Influence Of Mechanical Choices On Development And Persistence Of Osteoarthritis: How Alexander Technique Can Promote Prevention And Management, Rachelle E. Lowry

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Is osteoarthritis a fate unconditionally vested in genetic makeup, or are joints aggravated into inflammation by the way they are treated? Humans are a complicated conglomeration of experiences, decisions, and inheritance. Osteoarthritis, likewise, has evaded simplicity in any explanation of its causation, so it necessitates a multi-dimensional perspective.

This research considers the relevance of Alexander Technique in filling a void in which treatment and management of osteoarthritis is not equally equipped to answer this multi-dimensional causation. Alexander Technique is classified as a movement therapy, but this does not quite encompass the mindset of it—that it is indeed largely a mindset …

1st Place Contest Entry: The Effectiveness Of Yoga Therapy On An Adult, Post-Stroke Population: A Systematic Review, Baylor E. Hogan

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Baylor Hogan's submission for the 2016 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won first place. She wrote about the effects of yoga therapy on the physical and mental wellbeing of stroke patients. You can read the final essay that came out of her research here.

Baylor is a senior at Chapman University, majoring in Kinesiology. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Elizabeth DeBaets.

Recurring Ankle Injuries In Dancers, Alexis Jawny

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research, obtained from various Journals of Dance Medicine and Science, is to identify the cause of recurring ankle injuries in the dance community. Ankle injuries are the most common type of injury making up 50% of injuries in dancers. The main cause of recurring ankle injuries is improper diagnosing and then leading to the wrong treatment plan. The research focusses on how to prevent these improper diagnoses and what the dancer and specialty care professional (orthopedics, physical therapists, and rehabilitative medicine) can do to decrease the number of ankle injuries occurring and reoccurring in the dance …

The Health Habits And Physical Activity Of Student Truck Drivers, Shalace Rose, Janet Wojcik

The Winthrop McNair Research Bulletin

This study examined health habits and physical activity levels of student truck drivers to determine if they are already at risk of developing health conditions that are shown in the truck driving industry. Student truck drivers from a technical college (N=52) participated in this study. They completed a modified version of a truck driver survey from the Transport Engineering Research Limited in New Zealand (2008). Questions regarding the students’ health habits, physical activity (PA), and wellness in the workplace were included in the anonymous questionnaire. The mean age was 35 +/- 11.03 years. Mean body mass index was 29.4 +/- …

Nursing Management And Mirror Therapy For Phantom Limb Pain, Bridget Henry

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Phantom limb pain may occur after the accidental removal or surgical amputation of a limb. Phantom limb pain is the experience of pain in the limb that is no longer present. The clinical management of phantom limb pain is essential in the overall reduction of patient rehabilitation and poor patient outcomes. A patient’s degree of phantom limb pain is influenced by their personal response to loss and pain and can have devastating effects to a person’s social performance, occupational role, family role, relationships, and involvement in activities or hobbies. Like most chronic pain, phantom limb pain decreases the quality of …

Sport Commitment And Purchase Intentions Of Intercollegiate Boxing Coaches And Participants, Lamar Reams

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

The current study analyzed the sport commitment and purchase intentions of club level intercollegiate boxers and coaches. Participants at United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association ( USIBA) member institutions ( N = 155) completed an online survey answering questions regarding their sport commitment and future equipment purchase intentions. Multivariate analysis discovered significant sport commitment differences among boxers and coaches, Wilk's Lambda =.838, F ( 7, 125) = 3.46, p

The Effect Of Therapeutic Horseback Riding On Balance And Self-Efficacy In Children With Developmental Disabilities, Lauren M. Hurley, Alexandra Smola

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The prevalence of developmental disabilities in children in the United States is a serious problem. Since children with developmental disabilities often show decreased self-efficacy and balance, researchers have studied the effects of interventions in this population. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a 10-week THR session on balance and task-specific self-efficacy in children with physical disabilities ages 6 to 18 years old. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and The Physical Stress Theory will guide the quasi-experimental study. A pre-test post-test design will be implemented over a 12 week span at 3 different riding centers in the …

