The two standard procedures for rotator cuff injuries—the network of tendons and muscles in the shoulder that ranks high among common areas of injury—are open surgical repair and a minimally invasive procedure, or arthroscopy. Due to unsatisfactory results of both treatments, new techniques are being investigated that include using double rows of sutures instead of single ones and using human-cadaver tissue to heal the damaged area.
Contrary to popular belief, a study proved that athletes under the age of 16 were more likely to incur ACL tears and other injuries than older athletes. As a result, suggestions were made that preventative methods be taken to train young athletes in proper techniques for jumping and landing.
RSS Feed
The news headlines shown above are provided courtesy of Medical News Today and are subject to the terms and conditions stated on the Medical News Today website.
To avoid PTOA, which comes about after a serious joint injury and can lead to lifelong travails, most treatments attempt to repair the anatomy of the injured joint, but have not done so effectively. A team of orthopedics from the University of Iowa and biomaterials specialists from Iowa State University are conducting a study that will stop the progression of PTOA before it starts.
As large handbags continue to remain popular, many women fail to realize the damage being done to their back or shoulders. Tendonitis and other problems can likely arise if the bags are filled with more than everyday necessities.
Cortisone has long been regarded as the best injection for osteoarthritis, but recent studies have shown that it may be counterintuitive. Viscosupplementation, claiming status as a “device” rather than a drug, is designed differently than cortisone and may be more effective in treatment.
Due to a shortage of conclusive evidence on the efficacy of electrical nerve stimulation (ENS), a meta-analysis pooled data from studies that compared the treatment to a placebo. Results showed ENS to be a legitimate method for reducing pain.
To further address the issue of overuse injuries in adolescents, the AAP has put forth a set of recommendations to limit the amount of time and intensity of training for the younger population. Overuse injuries are overly common for youths and stem from over-participation in multiple sports and insufficient resting time.
Help may be on the way for those suffering from LSS, a condition defined by the narrowing of the spinal canal. According to a study performed on a number of patients with LSS, the forward-leaning motion created while using a wheeled walker can have a soothing affect on back pain.
According to a study performed by the British Journal of Sports and Medicine (BJSM), an alarming number of pedometers have been shown to record steps for actions such as sitting, standing and bending, resulting in step reads that are much higher than actual numbers.
Though a direct correlation has been drawn between heavy backpacks and lower back pain for children and adolescents, the problem actually runs deeper. Behavioral disorders and conduct problems play a major role in affecting children’s backs and claim much of the responsibility for the multiple back problems they could be faced with.
Bonita Lynn Beattie, an APTA member and representative for National Falls Free Coalition, recently traveled to Washington D.C. to promote fall-preventative measures. While there, she explained the dynamics of falls in the elderly, the nature of their preventability, and the very necessity that steps be taken by Congress to fund initiatives like the Safety of Seniors Act.
According to a recent survey that asked nearly 4,000 randomly-selected Americans if they were experiencing pain at intervals throughout a 24-hour interim, 28.8% of men and 26.6% of women reported some form of pain. Pain also proved more common for individuals with lower incomes and less education.
Due to an ever-growing baby boomer population and an accompanying increase in arthritis cases, the rate of hip and knee replacements in the American population has risen dramatically. The negative impact on the health care system, as well as the myriad individuals suffering from arthritis, is a trend that appears to only be worsening.
Spurred by so many individuals who take medical leave as a result of back pain, 15 studies regarding back pain were observed and showed no difference in the amount of sick days used between those who used lumbar supports to recover and those who did not.
A survey that interviewed over 70,000 potential stroke victims asked whether they considered each of five symptoms to be a notification of an impending stroke. The second and third parts threw in a decoy symptom to make sure subjects weren’t answering “yes” to all questions, then asked them if they would contact 9-1-1 if a stroke occurred. The overall results were at the very least alarming.
