Category Archives: Clinical News
November 2020
3D Printed Insoles Offers New Hope for Patients with Diabetes
Scientists from Staffordshire University, England, claim that their new 3D-printed insoles can improve the foot health of people suffering with diabetes. Their study is said to present the first quantitative evidence in support of optimized cushioning in diabetic footwear as… Continue reading
November 2020
Low Energy Increases Fall Risk in Older Adults
Declines in feelings of energy can lead to balance problems in older adults, according to Clarkson University research published in the journal Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics. “We wanted to see whether increases in feelings of fatigue or… Continue reading
November 2020
Don’t Try This for Ankle Stability
While ankle sprain is perhaps the most common of sporting injuries, there remains no one-size-fits-all solution. But there is one solution that’s losing ground based on new evidence from the Institute of Motion Analysis & Research (IMAR) at the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom. Continue reading
October 2020
Using Shockwave, Foot Core Exercises to Manage Tibialis Posterior Tendinopathy
Tibialis posterior tendon dysfunction/tendinopathy (PTTP) is a common debilitating condition. The diagnosis is largely clinical with physical examination sufficient to make the determination. Patients will commonly complain of pain in the medial foot and behind the medial malleolus that worsens with prolonged standing and activity. Continue reading
October 2020
5-year Mortality, Costs of Diabetic Foot Complications Comparable to Cancer
The purpose of this brief report was to refresh a 2007 data summary comparing diabetic foot complications to cancer with the best available data as they currently exist. Since that time, more reports have emerged both on cancer mortality and mortality associated with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), Charcot arthropathy, and diabetes-associated lower extremity amputation. Continue reading
October 2020
Gait Speed as Risk Tool for Falls
Keeping older adults physically active is critical to health maintenance and walking is a key form of exercise for this population. However, foot pain represents a leading cause of mobility limitations and lower quality of life in older individuals. Nearly 25% of adults report foot pain, and those with frequent foot pain are at double the risk of falling. Continue reading
October 2020
Improved Patient-Provider Relationship Boosts Outcomes
While a good patient-provider relationship has been the bedrock of today’s much-needed patient satisfaction scores, such relationships are also proving to boost functional outcomes. In a recent study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, physician researchers from Case Western Reserve University… Continue reading
October 2020
“Renal Foot” – Angiographic Patterns in Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia + Renal Disease
Patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have greater risk of limb loss compared to those with CLTI alone. These researchers investigated angiographic patterns in patients with CLTI and evaluated for differences based on ESRD status. Continue reading
September 2020
Most Youth Football Helmets DON’T FIT
Youth football players are at increased risk of concussion for one reason: their helmets don’t fit properly! New research has found that the majority (74%) of football players’ helmets in youth football (7-12 years old) did not meet at least one component of the 13 criteria developed for proper football helmet fit. Improper fit is a critical risk factor for increased concussion symptoms and duration. Continue reading
September 2020
HR-QoL in Sjogren’s-Related Peripheral Neuropathy
Sjogren’s patients with coexisting neurological involvement with symptoms, including pain and physical disability, experience diminished health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) according to a recent study of 50 Sjogren’s patients. All patients underwent neurological clinical examination followed by nerve conduction studies and rheumatological examination. Continue reading
September 2020
Improving Diabetes Care Management Processes and Referrals To Podiatry in Primary Care
Diabetes mellitus (DM) can lead to long-term complications including limb amputations. Annually in the US about 73,000 nontraumatic lower limb amputations are performed and > 60% occur among persons with DM. Veterans have a high number of risk factors and are especially vulnerable. One in 4 veterans has DM, compared to 1 in 6 in the general population.