Primary Care Fall Risk Assessment For Elderly West Virginians, Vivian M. Minkemeyer, Matt Meriweather, Franklin D. Shuler, Saurabh P. Mehta, Zain N. Qazi

Orthopaedics

West Virginia is ranked second nationally for the percent of its population .65 years of age. The elderly are especially susceptible to falls with fall risk increasing as age increases. Because falls are the number one cause of injury-related morbidity and mortality in the West Virginia elderly, evaluation of fall risk is a critical component of the patient evaluation in the primary care setting. We therefore highlight fall risk assessments that require no specialized equipment or training and can easily be completed at an established office visit. High quality clinical practice guidelines supported by the American Geriatric Society recommend yearly …

Coming To Terms With The Limited Body: The Role Of Physical Therapy In Improving Self-Esteem Of Stroke Survivors In Salvador-Bahia, Brazil, Ninghe Cai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the role of the physical therapy offered by public health sectors in Salvador in improving stroke survivors’ self-esteem. This study also intends identify components of physical therapy that contribute most to patients’ perceived recovery.

Methods: Participant observation was conducted at Clinica da Fisioterapia in Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Púlica. Interviews were conducted with 4 professionals and 7 patients, of which 3 professionals and 6 patients are affiliated to Escola Bahiana. The patients participated in this study were also asked to evaluate their self-esteem via a questionnaire adapted from Rosenberg …

The Effects Of Massage On Perceived Physical Soreness, Pain And Markers Of Inflammation Following High Intensity Unaccustomed Exercise, Courtney Lynn Crow

Master's Theses

Massage is often recommended to athletes to facilitate recovery and attenuate DOMS. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of massage on perceived muscle soreness and pain, inflammatory and immune markers, ROM, and mood state. Fourteen, recreationally active, women participated in a randomized crossover design study, consisting of 1) 60 min. full body massage following unaccustomed exercise and 2) 60 min. of rest. following unaccustomed exercise. Perceived muscle soreness and pain, active range of motion (ROM), mood state, along with blood concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), creatine kinase (CK), and neutrophil count (NC), was assessed …

Acute Effects Of Self-Myofascial Release And Static Stretching On Shoulder Range Of Motion And Performance In Overhead Athletes With Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit, Ryan R. Fairall

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of a) self-myofascial release (SMR), b) static stretching (SS), and c) the combination of self-myofascial release and static stretching (SMR+SS) on glenohumeral internal rotation range of motion and markers of shoulder performance (i.e. glenohumeral external rotation isometric strength, motor unit recruitment, and throwing velocity) in male softball players with glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD).

Methods: The sample consisted of 12 male amateur softball players (age: 36.92 ±11.17 years; height: 177.42 ±6.30cm; mass: 87.58 ±18.39kg) who exhibited ≥20° less internal rotation range of motion (ROM) in the throwing shoulder …

Personality Of Personal Trainers: A Study Of Perception And Preference, Andy L. Chasse

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study used a personality questionnaire to address the lack of literature concerning how the general population perceives personal trainers and what qualities they desire in them. The Big Five Inventory (BFI) with two demographic items (gender and previous experience) was administered to 130 undergraduate students at The University of Texas-Pan American to determine perceived and desired characteristics. High extraversion was most commonly associated with personal trainers. High extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, as well as low neuroticism, were most desired in personal trainers. Significant differences were seen between perceived and desired means across all dimensions. Additionally, gender produced main effects …

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction And Transcendental Meditation: Current State Of Research, Adam Holt

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

This article summarizes the current state of meditation research, specifically focusing on mindfulness-based stress reduction and transcendental meditation. Despite significant methodological problems with the studies reported to date on the subject, there is consistent evidence that meditation can produce changes in the nervous system and physiology of the meditator, and can help with various psychological markers of well-being. Regarding improvement in specific clinical diseases, research is generally mixed and preliminary. Strong recommendations cannot be made based on current evidence, and further studies are needed. In general, there is a stronger body of evidence supporting mindfulness-based stress reduction than for transcendental …