According to a study that analyzed exercise rates of 8,782 residents in 373 neighborhoods of Chicago, the factors mentioned above served as a major deterrent in the decision to exercise or not. Neighborhood characteristics were proven to be more significant than income rates in determining if an individual chose to exercise, and women proved to be affected more so by their exterior surroundings than males.
The overly-expensive MRI, which can run upwards of $2,500, has recently become the primary method for diagnosing OA of the knee. Studies show, however, that the significantly cheaper X-ray ($150 or less) is both more effective and the preferred choice for orthopaedic surgeons. The major culprit: over-utilization of the health care system.
The approach, known as locomotor treadmill training with partial body weight support, uses a harness system that safely guides the stroke patient to re-learn the proper way to walk. Without the use of such a device, most stroke patients develop an abnormal gait that is extremely difficult to correct, leaving many severely disabled.
In a study conducted at the University of Western Australia, data on over 1,000 diabetics was analyzed to show the incidence rate of carpal tunnel decompression to be about 5.5%, over four times the rate for the general population.
The new procedure, vertebroplasty, uses a small needle and local anesthetic to place bone cement in the fractured area, whether it be the back or elsewhere. After only ten minutes, the cement hardens, and pain is reported to disappear immediately. Studies have shown patients who have vertebroplasty performed to experience a 90% reduction rate in pain 24 hours after the procedure.
The National Stroke Research Institute in Heidelberg conducted a study on 71 stroke victims and were shocked to discover that administering rehabilitation within 24 hours of the stroke led to better recovery rates. Up to this point, doctors were uncertain as to the safety level of having patients participate actively so soon after a stroke.
Two centers in California have begun using the Wii gaming system to encourage elders to perform rehabilitative motions with a more visually and physically stimulating medium than ordinary exercise. The centers have reported positive feedback from the residents and therapists have documented significant progress in patients who have been using Wii.
96% of the patients at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago who had minimally invasive knee surgery were able to go home the same day as surgery, many walking unassisted or with the use of a cane. The phenomenal success rate comes as a result of the combined forces of physical therapists, nurses and surgeons, who worked together to prep and train patients before surgery by informing them of what to expect and how it can be dealt with.
Surgeons have long feared the possibility of complications arising if patients with back pain failed to have an operation. The results of two studies conducted by U.S. researchers have proven there is no disadvantage of physical therapy over surgery. Physical therapy takes longer but will cost less, while surgery will provide near-immediate relief but will run most Americans about $6,000. Both provide the same relief after a two-year span of time.
The toll-free hotline, which will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8, will give elders and those who care for elders the opportunity to speak to a PT directly for information on why falls are so common, the risk factors associated with falls and preventative methods for each individual to avoid falling.
According to a new study conducted by the University of Nottingham, the smaller the ratio between index finger and ring finger, the higher the possibility for osteoarthritis of the knee in the subject. Although much remains to be investigated, the initial findings caused researchers to regard finger length as a new risk factor for the most common form of arthritis.
Controversy abounds throughout the country as schools question whether the costs for scoliosis screenings are worth it as medical professionals emphasize that early detection now dramatically outweighs surgery costs that may be incurred later on.
“Locking plates,” which require smaller incisions in the wrist and are more stable than older models are used in a newly developed method of treatment for wrist fractures, which permits patients to return to normal functioning much sooner than previous methods allowed. Some patients claim to recover fully after two months of the treatment, compared to the usual six-to-nine month period.
A vibrating mouse, massage-undulating chair and movable computer screen are a few of the products being developed by Alan Hedge of the international authority of office ergonomics. Due to the fact that computers are becoming invariably prevalent and used at earlier ages, products modeled after ergonomics are one possible solution with some positive results to an issue that affects anyone who uses a computer frequently.
Some relief may be in the works for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip, which affects 6% of the American population, according to results from a new study on water training conducted by a professor from The Parker Institute in Frederiksberg, Denmark. The new treatment, “hydrotherapy,” is designed to combine the benefits of regular exercise and stretching with the additional soothing affect of warm water.
