Musculoskeletal System

The Association of Foot Arch Posture and Prior History of Shoulder or Elbow Surgery in Elite-Level Baseball Pitchers

Luis A. Feigenbaum, PT, DPT, SCS, ATC, LAT, CSCS J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2013;43(11):814–820. Epub 9 September 2013. doi:10.2519/jospt.2013.4504 Study Design Case-control. Objectives The specific aim of this study was to examine the association between abnormal foot arch postures and a history of shoulder or elbow surgery in baseball pitchers. Background Pitching a baseball […]

Whole-Body Vibration Versus Eccentric Training or a Wait-and-See Approach for Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy

A Randomized Clinical Trial Thomas Horstmann, MD Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 2013, Volume: 43 Issue: 11 Pages: 794-803 Study Design Randomized clinical trial. Objectives To test the hypothesis that whole-body vibration training results in greater improvements in symptoms and pain, structural changes, and muscle flexibility and strength of the triceps surae muscle-tendon […]

The Associations Between PT and Long-Term Outcomes for Individuals with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis in the SPORT study

Julie M. Fritz, PhD, PT, ATC Abstract Background /Context: A period of non-surgical management is advocated prior to surgical treatment for most patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Currently, little evidence is available to define optimal non-surgical management. Physical therapy is often used, however its use and effectiveness relative to other non-surgical strategies has not been […]

Systemic Bone Loss Seen in Ankylosing Spondylitis

Published: Nov 7, 2013 | Updated: Nov 8, 2013 By Nancy Walsh, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Full Story:  http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/BackPain/42789 Action Points A loss of peripheral bone mineral density accompanied the spinal changes seen in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Point out that the results are consistent with a link between trabecular bone loss in the […]

Back Strength Predicts Walking Improvement in Obese, Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain

Vincent HK,et al. PM R. 2013 Nov 7. pii: S1934-1482(13)01148-9 Abstract OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of 4 months of isolated lumbar resistance exercise and total body resistance exercise on walking performance in obese, older adults with chronic low back pain. A secondary analysis examined whether responsiveness to training modulated walking improvement. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Research […]

The relationship between osteoarthritis and osteoporosis

Im GI,et al. J Bone Miner Metab. 2013 Nov 7. [Epub ahead of print] Affiliation Abstract The relationship between osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP), the two most common skeletal disorders related to aging, is controversial. Previous studies suggest that OA is inversely related to OP when studied cross-sectionally and systematically. However, there are differences in […]

Disc degeneration and chronic low back pain

An association which becomes nonsignificant when endplate changes and disc contour are taken into account Francisco M. Kovacs Neuroradiology:  November 2013 Abstract Introduction The objective of this study was to assess the association between severe disc degeneration (DD) and low back pain (LBP). Methods A case–control study was conducted with 304 subjects, aged 35–50, recruited […]

Increased pelvic incidence May lead to arthritis and sagittal orientation of the facet joints at the lower lumbar spine

Jentzsch T,et al. BMC Med Imaging. 2013 Nov 5;13(1):34. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed Reference:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24188071/ Full Text Article PDF Abstract BACKGROUND: Correct sagittal alignment with a balanced pelvis and spine is crucial in the management of spinal disorders. The pelvic incidence (PI) describes the sagittal pelvic alignment and is position-independent. It has barely been […]

Pain and Relief Signals Muted in Fibromyalgia

Published: Nov 5, 2013 | Updated: Nov 6, 2013 By Nancy Walsh, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Full Story:  http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Fibromyalgia/42729 Action Points It’s becoming widely recognized that fibromyalgia is characterized by heightened sensitivity to pain, most likely because of abnormal central processing of painful stimuli. This study showed that patients with fibromyalgia exhibit disrupted brain responses […]

Increased Forward Head Posture and Restricted Cervical Range of Motion in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Authors: Ana I. De-La-Llave-Rincón, PT1, César Fernández-De-Las-PeÑas, PT, PhD1, Domingo Palacios-CeÑa, MSc2, Joshua A. Cleland, PT, PhD, OCS, FAAOMPT3,  AFFILIATIONS: 1 Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain; Clinical Researcher, Esthesiology Laboratory of Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain. 2 Professor, Department of Health Sciences II, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain. 3 Professor, Department of […]

Osteopathic manipulative treatment in tarsal somatic dysfunction

A case study Batt J,et al. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2013 Nov;113(11):857-61. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2013.062. Abstract The authors present a case of a 24-year-old woman with left foot pain that began after an inversion injury obtained while running. The pain minimally improved with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Clinical examination revealed a relatively normal foot with palpable changes […]

MRI for diagnosing lumbar spinal pathology in adult patients with low back pain or sciatica

In conclusion, these poor results show that non-negligible numbers of LBP patients will be incorrectly diagnosed when MRI is used in isolation.

The Association of Foot Arch Posture and Prior History of Shoulder or Elbow Surgery in Elite-Level Baseball Pitchers

Luis A. Feigenbaum, PT, DPT, SCS, ATC, LAT, CSCS Study Design Case-control. Objectives The specific aim of this study was to examine the association between abnormal foot arch postures and a history of shoulder or elbow surgery in baseball pitchers. Background Pitching a baseball generates forces throughout the musculoskeletal structures of the upper and lower […]

Does Quadriceps Atrophy Exist in Individuals With Patellofemoral Pain?

A Systematic Literature Review With Meta-Analysis Lachlan S. Giles, PT Study Design Systematic literature review. Objectives To investigate whether quadriceps atrophy is present in the affected limb of individuals with patellofemoral pain (PFP). Background PFP is a common condition. Atrophy of the quadriceps femoris, in particular the vastus medialis obliquus, is often assumed to be […]

Study: Young athletes have high rate of sports-related low back pain injury

ORLANDO, Fla.— Researchers have found that low back pain is the third most common sports-related injury in young athletes after knee and ankle injuries, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition. “If a young athlete has lower back pain for 2 weeks or longer, it is imperative […]

Range of motion of thoracic spine in sagittal plane

Daigo Morita European Spine Journal November 2013 Abstract Study design Imaging study of thoracic spine. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate dynamic alignment and range of motion (ROM) at all segmental levels of thoracic spine. Summary of background data Thoracic spine is considered to have restricted ROM because of restriction by the […]

New International Fibromyalgia Guidelines Indicate Shifting Focus

The German and Israeli guidelines contain detailed recommendations for a variety of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices, including Tai Chi, guided imagery, acupuncture, yoga, and spa therapy.

The Flexion Intolerant Back – Pattern Recognition, Beyond The Trees

Phillip Snell, D.C. November 2, 2013 Full Discussion:  http://www.rehab2performance.com/flexion-intolerant-back/ As the old saying goes, it’s sometimes hard to see the forest for the trees. For low back pain (LBP), this old saw is particularly apt. All too quickly, discussions of structural causes of LBP lapse into call and response arguments citing this structure and that […]

The Power of Vitamin K

Evidence suggests a role in cancer prevention, cardiovascular health and bone mineralization. By James P. Meschino, DC, MS Dynamic Chiropractic – November 1, 2013, Vol. 31, Issue 21 You may have heard rumblings in recent years that vitamin K helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, and is administered intravenously by some integrative medical doctors who […]

Prognostic factors for return to work in patients with sciatica

December 1, 2013 Volume 13, Issue 12, Pages 1849–1857 Lars Grøvle, MD, PhD Abstract Background context Little is known about the prognostic factors for work-related outcomes of sciatica caused by disc herniation. Purpose To identify the prognostic factors for return to work (RTW) during a 2-year follow-up among sciatica patients referred to secondary care. Study […]