PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Prolotherapy versus corticosteroid injections for the treatment of lateral epicondylosis: a randomized controlled trial.
To compare the efficacy of prolotherapy versus corticosteroid injection for the treatment of chronic lateral epicondylosis. ⋯ Both prolotherapy and corticosteroid therapy were generally well tolerated and appeared to provide benefit of long duration. Small sample size precludes determining whether one therapy is superior to the other. Larger, controlled trials appear feasible and warranted on the basis of these findings.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Ultrasound measurement of transversus abdominis during loaded, functional tasks in asymptomatic individuals: rater reliability.
To examine the ability of 2 clinicians to consistently measure recorded contractions of the transversus abdominis (TrA) muscle via ultrasound imaging (USI) during lifting and reaching tasks typical of everyday or work-related activities. ⋯ This study provides data for ensuring acceptable reliability of USI measures of TrA muscle thickness and thickness changes taken during loaded and functional activities. This study is the first to examine interrater and intrarater reliability of recorded cine loop images of asymptomatic adults in upright positions on 3 measures of TrA muscle activation (minimum, maximum, and percent change in muscle thickness). Reliable USI measures of TrA muscle thickness changes meet the ongoing need for clinicians' knowledge of proper and sufficiently adequate muscle activation in the clinical setting to assist progression of lumbar stabilization exercises.