Researchers led by an assistant athletic trainer at St. John’s University conducted a study on 20 adults with reported “chronic ankle instability” by assigning them to wear foot orthoses every day for four weeks. Results were promising according to trials that were administered before and after the four-week orthoses period.
According to a study conducted at the National Athletic Trainer’s Association, installing specific training methods for proper jumping and landing techniques at an early age may help prevent young athletes from enduring an injury later on in their athletic careers.
Though they may be used to treat other disorders, such as foot and ankle problems, a multi-faceted study led by Tali Sahar, PhD, showed that insoles do not provide any benefit for those with back problems. One doctor, Paul Hecht, MD, offered that perhaps insoles have been over-prescribed for the wrong conditions without being completely assessed.
Presurgical perturbation training, which challenges patients to maintain their balance on an unstable support surface, has promising results that may change “non-copers” of ACL injuries into “potential copers,” according to preliminary research from the University of Delaware.
In a study that administered a twice-a-week balance-improving program for six weeks, results show that the number of errors in balance from the training group decreased largely compared to the control group. The promising outcome will likely lead to other studies focused on injury prevention and balance improvement.
Back pain affects 80% of Americans at some point in their life, the majority being a result of repetitive motion injuries and manual labor that includes heavy lifting. Fortunately, the report shows that a large number of back injury patients recover or see improvement within six weeks of physical therapy, according to Heartland Rehabilitation Outpatient Services.
As the obsessive hobby of so many Americans continues to expand in popularity, ESPN.com has brought in Bell, a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist, to offer her medical opinion by means of a blog that she will regularly update, giving fantasy fans an additional edge in their weekly movements.
Inflammation of the knee is a major deterrent in healing from serious knee injuries. Though using pigs in the preliminary stages of study, orthopedic researchers at Duke University Medical Center are testing drugs that will block the action of immune system proteins that trigger joint inflammation, which may lead to an advanced new treatment to prevent osteoarthritis.
Preventative measures such as wearing a double-hinged knee brace for MCL injuries, upping focus on strength, flexibility and agility training and wearing proper footwear are all measures that can be taken to make an injury-free season more likely.
The treatment, which uses stainless steel tools to help clinicians detect and break up fascial restrictions in order to restore soft tissue motion, has been garnering attention as a replacement for generic methods that include stretching, strengthening and arch supports.
In a study conducted by investigators from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, male and female soccer and basketball players on the collegiate level were observed landing after a series of jumps, and results pointed towards an injury risk in trunk mechanics.
The system works with a therapist teaching a patient the best ways to develop a neutral back position, one in which the back is in the least amount of pain. Depending largely on patients’ compliance with exercises at home and outside the office, back-sufferers will be taught new ways to contract muscles that will eventually stabilize the spinal column and relieve pain.
With opening day of school looming near, backpack safety is more important than you may imagine. Especially due to the fact that many children are carrying backpacks incorrectly and with too many books, see how back problems can be avoided with a few simple advisories.
In a study led by Kathy Boutis, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Toronto, 104 subjects were given either a fiberglass walking cast or an Air-Stirrup ankle brace, which could be removed after five days of comfortable. At the end of the trial, more than half of the ankle-braced reported satisfaction compared to 18% of those who wore casts.
Mainly geared towards stroke victims and patients with other neurological conditions that require repetitive and intense training, products like the AutoAmbulator will help patients replicate normal walking patterns on a treadmill in the comforts of their home, without the need of a PT by their side.
According to a study published in Spine by two Ohio State University researchers, people who have suffered backaches and other problems in the past will twist and bend their backs while performing normal tasks in attempts to prevent more pain. Eventually this leads to a weakening of muscles and a greater risk for further injury.
A new gel-pad keeps feet stationary while walking or running, provides shock absorption and cushions the foot from blisters that may be incurred from walking unassisted.
