional Supplementation And Exercise On Subjective Pain And Function In People With Osteoarthritis Of The Knee, Anna Power, Dan Scheffer

Masters Theses

Nutritional Supplementation of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate are being promoted in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Recent research has indicated that gelatin was found effective. Moderate exercise is also being advocated. The purpose of this eight week double blind study was to examine the effects of the inexpensive nutritional supplement gelatin, in the form of Knox Nutrajoint, and exercise on pain and functional activity in 49 subjects with osteoarthritis in one or both knees. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four groups: placebo, placebo plus exercise, gelatin supplement plus exercise and exercise. Exercise consisted of a progressive walking program. …

Exploration Into The Validity Of Use Of The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test Of Motor Proficiency In Assessing The Adolescent With Down Syndrome, Robin J. Essebaggers, Wynne M. Martin, Gina E. Smies

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP) in assessing the adolescent with Down syndrome. Thirteen individuals with Down syndrome ages 13 to 20 years with an IQ of at least 35 were administered the short form of the BOTMP (BOTMP-SF). The functional abilities of these subjects were assessed using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). Four parts of the PEDI were utilized: 1) Self-Care Functional Skills, 2) Self- Care Caregiver Assistance, 3) Mobility Functional Skills, and 4) Mobility Caregiver Assistance. No evidence of significant correlation existed between the …

Research Based Practice Among Members Of The Michigan Physical Therapy Association, Sarah M. Bennett, James D. Courter, Rachel E. Hastings

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which research based practice (RBP) is employed by Michigan Physical Therapy Association Members by assessing attitudes toward research, level of research involvement/scholarly pursuit, and reasons for using or not using treatment interventions.

Three hundred and thirty questionnaires were distributed by mail to a random sample of Michigan Physical Therapy Association Members. A total of 133 questionnaires were used for analysis. Descriptive frequencies were calculated for each section of the questionnaire. Chi-square and Fischer's Exact tests were used to examine significant relationships.

Respondents in the present study overwhelmingly supported (~90%) …

The Effects Of Prosthesis Use Versus Non-Use On Forward Reach Distance In Children Ages 5 To 15 With Unilateral Upper Extremity Amputation As Measured By The Functional Reach Test, Mary E. Weber, Scot G. Smith

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible differences in maximal forward reaching distance in children with unilateral upper extremity amputations while wearing and not wearing a prosthesis using the Functional Reach (FR) test. Trends were noted between FR scores of these children and children without disabilities.

Four children, ages 5-8, completed the FR test using the intact arm under two conditions, “prosthesis-off” and “prosthesis-on”. A paired, two-tailed t test (a = .05) was used to determine the statistical significance of the means of differences in FR scores between the two conditions.

No statistically significant difference was found …

Functional Effects Of Botulinum Toxin-A Intramuscular Injections In A Patient With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Single Subject Case Design, Christina M. Higel, Molly L. Arndt

Masters Theses

This single subject case design sought to evaluated the long-term and short-term effectiveness of Botulinum Toxin-A (BTXA) treatment in conjunction with directed physical therapy on spasticity, active range of motion (AROM), passive range of motion (PROM), Functional Independence Measurement (FIM) scores, and motor performance in a patient with TBI. Researchers hyopothesized that directed physical therapy in conjunction with BTXA would maximize a subject’s motor control and performance. An "A₁-BC-B-A₂” single subject design, scheduled to last six months and three weeks, was proposed. Clinically significant changes were defined as: a decrease by one point for the Modified …

Paraplegic Functional Ambulation With Long Leg Braces And Upper Extremity Support: Predicting Long Term Usage Patterns Utilizing The Functional Independence Measure, Karin Copenhaver, Matthew Sherman

Masters Theses

Individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) are frequently taught to ambulate with long leg braces and upper extremity support during their post-acute rehabilitation. In many cases this training fails to carry over once these individuals return to their homes after their rehabilitation course has ended. Subsequently, these individuals rely on their wheelchair as their primary mode of ambulation. Is ambulation training an expropriate intervention for patients in these cases? The purpose of this study was to investigate whether utilization of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) may serve as a predictor of long term functional ambulation with long leg braces …

