Category Archives: Feature Article
August 2018
Evidence Builds for Tai Chi as Falls Prevention Intervention
Tai chi, a traditional Chinese mind-body exercise, consists of body rotations, semi-squat positions, and slow, controlled movements. As one moves through the various stances, balance shifts between single- and double-leg support, thereby incorporating gait, balance, and lower-limb strength training all at once.
By Janice T. Radak Continue reading
August 2018
Preventing Age-Related Muscle Loss
Shortly after age 50, the rate at which a person loses muscle mass begins to accelerate.1 Figure 1 is a graphical representation of the average number of quadriceps muscle fibers present in adults aged 18 to 82.2 Looking at the center of the graph, it is clear that the number of muscle fibers remains stable until around age 50.
By Tom Michaud, DC Continue reading
August 2018
Consider the Benefits of Gastrocnemius Recession for Recalcitrant Plantar Fasciitis
Surgical management of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis has largely been limited to plantar fasciotomy. A potential alternative is effective, relatively safe, and reliable gastrocnemius recession, which addresses the effect of gastrocnemius muscle contracture on these patients.
By Joseph G. Wilson, DPM, T. Craig Wirt, DPM, PhD, Jonathan L. Hook, DPM, MHA Continue reading
August 2018
Patellofemoral Pain in Adolescents Presents a Treatment Challenge
Patellofemoral pain is a common condition among adolescents, with nearly 7% of the today’s adolescent population affected.1 It’s a particular burden for girls—it affects as many as 10% of adolescent female athletes2, and the pain likely shuts them out of sports at a similar rate to…
By Nicole Wetsman Continue reading
August 2018
Neuromuscular and Kinematic Adaptation in Response to Reactive Balance Training
This randomized controlled study evaluated the efficacy of slip-simulating reactive balance training compared to conventional balance training in regard to falls prevention.
By Anne Krause, Kathrin Freyler, Albert Gollhofer, Thomas Stocker, Uli Brüderlin, Ralf Colin, Harald Töpfer, and Ramona Ritzmann Continue reading
July 2018
From the Literature: Diet, osteoporosis, and hip fracture
Osteoporosis reduces bone mass, weakening the overall microarchitectural structure of bone tissue and leaving individuals susceptible to fractures from falls, or in severe cases, hard sneezes. That postmenopausal women are at increased risk for osteoporosis and the fractures it causes, has been known for some time.
By Janice Radak Continue reading
July 2018
Incorrectly fitted footwear, foot pain and foot disorders
This narrative review, excerpted here, sought to determine the prevalence of incorrectly fitted footwear and to examine its association with foot pain and foot disorders across 18 studies involving 3,205 patients.
By Andrew K. Buldt and Hylton B. Menz Continue reading
July 2018
The rise of the crossover: A chronicle of cars and prosthetic feet
The so-called crossover foot is emerging as an attractive option in lower-extremity prosthetics, just as crossovers found their way into the automotive market: because they offer utility.
By Phil Stevens, MEd, CPO, FAAOP Continue reading
June 2018
Ankle-foot orthoses and functional electrical stimulation for foot drop in MS: Pluses, minuses, progress
Assistive ambulation devices for the ankle can bolster walking speed and safety and lessen the risk of injury to the joint. But which of 2 technologies is best for your patient?
By Hank Black Continue reading
June 2018
EXPERT OPINION: Advances and alternatives in diabetic ulcer offloading
Diabetic foot ulcers pose life-threatening risks to patients with diabetes. Offloading of high pressure areas of the foot is key to successful treatment. We review various methods here.
By James McGuire, DPM, PT, LPed, FAPWHc, and Tyler Coye, BA Continue reading
June 2018
Management of acute ankle sprains: To immobilize or not?
Functional rehabilitation training protocols typically consist of stability and postural control exercises aimed at recovering from the proprioceptive defect that occurs after an ankle injury and preventing recurrent sprains by improving stabilometric results.
