Non-specific low back pain is one of the most common ailments sending people to physiotherapy or chiropractic care. Given the numerous different mechanical, physiological and neurological reasons for back pain, many times, imaging and tests are inconclusive as to the origin of the back pain. The unfortunate patient is then lumped into NSLBP and given(…)
As mentioned previously (here and here), knee injuries are frequent in sport. They vary by sport, age group and as demonstrated here, by gender. Swenson et al 2012 collected data from the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance System. They analysed 5 academic years of high school athletes (2005/6-2010/11) and looked at over 20 sports. 5,116 knee(…)
Hoshiakwa et al’s 2012 study focused in the cross sectional area of the thigh. Soccer players aged 11-13 had their cross sectional area measured along with dynamic knee flexion and knee extension. Knee flexion strength was comparable in the two groups but knee extension strength was much larger in the athlete’s group. We know that(…)
Hyperbaric chambers have been used to increase oxygen rates above normal. The benefits of oxygen have long been disputed. By this point, it is well established that a rugby or American football player breathing from an oxygen tank at the side-lines will have no effect on the player’s physiology. Hyperbaric exposure, especially chronically, on the(…)
ACL tears, as discussed previously (here & here) are not career ending but require some time and adaptation before returning to play. Therapists and coaches are left with guidelines and no specific protocols when rehabilitating a torn ACL. Few concrete methods exist with signposts along the way. Della Villa et al. (2012) set out to change that.(…)
Cancer affects all of us. 1 in 4 of us dies from cancer or cancer-related conditions. Unlike any other time in history however, today, more than 2/3rds of those diagnosed with cancer will live more than 5 years. This radically alters the goal of physical therapy. If someone has a few months to live, pain(…)
Suni et al 2012 published a study concerning the incidence of absenteeism, pain and function in the military. Groups were randomly assigned to intervention or control. The intervention group was an anti-tank and an engineering cohort while the control group was a signal and a mortar cohort. The intervention was to train and educate the(…)
The Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) is a 21 question self-report using a visual analogue scale. The patient indicates on a line how much pain, discomfort and limitation he or she experiences in various situations. As standardized screens are always favoured in the medical community, the WORC (developed at the University of Western Ontario by Kirkley,(…)