Physical therapy
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Previous studies of Timed "Up & Go" Test (TUG) scores as a predictor of falls were based primarily on retrospective data, and no prospective studies of the TUG for predicting falls in people with hip fracture are available. The purpose of this study was to determine whether TUG scores obtained upon discharge from an acute orthopedic hip fracture unit can predict falls in people with hip fracture during a 6-month follow-up period. ⋯ The results suggest that the TUG is a sensitive measure for identifying people with hip fracture at risk for new falls, and it should be part of future outcome measures to decide for whom preventive measures against falls should be instituted.
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Clinical studies of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) have used a variety of outcome measures to assess its effectiveness, with conflicting results. It is possible that TENS is effective on some measures of pain and not on others. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that TENS reduces primary hyperalgesia of the knee induced by joint inflammation. ⋯ These data suggest that TENS inhibits primary hyperalgesia associated with inflammation in a time-dependent manner after inflammation has already developed during both acute and chronic stages.