By Audris Tien, DPM, Jarrod Shapiro, DPM, FACFAS, FACFAOM, Jonathan Labovitz, DPM, FACFAS, CHCQM Continue reading
June 2018
Overuse Injuries in Elite Basketball Players
Equinus is the primary mechanical cause of acquired non-traumatic foot and ankle pathology—plantar fasciitis, AT, and MSS—in running sports. The three most common lower-extremity overuse injuries among those who participate in running-related sports such as basketball have all been linked to the…
By Patrick A. DeHeer, DPM, FACFAS, FASPS, FFPM RCPS (Glasg) Continue reading
May 2018
Hamstring: Trends in preventing and treating hamstring-strain injuries
High relapse rate from preseason injuries presents significant challenge for athletes and sports teams. Hamstring strain injuries are among the most common in sports, often leading to recurring problems or future injury. Marcus Elliott, director of P3 Applied Sports Science and a former muscle-injury specialist for the National Football League’s New England Patriots, conducted…
By Keith Loria Continue reading
May 2018
Biofeedback aids in resolving the paradox of weight-bearing
Too much? Or not enough? New biofeedback tools help patients with lower-limb fracture in their struggle to understand how much weight to bear on an injured limb. Clinicians whose patients have a lower-limb fracture are faced with a paradox: whether or not to instruct them to place weight on the healing fracture.
By Jill R. Dorson Continue reading
May 2018
The lower limb and knee account for >75% of musculoskeletal injuries in today’s military.
Osteoarthritis is among the leading causes of disability in the United States, costing billions of dollars each year in lost work hours, treatments, and doctor visits, and leaving people sidelined from day-to-day activities. That problem is mirrored and amplified in the military, a unique segment of the population that relies heavily on physical fitness and ability.
By Nicole Wetsman Continue reading
May 2018
AA vs TAA: Update on ankle arthroplasty
End-stage arthritis of the ankle joint affects more than 50,000 people in the US. When conservative treatments do not provide enough relief, surgical options should be considered. Patient selection is key when choosing between ankle arthrodesis (fusion) and total ankle arthroplasty (replacement).
By Vicki Foerster, MD, MSc Continue reading
April 2018
Making the most of resistance training in the management of knee osteoarthritis
Most physical therapists maintain that resistance training is beneficial to patients with knee osteoarthritis, but evidence from trials that have been designed with consistency is lacking. Experts discuss how to create an effective regimen given this information vacuum.
By Jill R. Dorson Continue reading
April 2018
Gait therapy in osteoarthritis of the hip: An assessment
Although clinicians and researchers have been gathering data for the use of gait therapy in patients with knee OA for some time, its use in hip OA is less far along, but shows promise. Does correcting for gait abnormalities have a role in the treatment of hip osteoarthritis (OA)?
By Nicole Wetsman Continue reading
April 2018
Does athletes’ divided attention affect mechanics associated with ACL injury?
We might be falling short in our efforts to prevent ACL injury by allowing athletes to focus on how they are moving during screening. Almost 8 million athletes participate in high school sports each year in the United States, and an additional 490,000 compete at the intercollegiate level.
By Sarah Marie Tighe, SPT, and Thomas Gus Almonroeder, PT, DPT, PhD Continue reading
April 2018
The future is now— Implications of 3D technology for orthoses
2018 is shaping up as a breakthrough year for 3D printing in orthoses, as the industry moves from promise to reality. Experts agree: Three-dimensional printing will deliver custom clinical products, designed for individual patients at an affordable price.
By Keith Loria Continue reading
March 2018
The effect of footwear on the management of pain caused by disorders of the knee joint
Clinical studies have demonstrated that properly fitted footwear may alleviate knee pain resulting from osteoarthritis or other joint disease processes, while the wrong shoe can exacerbate the condition. How can practitioners help patients with knee pain make the distinction?
By Keith Loria Continue reading
March 2018
Function meets fashion in modern therapeutic devices
Unattractive therapeutic devices do not benefit patients if they won’t wear them. Leading practitioners discuss how, over the past decade, manufacturers have made significant strides in turning the solely functional into the truly fabulous.
By Jill R. Dorson Continue reading
March 2018
Is it the foot— or the footwear? Considerations for protecting a diabetic foot
In diabetes, assessing the mechanical properties of the patient’s soft tissues and the properties of footwear and orthoses comes before drafting a management plan.
By Nachiappan Chockalingam, PhD Continue reading
March 2018
The effect of sensory stimulation on movement accuracy
The author explores the sensory aspects of the foot, and footwear, on patient movement accuracy, joint stabilization, and perception of pain. An integrative approach to the dynamics of human movement is discussed.
By Emily Splichal, DPM Continue reading
February 2018
Implications of asymmetry in the treatment of injured athletes
Given that many uninjured, successful athletes have some degree of asymmetry, how do clinicians interpret asymmetry in athletes recovering from injury?
By Cary Groner Continue reading
