Category Archives: Clinical News
March 2021
Strength & Balance Training Improves Function in DPN, But Not HRQoL
The most common neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus is distal symmetrical polyneuropathy, also known as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). It affects around 12–50% of individuals with diabetes. DPN is a known important risk factor for serious adverse sequelae such as foot ulceration and amputation. Continue reading
February 2021
Stair Gait in Younger and Older Adults
Older people have an increased risk of falling during locomotion, with falls on stairs being particularly common and dangerous. Step going (i.e., the horizontal distance between two consecutive step edges) defines the base of support available for foot placement on stairs, as with smaller going, the Continue reading
February 2021
Increased 1st-Trimester Exercise May Reduce Gestational Diabetes Risk
Pregnant women who exercise more during the first trimester of pregnancy may have a lower risk of developing gestational diabetes, according to a new study led by Samantha Ehrlich, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and… Continue reading
February 2021
Orthotic Insoles Improve Gait and Pain in Lower Limb Discrepancy
Orthotic insoles significantly improved gait symmetry in the pelvis in the frontal plane and the ankle in the sagittal plane in participants with lower leg discrepancies (LLD) of both ≤ 1 cm and > 1 cm but > 3 cm, suggesting that it may be appropriate to treat even mild leg length discrepancy. Continue reading
February 2021
Prickly Pear Fruit Juice Improves Mobility
The Nopal or Prickly Pear Cactus is a staple across the southwestern United States and Mexico. Its broad flat leaves can be eaten as a vegetable (like a green pepper) and its colorful bulbous fruit is often sought after for the health benefits of its juice. Continue reading
January 2021
Snowblower Injuries From 2003 – 2018
Power snow blowers allow for easier, quicker snow removal at homes and businesses. However, they are potentially dangerous and can result in significant injury. Most studies of snowblower injuries discuss those sustained when placing the hand into the chute, resulting in… Continue reading
January 2021
Corrective Insoles Improve Leg Muscle Activation
Rice farming is conducted in slippery and viscous muddy soil, which leads to a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and malalignments. Over half of Thailand’s farm labor force is engaged in rice farming, making these occupational challenges a public health burden. Continue reading
January 2021
Disparities Persist in Amputations for Critical Limb Ischemia
Critical limb ischemia (or chronic limb threatening ischemia, CLI) is a state of arterial insufficiency manifested by chronic inadequate tissue perfusion at rest, reducing patients’ quality of life and increasing the risk for amputation and death. Continue reading
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
