Physical therapy
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Multicenter Study
Preliminary examination of a proposed treatment-based classification system for patients receiving physical therapy interventions for neck pain.
Neck pain frequently is managed by physical therapists. The development of classification methods for matching interventions to subgroups of patients may improve clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to describe a proposed classification system for patients with neck pain by examining data for consecutive patients receiving physical therapy interventions. ⋯ The development of classification methods for patients with neck pain may improve the outcomes of physical therapy intervention. This study was done to examine a previously proposed classification system for patients receiving physical therapy interventions for neck pain. Receiving interventions matched to the classification system was associated with better outcomes than receiving nonmatched interventions. Although the design of this study prohibited drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of the system, the results suggest that further research on the system may be warranted.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of neck exercise on sitting posture in patients with chronic neck pain.
Poor sitting posture has been implicated in the development and perpetuation of neck pain symptoms. This study had 2 purposes: (1) to compare change in cervical and thoracic posture during a distracting task between subjects with chronic neck pain and control subjects and (2) to compare the effects of 2 different neck exercise regimens on the ability of people with neck pain to maintain an upright cervical and thoracic posture during this task. ⋯ This study showed that people with chronic neck pain demonstrate a reduced ability to maintain an upright posture when distracted. Following intervention with an exercise program targeted at training the craniocervical flexor muscles, subjects with neck pain demonstrated an improved ability to maintain a neutral cervical posture during prolonged sitting.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Short-term effects of thrust versus nonthrust mobilization/manipulation directed at the thoracic spine in patients with neck pain: a randomized clinical trial.
Evidence supports the use of manual physical therapy interventions directed at the thoracic spine in patients with neck pain. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of thoracic spine thrust mobilization/manipulation with that of nonthrust mobilization/manipulation in patients with a primary complaint of mechanical neck pain. The authors also sought to compare the frequencies, durations, and types of side effects between the groups. ⋯ The results suggest that thoracic spine thrust mobilization/manipulation results in significantly greater short-term reductions in pain and disability than does thoracic nonthrust mobilization/manipulation in people with neck pain.
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The Comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) represents the typical spectrum of problems in the functioning of patients with RA. The objective of this study was to validate this ICF Core Set from the perspective of physical therapists. ⋯ The validity of the ICF Core Set for RA was largely supported. However, some categories currently not covered by the ICF Core Set for RA will need to be investigated further.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A pilot study of the effects of high-intensity aerobic exercise versus passive interventions on pain, disability, psychological strain, and serum cortisol concentrations in people with chronic low back pain.
Given the complex nature of chronic pain, the effects of high-intensity aerobic exercise on pain, disability, psychological strain, and serum cortisol concentrations in people with chronic low back pain were investigated. ⋯ Regular high-intensity aerobic exercise alleviated pain, disability, and psychological strain in subjects with chronic low back pain but did not improve serum cortisol concentrations.