By Lynn Soban, PhD, MPH, RN Continue reading
July 2020
Getting Off 1 Bus Stop Earlier = 50+ Days in Life Expectancy
In early 2019, Dublin’s Department of Health wanted to encourage public transport riders to improve their activity levels by alighting 1 stop earlier and walking to their destination. To gain the public’s attention, they decided to relate the additional steps to the potential increase in life-expectancy (calculated at a population level). Continue reading
July 2020
Compression Stockings Effective in Diabetes & PAD; Aid Sport Activity Performance
Two new studies show the effectiveness of compression stockings (CS) in the settings of diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) as well as in sport performance. The first, from Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg in Germany and published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, looked at… Continue reading
July 2020
Not Just for Kids! Virtual Reality Training Improves Balance in Older Adults
Falls are common among adults over age 65 with 30% reporting at least 1 fall in 2014 in the United States. Falls can cause life-threatening injuries leading to emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and even death. The good news is that exercise-based falls prevention programs have been proven… Continue reading
July 2020
Predicting Return-to-Play After Calf Muscle Strain Injury
In a study of 149 calf muscle strain injuries (CMSI) among 123 Australian Football League players, researchers from the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Center sought to determine whether clinical and radiological factors can be predictive of both return to play and/or re-injury. Continue reading
July 2020
Skateboarding Survey: 70% Suffer Lower Extremity Injuries
In a web-based survey of 197 Spanish skateboarders (mean age 24.4 years; 89.3% male) researchers from the University A Coruña in Spain sought to better understand the practice habits and injuries of skateboarders. Continue reading
July 2020
Cooling Insoles Offer New Approach to Diabetic Foot Ulcer Prevention
Adults who suffer from pain due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the feet now have another treatment option: QUTENZA (capsaicin) 8% patch has received extended-label approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA originally approved the pain management patch in 2009 for… Continue reading
July 2020
Orphengesic Forte, New Opioid-free Pain Med, Approved for Musculoskeletal Pain
Galt Pharmaceuticals, Atlanta, GA, announced that the US Food & Drug Administration has issued a new drug approval for Orphengesic Forte, a non-opioid, non-controlled, non-addictive prescription pain medication. Orphengesic Forte is indicated for the relief of mild to moderate pain of acute musculoskeletal disorders, paired with rest, physical therapy, and other measures. Continue reading
July 2020
Abbott’s Personalized Chronic Pain Therapy App Approved by FDA
Abbott, Abbott Park, IL, has received approval to use its iOS-compatible St. Jude Medical Patient Controller Application, which is available for download from the Apple store. This app is for people living with chronic pain and neurologic disorders who are treated by Abbott neuromodulation devices including… Continue reading
June 2020
Cooling Insoles Offer New Approach to Diabetic Foot Ulcer Prevention
A new cooling insole developed by UT Southwestern scientists reduced the foot temperature of patients with diabetic neuropathy by several degrees, diminishing a significant risk factor for diabetic foot ulcers. This new device, detailed in an article published in The Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery, could eventually prevent thousands of diabetes-related amputations each year. Continue reading
June 2020
Sjogren’s Musculoskeletal Pain Not Related to Enthesitis
An assessment of entheses involvement using ultrasonography has found that musculoskeletal pain in patients with Sjogren’s Syndrome is not due to enthesitis. This prospective study included 25 Sjogren’s female patients (mean age, 53.2 + 11.3 yrs) and 25 sex and age-matched controls (mean age, 50.6 + 9.7 yrs), who all… Continue reading
May 2020
SELECTFLEX ORTHOTICS WITH ADJUSTABLE ARCH TECHNOLOGY
Alliance Design & Development Group (ADDG) has pioneered what it describes as the first and only orthotics with adjustable arch technology. ADDG engineered SelectFlex insoles to help prevent the many ailments that often afflict those who work on their feet all day, particularly in industrial fields like… Continue reading
May 2020
Starting with gait retraining: an analysis of changes in impact over time
The repetitive impact that is experienced upon collision with the ground may be related to running injuries but is modifiable. Lower-impact running can be achieved by receiving biofeedback in response to the peak tibial acceleration, but when are runners adapting to lower-impact running?
By the Biomechanics of Human Movement research group of Ghent University Continue reading
May 2020
Fragility Fractures, Bone Health Management, and Caregiving
Patients who have fragility fractures may experience a disruption of their responsibilities as caregivers to family members and others who depend on them. The purpose our study was to examine how caregiving responsibilities were associated with, and possibly impacted by, the fracture experience and the resulting management of bone health.
By Joanna Sale, PhD Continue reading
May 2020
Does Physical Activity Relate to Motor Development?
Do certain kinds of physical activity (PA) help children develop motor skills better than others? To find out, researchers from East Carolina University used data from 342 children who had taken part in the 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey to look at specific kinds of PA and motor skill development in preschool-aged children. Continue reading
