Disability and rehabilitation
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To investigate measurement properties of a practical test of cervical flexor endurance (CFE) in whiplash patients including inter-rater reliability, sensitivity to clinical change, criterion related validity against the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and discriminant validity for injured versus uninjured populations. ⋯ These findings provide evidence of reliability and validity for CFE measurement, and demonstrate that CFE detects clinical improvements. Variance on CFE emphasizes the need to consider inter-, and intra-subject standard deviations to interpret scores.
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Fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic widespread pain (CWP) are common, but the etiology of these disorders remains poorly understood. A large body of data indicates a neurobiological basis for these disorders, but this information has not been effectively transmitted to many medical professionals. ⋯ An appreciation of the neurobiological basis for these disorders, and an understanding of some of the abnormalities of pain processing present in patients with FM, will hopefully provide greater understanding of these patients. It may also serve to decrease the level of frustration and improve the care experience of both chronic pain patients and physicians.
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To study the impact on health status as measured by SF-36 in groups of subjects having chronic musculoskeletal pain with different degree of generalization: No chronic pain (NCP), chronic regional pain (CRP), chronic widespread pain (CWP), CWP with a stricter 'Manchester' definition (CWP-M), and clinically defined fibromyalgia (FM). The study also examines the association between psychosocial and lifestyle background variables, and these pain-groups. ⋯ The spectrum of impact on health and association to background variables, with respect to a stricter definition of CWP, indicates that these factors are important to attend to in the understanding and management of CWP and FM.
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The objective was to estimate the psychometric properties of the Modified-Modified Schober Test (MMST). ⋯ In our sample of LBP patients, the MMST showed moderate validity but excellent reliability and MMDC.
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To compare falls risk in older fallers and non-fallers, with an emphasis on dizziness and signs of vestibular dysfunction. ⋯ Older people discharged home from the ED following a fall are at high risk of falling in the future and have a greater level of vestibular dysfunction based on simple clinical testing. Additional clinically applicable tests of vestibular function are required to further investigate the relationship between vestibular dysfunction and falling in older people.