Validation Of The "Timed Up And Go" Test As A Functional Mobility Assessment Tool In The Pediatric Population, Susan Carman, Christina Rook, Cathy Ruprecht

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the concurrent validity of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) as an assessment of functional mobility in the pediatric population. The TUG scores were correlated with the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). Eighteen subjects with a variety of cognitive and physical disabilities, aged 6 to 7 years, were recruited. A one-tailed Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze the scores. A weak inverse relationship between the TUG and PEDI scores (r_s = -0.386, p = 0.075) was found when the scores from all participants were analyzed. A moderate inverse …

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 …

Prediction Of Discharge Destination From Initial Physical Therapy Assessment Using The Physical Assessment Key (Pak), Wendy L. Chung, Kimberly A. Vieten

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if a patient’s discharge destination could be predicted by information available upon the physical therapy initial evaluation using the Physical Assessment Key (PAK). There were 141 subjects (58 male, 83 female) included in this study and their ages ranged from 19 to 89 years (mean age=57.1 years). Each subject was given a PAK score on the day of the initial physical therapy evaluation and on the day of discharge from the hospital. The PAK evaluates a patient in the areas of transfer activities, self-care activities, locomotion and excretion management. A patient was …

Does The Oswestry Or Sf-36 Help A Therapist To Predict Treatment Classification, Amy Crawford, Denese D. Kaufeldt-Soliz

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of two disability questionnaires, the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (Oswestry) and the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36), and a standardized physical examination and diagnostic classification system. The physical examination was performed by the evaluating therapists from the clinic and classification was determined by the evaluating therapists and the investigators to ensure correct subject placement into treatment Stages la, lb, or II. Data collection occurred at an outpatient physical therapy clinic in a metropolitan area health maintenance organization, where a sample of 221 subjects with low back pain …

Defining The Roles Of Physical And Occupational Therapists In The Health-Care Environment Today, Sandi Jo Haile

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

No abstract provided.

Reliability And Validity Of Assessing Student Performance Of Psychomotor Skills In Entry Level Physical Therapy Curricula, Nancy Sue Darr

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Physical therapists rely on a large repertoire of psychomotor skills for patient evaluation and treatment. Reliable and accurate assessments of student performance of psychomotor skills are required to provide feedback to students and faculty, to establish student competence, and to enable faculty members to evaluate their instructional methods. In this study a scoring system was designed to objectively assess student performance of five selected ankle joint mobilization procedures. A detailed task analysis was performed on each joint mobilization procedure, which included dividing each procedure into 13 subtasks. Criteria were written for successful completion of each task and subtask. A scoring …

The Effect Of Familiar And Novel Testing Environments On The Gross Motor Function Measure Scores Of Developmentally Normal Children 17-37 Months Old, Tracey Blain, Jean Angel

Masters Theses

Our purpose in this research was to compare the reliability of the Gross Motor Function Measure in familiar and unfamiliar environments. Discrepancy between clinical assessment results and true motor functional ability may give false information leading to inefficient treatment sessions. Our research gives therapists information about optimal assessment site choice. Subjects included sixteen developmentally normal children between the ages of 17 and 37 months. Our study fit a repeated measure counterbalanced design, and ANOVA was used to analyze our data. We did not reject our null hypothesis that the child’s score on the GMFM in the familiar environment would equal …

Physical Therapy Program 1998, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

A Review Of Osteochondritis Dissecans In The Knee And Elbow, Kimberley Dalere

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a condition or injury that causes a separation on the subchondral bone and articular cartilage. I,2 The reported incidence of OCD is 30- 60 cases per 100,000 people.3 It is primarily found in the knee and elbow joints. 1,2,3 The male to female ratio has been reported as two to one in the knee joint and three to one in the elbow joint, with thirty three per cent having bilateral involvement in one occurrence. I ,4,5,6 Since OCD has a high incidence rate in men and women, the purpose of this study is to compare and …