After an agreement reached between Power Plate North America, a manufacturer of a vibration product, and Advantage Fitness Products (AFP), a significantly increased amount of accessible products will be placed in hotels and spas throughout the country. Studies have shown vibration apparatuses are especially helpful for stroke victims and those recovering from ACL injuries.
According to Paula Kramer, chairwoman of occupational therapy at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, the constant stretching, lifting and bending involved with gardening can be potentially damaging to individuals with back problems.
Used in combination with a standard rehabilitation program, eccentric resistance exercise on a recumbent ergometer is proven to be additionally affective to those recovering from ACL injuries, according to a study performed by the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
At least 10 million commute to work every day, with the average commute being roughly 25 minutes. Read about how important proper posture is for anyone who commutes or drives long distances regularly.
Results from a study in Japan prove that stride width increased significantly in the gait of patients with mild OA knee. Unfortunately, the more severe the case of osteoarthritis of the knee is, the less helpful the insoles are.
The National Institute of Health is sponsoring a study by a University of Delaware researcher that will examine exactly how long it takes for message signals to travel from neurons to muscle fibers in elder subjects. The ultimate goal of the study is to devise a way to improve movement quality in older adults and decrease their numbers in falls.
Contrary to former speculation, a daily dose of average physical activity, mainly walking, does not prove to have any relation to the development of osteoarthritis of the knee, according to a study conducted by the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
A new knee brace, developed by the Meander Medical Center in the Netherlands, is presently going through tests that show a significant decrease in pain and a lowered peak varus movement about the knee.
After three separate gymnasts from three separate countries suffered the same injury at the 2003 World Championships, the International Gymnastics Federation made investigations into the composite of each floor used for competition. Results showed that certain floors with too much spring may contribute to injury.
Injuries to the ACL, the most oft-occurring injury for wide receivers and running backs in the NFL, are shown to have an affect on players that they are never able to fully recover from or return to 100% of game play.
The use of the two treatments in conjunction with each other proved to be nearly twice as effective as the use of just one of the products, according to an American Journal of Sports Medicine study.
The University of Pennsylvania is currently looking for patients to participate in the Everest study, which will implant an electrical device that will stimulate the cerebral cortex while physical therapy is being given to damaged areas of the patient’s body.
While the exact reason for such a high number of musculoskeletal injuries for post-menopausal women still eludes physicians and therapists, movements are being made to avoid them regardless.
The Advanced Spinal Mobilization Instrument pushes on each vertebra using similar techniques to that of a Physical Therapist, only without their expending of so much energy.
According to a study conducted on females with persistent whiplash-associated disorders, most cases involve extensor muscles of the neck begin replaced by fatty tissue after neck injuries. Studying the amount of these fatty tissues may help in determining if someone has undergone a significant whiplash injury.
See how one Physical Therapist has incorporated Pilates use into treatment of children with autism and other developmental disorders by increasing body awareness, concentration and improving movement habits.
With video games growing ever-present once again, see the precautions your children should take to avoid the repetitive stress injury known as “Video Gamer’s Thumb,” an actual diagnosis many “gamers” may easily develop by playing too long and without stretching.
Contrary to the belief that strong quadriceps were detrimental to OA of the knee, a new research study shows that the strengthened muscles will have a favorable chance of helping those with the diagnosis.
Study involving patients with Parkinsonian gait attempts to determine the factors involved in developing a safer gait, which will lead to further prevention of falls for Parkinson’s disease patients.
Dietary supplements such as chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine found to have limited effectiveness in relieving osteoarthritis of the knee. Click here for more info.
Read about the first randomized clinical trial for patients with LSS and the overwhelmingly positive feedback being received from patients who have been treated by Physical Therapists.
Number of those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes continues to grow, but by following a plan set out by a Physical Therapist that involves exercising regularly, eating healthier, not smoking and ultimately, keeping weight down.
Masai Barefoot shoes have been modeled after the African Masai tribe, who walk barefoot and have been observed to suffer from almost no back or joint pain, and are now being studied to test their effectiveness with some promising initial results.
