Category Archives: Feature Article
July 2015
Diabetic foot conference weighs offloading issues
Offloading was a hot topic at the recent meeting of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot in the Netherlands. Diabetic foot experts in attendance discussed new research on offloading strategies and updated the organization’s practice recommendations.
By Cary Groner Continue reading
July 2015
Role of early rehab stages after ACL reconstruction
Traditionally, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction outcomes have been assessed preoperatively and several months postoperatively, but new research suggests the early postoperative stages of recovery may also significantly affect self-reported outcomes.
By Caitlin J. Miller, PT, DPT, and Jesse C. Christensen, PT, DPT, SCS Continue reading
June 2015
Adapted tango: bringing artistry to rehabilitation
Adapted tango, a version of traditional Argentine tango modified to address motor impairments, has been shown to improve balance, mobility, and cognition in older adults and patients with Parkinson disease, with better compliance than conventional rehabilitation.
By Madeleine E. Hackney, PhD Continue reading
June 2015
Total ankle arthroplasty: defining its clinical niche
Research generally upholds total ankle arthroplasty as a viable alternative to the traditional first-line surgical treatment, ankle arthrodesis, for correctly selected patients with end-stage ankle arthritis. But complication rates associated with ankle arthroplasty remain an area of concern.
By Hank Black Continue reading
June 2015
Hip strength, balance, and risk of ACL injury
Hip strength is associated with performance on the Star Excursion Balance Test in female collegiate athletes, a finding that adds to the evidence that hip strengthening programs can…
By Jatin P. Ambegaonkar, PhD, ATC, OT, CSCS; Lindsey M. Mettinger, MS, ATC; Shane V. Caswell, PhD, ATC; Andrea Burtt, MS, ATC; Shruti J. Ambegaonkar, PT, PhD; and Nelson Cortes, PhD Continue reading
May 2015
A long, frustrating search for plantar fasciitis relief
My husband Phillip and I used to live in Manhattan Beach, CA, a charming and affluent coastal town just south of Los Angeles. We resided two blocks from the wide, sandy beach. We took advantage of The Strand—a pair of concrete pathways that run for about two miles in front of many multimillion-dollar homes.
By P.K. Daniel
May 2015
Conference coverage: 7th ACL research retreat
Anterior cruciate ligament injury experts met in Greensboro, NC, to examine the extent to which biomechanics and other less-familiar factors—including joint laxity, fatigue, neurocognitive function, and genetics—may contribute to noncontact injury risk.
By Jordana Bieze Foster Continue reading
May 2015
Dual-task gait: The potential influence of orthotic devices
Clinicians know walking while performing a secondary task can be particularly difficult for elderly patients or those with neuromuscular impairments. But new research suggests the use of orthotic devices may improve dual-task gait, which could significantly improve quality of life.
By Cary Groner Continue reading
May 2015
Exergaming: therapeutic benefits in older adults
Increasing numbers of studies are suggesting that exergaming can help improve strength, balance, and other variables in older adults, but clinicians also need to be aware that some aspects of exergaming can present challenges in this patient population.
By Ying-Yu Chao, RN, GNP-BC, PhD Continue reading
May 2015
Music therapy and gait: rehab to a different beat
Research suggests the use of rhythmic stimuli for gait rehabilitation can help improve gait and balance in patients with Parkinson disease, stroke, and other conditions, but some questions regarding its overall applicability and optimal delivery method remain.
By Greg Gargiulo Continue reading
April 2015
A new triplanar paradigm for bunion management
The most common paradigm in bunion surgery relies on one or more metatarsal osteotomies to correct the 1-2 intermetatarsal angle (IMA) and soft tissue balancing to align the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ), sesamoid apparatus, and hallux. Additionally, the most common approach…
By Paul Dayton, DPM, MS, FACFAS, and Merrell Kauwe, DPM
April 2015
Risk of overuse injury in high school athletes
Roughly 60% of overuse injuries in high school athletes occur in the lower extremities, injuries that are increasing in number as more students participate in sports. Treatment involves rest and correction of biomechanical deficiencies, and should be individualized to each athlete.