The Effects Of Horseback Riding On The Gait Of Adolescents, Sarah L. Hayes

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to investigate the changes that occur in the gait of a set of subjects after they ride a horse. Eleven riders with a developmental disability were selected and included in an experimental group and nineteen “typical” subjects or those without a developmental disability were included as a second comparison group. The length of time the subjects were able to remain standing in a tandem stance and in a one-legged stance without becoming unbalanced was measured and recorded. The stride length of the subject’s second and third step from heel to heel was also …

The Feasibility Of Delivering A Home-Based Motivational Exercise Program To African-American Breast Cancer Survivors, Denise Spector, Claudio Battaglini

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Most African-American breast cancer survivors do not meet current exercise recommendations for cancer survivors, which include both aerobic and strength-training exercises. This pilot study tested the feasibility of delivering a home-based exercise intervention to African-American breast cancer survivors. Sedentary African-American breast cancer survivors were recruited for a 16-week motivational home-based progressive aerobic and strength-training exercise pilot study. Participants completed weekly exercise logs and received weekly phone calls. To assess feasibility, we evaluated recruitment, retention, and adherence rates, as well as participant acceptance and safety. 17 women enrolled; 13 completed the intervention (76%). Participants had moderately-high adherence (70%) to walking goals, …

Mindfulness: Being Present In The Moment, Stephanie Ann Stathas, Christine Frazer

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

This article serves to enlighten childbirth educators’ knowledge about mindfulness and the mother-baby benefits associated with incorporating mindfulness- based interventions into practice. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who developed the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program, brought the concept of mindfulness into the world of healthcare and mainstream society. Mindfulness is the practice of bringing awareness to the here and now using a variety of methods. Nancy Bardacke has taken the practice of mindfulness further and developed a program for expecting mothers, known as Mindfulness Based Childbirth and Parenting. This program has been shown to reduce stress responses that may be harmful to a …

Student Adjustment To College: Examining The Impact Of An Outdoor Orientation Program, Timothy Posey, Eddie Hill, Edwin Gomez, Mike Mcfall, Shea Humenik, Dakota Clifford

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

This pilot study examined the impact of an outdoor orientation program (First Ascent) on participants’ level of transference, resilience, well-being and transition to college. Pre and posttest instruments were administered during a four- day college outdoor orientation program, as well as an open-ended series of questions. Nonparametric tests revealed significant differences from the pre- and posttest of the measures on skill transference and resiliency. Additional, individual items from each questionnaire were examined.

Piecing The Puzzle Together With The Use Of Physical Therapy, Mikayla Pruitt

Honors Projects

For my Honors Project I decided to create a set of exercise cards for children with autism. The front of each card had a picture symbolizing the exercise/activity, and on the back included directions, supplies and tips to complete the activity. The following is a selection of a few exercise cards from each of the four exercise sections, as well as the title card, table of contents cards, information cards, and source cards.

Exploration Of Factors Associated With Patient Adherence In Upper Extremity Rehabilitation: A Mixed-Methods Embedded Design, Enrique V. Smith-Forbes

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Adherence is considered a prerequisite for the success of exercise programs for musculoskeletal disorders. The negative effects of non-adherence to exercise recommendations impact the cost of care, and also treatment effectiveness, treatment duration, the therapeutic relationship, waiting times, the efficiency of personnel and use of equipment. Adherence to therapeutic exercise intervention is a multifaceted problem.

The World Health Organization (WHO) established the multidimensional adherence model (MAM). The MAM describes five interactive dimensions (socioeconomic, healthcare team and system, condition-related, therapy-related, and patient-related factors) that have an effect on patient adherence.

The first purpose of this dissertation was to explore the MAM …

The Effect Of Training Older Adults In Tai Chi And Compensatory Stepping On Balance Control, Hannah L. Moore Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Introduction: In Canadian society, there is a growing prevalence of older adults and one of the main problems facing this generation today is the risk of falling. Tai Chi (TC) is a martial art that has demonstrated improvements in balance control. It uses a series of fluid movements that engage head, neck and trunk rotation while simultaneously reducing base of support. In addition, it has been demonstrated that training older adults by administering unpredictable perturbations to challenge balance better equips them to react successfully in response to balance perturbations. This study aims to determine the potential balance specific benefits …