American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation
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Am J Phys Med Rehabil · Jan 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyPeripheral nerve stimulation compared with usual care for pain relief of hemiplegic shoulder pain: a randomized controlled trial.
This study sought to establish the efficacy of single-lead, 3-wk peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) therapy for pain reduction in stroke survivors with chronic hemiplegic shoulder pain. ⋯ Short-term PNS is a safe and efficacious treatment of shoulder pain. Pain reduction is greater compared with usual care and is maintained for at least 12 wks after treatment.
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Am J Phys Med Rehabil · Jan 2014
Comparative StudyMoving beyond the limitations of the visual analog scale for measuring pain: novel use of the general labeled magnitude scale in a clinical setting.
Quantifying pain intensity is challenging, particularly for patients with chronic pain. The visual analog scale (VAS) is limited by ceiling effects that often leave patients with no ability to quantify worsening pain. The goal of this study was to determine whether the general Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) can be feasibly used to measure pain clinically while overcoming limitations of the VAS. ⋯ These results suggest that the gLMS has great potential and can be feasibly used to measure pain intensity clinically. The gLMS scores were consistently lower than the VAS scores, thus reducing the ceiling effect and allowing range at the high end of the scale for rating worsening pain.
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Am J Phys Med Rehabil · Jan 2014
Efficacy of a checklist as part of a physical medicine and rehabilitation clerkship to teach medical students musculoskeletal physical examination skills: a prospective study.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a checklist as part of a physical medicine clerkship to teach medical students physical examination maneuvers. ⋯ Considering the high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and the anticipated rise in the future, the authors strongly recommend teaching musculoskeletal physical examination maneuvers in medical school, which can be accomplished via a mandatory physical medicine and rehabilitation rotation. The authors conclude that checklists as part of this rotation can effectively help in teaching physical examination skills to medical students.
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Am J Phys Med Rehabil · Jan 2014
Independent cough flow augmentation by glossopharyngeal breathing plus table thrust in muscular dystrophy.
The purpose of the present study was to compare the unassisted cough peak flow (CPF) of patients affected by muscular dystrophy with CPF augmented by various techniques, including maximal depth glossopharyngeal breathing (GPB) combined with a subsequent self-induced thoracic or abdominal thrust. ⋯ The independently assisted (GPB plus table thrust) CPF was comparable to the CPFs that required personal assistance for air stacking and abdominal thrusts. Therefore, for patients with muscular dystrophy, this physical medicine technique and cough-assisted techniques that require personal intervention are strongly recommended.