Disability and rehabilitation
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Transcranial direct current stimulation in the recovery of postural control after stroke: a pilot study.
This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of multiple sessions of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) during 4 weeks on balance and gait parameters after stroke. ⋯ This pilot study indicates that 16 tDCS-sessions could have a beneficial effect on balance and gait in stroke patients measured with the Tinetti test. However, further research is needed to elucidate these findings. Implications for Rehabilitation Sixteen sessions of tDCS is beneficial in the recovery of postural control in stroke patients. tDCS has to be applied as soon as possible to enhance beneficial effects.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
The 6-minute walk distance cannot be accurately assessed at home in people with COPD.
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is commonly used to measure exercise capacity in COPD, but it is unclear if this test is accurate when performed at home. This study aimed to determine whether exercise capacity can be accurately assessed at home using the 6MWT in COPD. ⋯ The 6-minute walk test is commonly used to assess change in exercise capacity following pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and may be conducted on varying track lengths, indoors or outdoors. When conducted at home, the 6-minute walk test underestimates exercise capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, due to a shorter track length available in the home environment. This suggests that results from 6-minute walk tests performed at home environment cannot be directly compared to results from centre-based tests.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of joint mobilization on chronic ankle instability: a randomized controlled trial.
To evaluate the effects of joint mobilization, in which movement is applied to the ankle's dorsiflexion range of motion, on dynamic postural control and on the self-reported instability of patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI). ⋯ Joint mobilization techniques applied to subjects suffering from CAI were able to improve ankle DFROM, postural control, and self-reported instability. These results suggest that joint mobilization could be applied to patients with recurrent ankle sprain to help restore their functional stability. Implications for Rehabilitation Functional instability is a very common sequela in patients with CAI, resulting in reduced quality of living due to the limitations it imposes on daily life activities. The mobilization with movement technique presented by Mulligan, and based on the joint mobilization accompanied by active movement, appears as a valuable tool to be employed by physical therapists to restore ankle function after a recurrent ankle sprain history. ROM restriction, subjective feeling of instability and dynamic postural control are benefiting from the joint mobilization application.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The optimal frequency of aquatic physiotherapy for individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain: a randomised controlled trial.
To establish whether there was a difference in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with chronic musculoskeletal disorders (PwCMSKD) after participating in a multimodal physiotherapy program (MPP) either two or three sessions a week. ⋯ No significant differences between the two groups were found in the outcomes of a MPP except in the NDI at 8 weeks, but both groups improved in all variables during the course of 1 year under study. Implications for Rehabilitation A multimodal physiotherapy program (MPP) improves quality of life, overall health, and function in people with chronic musculoskeletal disease after an intervention of short, medium and long term. This implies that twice a week MPP for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain has comparable results to three times a week provision and therefore may have implications in saving resources and cost for patients and service providers without compromising the outcomes of treatment. These results can be considered not only for therapists, but also for managers who offer the services to optimise the balance cost-effectiveness of the proposed interventions.