Physical therapy
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Physician referral to physical therapy in a cohort of workers compensated for low back pain.
This study described the physical therapy referral of workers compensated for back injury; characterized physical therapy by duration and choice of therapeutic techniques; and compared workers who were and were not referred for physical therapy in terms of age, gender, diagnosis, and absence from work. ⋯ This study demonstrated that physicians request physical therapy services based on certain patient characteristics. Patients who were referred earlier tended to return to work sooner than those who were referred later, which indicates that timing of physical therapy is an important factor in the rehabilitation of workers with low back pain.
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Case Reports
Treatment of a knee contracture using a knee orthosis incorporating stress-relaxation techniques.
The subject of this case report was a 67-year-old Caucasian woman who had undergone total knee arthroplasty of the right knee. Postoperative physical therapy and a new orthosis that utilizes principles of stress relaxation (constant displacement) and static progressive stretching were used to reestablish range of motion. ⋯ The results of the treatment may be beneficial for some patients. Researchers and clinicians need to conduct studies to further evaluate this approach to knee contracture management.