Physiotherapy theory and practice
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Physiother Theory Pract · Jan 2016
Measurement of craniovertebral angle by the Modified Head Posture Spinal Curvature Instrument: A reliability and validity study.
The Modified Head Posture Spinal Curvature Instrument (MHPSCI) is an extension of the Head Posture Spinal Curvature Instrument. Two specific modifications were made in the original design by adding a third arm projecting horizontally from the protractor to objectively fix the pivot exactly over the C7 vertebra and the addition of a spirit-level to properly align the instrument. In order to demonstrate reliability and validity, this study was conducted using patients with postural neck pain (N = 65) and healthy subjects (N = 20). ⋯ The results of this study indicate a good inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.76; CI = 0.65-0.84) as well as intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.87; CI = 0.82-0.91) between three successive CV angle measurements (with 2 minutes interval between each measurement) through MHPSCI. While keeping the digital photographic measurement as a standard, this study established that the MHPSCI is a valid tool for measuring the CV angle as shown by non-significant difference (p > 0.01) and high correlation between the two methods (r = 0.79-0.84). This study demonstrates that the MHPSCI is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring CV angle in subjects with or without postural neck pain.
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Physiother Theory Pract · Jul 2015
Case ReportsPhysiotherapist-initiated lung ultrasound to improve intensive care management of a deteriorating patient and prevent intubation: a case report.
This case report describes the physiotherapy assessments and interventions provided to a 56-year-old male in an Australian intensive care unit. The non-intubated patient suffered from respiratory deterioration, secretion retention, complete opacification of the left hemithorax on chest X-ray (CXR) and widespread coarse crackles on lung auscultation. The addition of lung ultrasound (LUS) facilitated more accurate diagnosis than what was formed on the basis of CXR and lung auscultation resulting in more effective treatment. ⋯ The addition of LUS to the critical care physiotherapist's assessment skills may provide clinical benefit. The increased diagnostic accuracy of LUS compared with other routine assessments warrants further investigation.
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Physiother Theory Pract · May 2015
Observational StudyPatients' and therapists' perception of change following physiotherapy in an orthopedic hospital's outpatient clinic.
The aims of this observational, prospective cohort study were to: assess the patients' and therapists' perception of change after physiotherapy in an orthopedic hospital's outpatient clinic; relate these retrospective assessments to a serial assessment of pain; and study the influence of patient characteristics on the perceived change. ⋯ The addition of at least one GPC scale might be valuable in evaluating the outcome in physical therapy, which requires little time and thus may be ideal for a clinical setting. Patients' and therapists' perception of change is significantly influenced by the patients' education level and the number of problems, which might be of relevance when choosing adequate treatment strategies.
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Physiother Theory Pract · Feb 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyEffectiveness of mobilization therapy and exercises in mechanical neck pain.
While studies have looked into the effects of Maitland mobilization on symptom relief, to date, no work has specifically looked at the effects of Mulligan mobilization. The objective of this work was to compare the effectiveness of Maitland and Mulligan's mobilization and exercises on pain response, range of motion (ROM) and functional ability in patients with mechanical neck pain. ⋯ Our results showed that manual therapy interventions were no better than supervised exercises in reducing pain, improving ROM and neck disability.
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Physiother Theory Pract · Feb 2015
Clinical TrialModified Rivermead Mobility Index: a reliable measure in people within 14 days post-stroke.
The reliability of the Modified Rivermead Mobility Index (MRMI) has not previously been investigated in the very early post-stroke phase. The aim of the study was to evaluate inter-rater and intra-rater reliability and internal consistency in patients, 1-14 d post-stroke. ⋯ The MRMI is a reliable measure of physical mobility in the early post-stroke phase.