By Allison Schroeder; James Onate, PhD, AT, ATC, FNATA; and Thomas Best, MD, PhD Continue reading
April 2015
APTA’s revised heel pain guidelines spur dialogue
The American Physical Therapy Association has updated its 2008 guidelines on the nonsurgical treatment of heel pain with a bolstered evidence base, but lower extremity practitioners continue to debate the clinical merits and most effective applications of certain newer therapies.
By Hank Black Continue reading
April 2015
The psychology of returning to sports after ACL surgery
Psychological factors are responsible for delayed return to sports after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in a significant number of patients despite successful physical rehabilitation, but questions remain as to the most effective ways to address these issues.
By Trevor A. Lentz, PT, SCS, CSCS Continue reading
April 2015
Early weight bearing after Achilles tendon repair
Early mobilization and weight bearing after Achilles tendon repair is associated with improved patient satisfaction and faster return to work and sports, with no significant increase in rates of tendon rerupture or postoperative wound and nerve complications.
By David P. Taormina, MD, and Nirmal C. Tejwani, MD Continue reading
March 2015
Hallux valgus and plantar pressure measurement
Researchers and clinicians have found that plantar pressure assessment can help document the dynamic effects of hallux valgus surgery, postoperative physical therapy, and footwear or orthotic interventions, particularly in cases…
By Hank Black Continue reading
March 2015
The role of hip strength in ACL rehabilitation
A protocol that includes isolated hip strengthening exercises during the early stages of postoperative rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction may provide a platform on which to build in the later stages of rehab and may predict future performance.
By J. Craig Garrison, PhD, PT, ATC, SCS Continue reading
March 2015
Elastic therapeutic tape: The search for evidence
Athletes swear by it, but quality studies on elastic therapeutic tape are hard to come by, and the literature is littered with conflicting or inconclusive findings about the technique’s efficacy…
By Cary Groner Continue reading
March 2015
Predicting recurrence after clubfoot treatment
In the search for factors that predict recurrence after use of the Ponseti method for successful treatment of idiopathic clubfoot, conclusive evidence is in short supply. However, the one factor that is…
By Rachel Y. Goldstein, MD, MPH Continue reading
March 2015
Low back pain and risk of lower extremity injury
Low back pain is associated with kinematic and kinetic alterations that can increase the risk of lower extremity injury, particularly in the presence of fatigue. New research suggests…
By Ram Haddas, PhD Continue reading
February 2015
Peripheral neuropathy in Lyme disease patients
Reported cases of Lyme disease have been rising steadily over the past 30 years, but its diagnosis can be challenging. Left untreated, patients with Lyme disease can go on to develop neurological symptoms, including those that are characteristic of peripheral neuropathy.
By Greg Gargiulo Continue reading
February 2015
An eccentric approach to hamstring injuries
The effectiveness of eccentric training for the prevention and rehabilitation of hamstring strains has been established in the medical literature. The next step is to identify an eccentric hamstring exercise that addresses the limitations of existing…
By Karl F. Orishimo, MS, CSCS, and Takumi Fukunaga, DPT, ATC, CSCS Continue reading
February 2015
Chronic ankle instability: effects on quality of life
Patient-reported outcomes can be used to monitor health-related quality of life in patients with chronic ankle instability, and lower extremity practitioners can design rehabilitation approaches to specifically target physical impairments that are known to contribute to quality of life.
By Megan N. Houston, PhD, ATC, and Matthew C. Hoch PhD, ATC Continue reading
February 2015
Knee OA brace experts revisit persistent issues
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses show that bracing for knee osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with significant benefits with regard to pain and function. But links to disease progression remain elusive, and the challenges of patient compliance are becoming even more complicated.
By Larry Hand Continue reading
February 2015
Achilles rehab: focusing on insertional tendinosis
Research supports eccentric strengthening for treatment of midportion Achilles tendinopathy, but a new study suggests the same approach…
By Lisa H. Jain, DPT, OCS; Kevin J. McCarthy, MD; Michael Williams, PT, OCS; Marie Barron, PT, OCS; Nick Bird, MPT; Brian Blackwell, PT, OCS; G. Andrew Murphy, MD; David R. Richards, MD; Susan Ishikawa, MD; and Margaret Kedia, PhD, DPT Continue reading
