Physical therapy
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Thomas G. McPoil, PT, PhD, FAPTA, is Emeritus Professor of Physical Therapy at Regis University, Denver, Colorado, and Emeritus Regents' Professor of Physical Therapy at Northern Arizona University. He has served as an Adjunct Honorary Professor in the School of Physiotherapy at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, and currently serves as a consultant to the Physical Therapy Orthotics Clinic at Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, Colorado. ⋯ Gould Excellence in Teaching Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Award. He is a recipient of a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award, the William J. Stickel Award for Research in Podiatric Medicine, the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy's Stanley Paris Distinguished Service Award and was elected a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of APTA in 2007.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Fixed Handheld Dynamometry Provides Reliable and Valid Values for Quadriceps Isometric Strength in People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Multicenter Study.
Quadriceps weakness is associated with poor clinical outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, quadriceps isometric strength assessment has not been routinely adopted in clinical practice because of the lack of homogeneity in the devices and protocols and the lack of reliability studies. ⋯ Quadriceps strength assessment can be implemented in a reliable and valid way in people with COPD using a fixed handheld dynamometer and standardized procedure. This protocol should be established in clinical practice to facilitate the assessment of muscle strength in people with COPD.
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Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is commonly used for pain control. However, the effects of TENS on osteoarthritis (OA) pain and potential underlying mechanisms remain unclear. ⋯ TENS alleviates OA pain in rats by inhibiting activated microglia and reducing astrocyte expression in the spinal cord. Although these results may not be generalizable to chronic pain in patients with OA, within the limitation of the experimental animal model used in the present study, they suggest a possible mechanism and preclinical evidence supporting further experimentation or clinical use of TENS in humans.
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Over the past few decades, physical therapists have emerged as key health care providers in emergency departments (EDs), especially for patients with musculoskeletal disorders (MSKD). ⋯ Although the quality of the evidence is heterogeneous, physical therapist care for patients with MSKD in EDs may be beneficial.