Musculoskeletal System

Risk Factors for Non-Organic Low Back Pain in Patients with Worker’s Compensation

Jeremy T. Rohrlich Abstract Background Context Nonorganic low back pain is common in the Worker’s Compensation (WC) population. Consults with specialists constitute an unnecessary cost to the system, and a means of screening for these patients is necessary. Purpose The purpose of this study is to design easily identifiable criteria to help identify which Worker’s […]

Treatment of the sacroiliac joint in patients with leg pain: a randomized-controlled trial

European Spine Journal October 2013, Volume 22, Issue 10, pp 2310-2317 First online: 30 May 2013 L. H. Visser Abstract Purpose The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) may be a cause of sciatica. The aim of this study was to assess which treatment is successful for SIJ-related back and leg pain. Methods Using a single-blinded randomised trial, […]

The working mechanism of manual therapy in participants with chronic tension-type headache

Castien R,et al. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2013 Oct;43(10):693-9. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2013.4868. Epub 2013 Sep 9. Abstract STUDY DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study. OBJECTIVE: To explore the working mechanism of manual therapy, we investigated whether 3 cervical spine variables were mediators of the effect of manual therapy on headache frequency. Background Manual therapy has been shown […]

New objective findings after whiplash injuries: High blood flow in painful cervical soft tissue: An ultrasound pilot study

Scandinavian Journal of Pain. October 2013 Volume 4, Issue 4, Pages 173–179 Hatem Kalawy, Britt-Marie Stålnacke Highlights •Painful neck regions in patients with whiplash-associated disorder were studied. •Grey scale ultrasound and colour Doppler were used to confirm high blood flow. •Whiplash patients had higher blood flow compared with the control subjects. •High blood flow was […]

Prognostic factors for return to work in patients with sciatica

Grøvle L, et al. Spine J. 2013 Sep 21. pii: S1529-9430(13)01268-0. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2013.07.433. [Epub ahead of print] Affiliation Department of Rheumatology, Østfold Hospital Trust, Postboks 16, 1603 Fredrikstad, Norway. Electronic address: lars.grovle@so-hf.no. Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Little is known about the prognostic factors for work-related outcomes of sciatica caused by disc herniation. PURPOSE: To identify the […]

Study highlights role of physical activity in the relationship of BMI, low back pain

A study presented at the North American Spine Society Annual Meeting indicated that small increases in moderate physical activity can reduce the risk of back pain in Americans with higher body mass indices.

What Is the Predictive Value of MRI for the Occurrence of Knee Replacement Surgery in Knee Osteoarthritis?

J-P Pelletier Ann Rheum Dis. 2013;72(10):1594-1604. Abstract Knee osteoarthritis is associated with structural changes in the joint. Despite its many drawbacks, radiography is the current standard for evaluating joint structure in trials of potential disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs. MRI is a non-invasive alternative that provides comprehensive imaging of the whole joint. Frequently used MRI measurements in […]

Non-pharmacological Core Management of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis

EULAR Recommendations for the Non-pharmacological Core Management of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis Linda Fernandes Ann Rheum Dis. 2013;72(7):1125-1135. Abstract The objective was to develop evidence -based recommendations and a research and educational agenda for the non-pharmacological management of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA). The multidisciplinary task force comprised 21 experts: nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, rheumatologists, […]

Increased inflammatory markers point toward higher risk for hip fracture

Full Story:  Endocrinology Today BALTIMORE — Higher concentrations of inflammatory factors were associated with higher risk for hip fracture, according to study results presented here. “Inflammatory burden may be an important biological factor in fracture etiology, particularly for hip fractures, and now we are seeing this consistency across studies,” Kamil E. Barbour, PhD, MPH, MS, […]

Accuracy of Physical Examination for Chronic Lumbar Radiculopathy

The main finding is that individual clinical index tests lack diagnostic accuracy for predicting whether a lumbar nerve root is impinged or not at a specific level in patients with chronic lumbar radiculopathy in specialised care.

State of Oregon: Evidence-basedClinical Guidelines Project: Evaluation and Management of Low Back Pain

State of Oregon: Evidence-basedClinical Guidelines Project: Evaluation and Management of Low Back Pain A Clinical Practice Guideline Based on the Joint Practice Guideline of the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society (Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Back Pain) October 2011 PDF: Evaluation & Management of Low Back Pain (October 2011)

European Guidelines for the Management of Acute Non-Specific Low Back Pain in Primary Care

GUIDELINES FOR ACUTE NONSPECIFIC LOW BACK PAIN Based on systematic reviews and existing clinical guidelines Summary of recommendations for diagnosis of acute non-specific low back pain: • Case history and brief examination should be carried out • If history taking indicates possible serious spinal pathology or nerve root syndrome, carry out more extensive physical examination including neurological […]

The effect of myofascial neck pain on postural control: Visual deprivation

Otadi K, et al. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2013 Jan 1;26(4):375-80. doi: 10.3233/BMR-130395. Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the standing balance (with open and closed eyes) on rigid surface in women with myofascial neck pain syndromes. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This study was carried out in single and double […]

Opioids compared to placebo or other treatments for chronic low-back pain

Chaparro LE, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Aug 27;8:CD004959. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004959.pub4. Abstract BACKGROUND: The use of opioids in the long-term management of chronic low-back pain (CLBP) has increased dramatically. Despite this trend, the benefits and risks of these medications remain unclear. This review is an update of a Cochrane review first published in […]

Traction for low-back pain with or without sciatica

These findings indicate that traction, either alone or in combination with other treatments, has little or no impact on pain intensity, functional status, global improvement and return to work among people with LBP.

An Algorithmic Approach to Mechanical Hip Pain

Lazaros A. Poultsides, MD, MSc, PhD HSS J. 2012 October; 8(3): 213–224. Published online 2012 September 21. doi:  10.1007/s11420-012-9304-x Full Text Article:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3470663/ Abstract Background As our understanding of hip pathology evolves, the focus is shifting toward earlier identification of hip pathology. Therefore, it is vitally important to elucidate intra-articular versus extra-articular pathology of hip pain in every step […]

Clinical Assessment of the Shoulder – FULL TEXT ARTICLE

Thomas D Donnelly Open Orthop J. 2013; 7: 310–315. Published online 2013 September 6. doi: 10.2174/1874325001307010310 PMCID: PMC3785041 Suppl 3 Abstract The shoulder joint is complex in structure and functionality. It is often difficult to assess clinically due to the great variety of associated pathology. This article presents an overview of the anatomy of the […]

Active Hip Abduction Test as a Screening Test for Identifying Occupational Low Back Pain

Authors: Erika Nelson-Wong, DPT1, Timothy Flynn, PT, PhD2, Jack P. Callaghan, PhD3  AFFILIATIONS: 1 PhD candidate, University of Waterloo, Department of Kinesiology, Waterloo, ON, Canada.2 Associate Professor, Regis University, School of Physical Therapy, Denver, CO. 3 Associate Professor, University of Waterloo, Department of Kinesiology, Waterloo, ON, Canada. This work was conducted with financial support from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council Canada, and […]

One-week time course of the effects of Mulligan’s Mobilisation with Movement and taping in painful shoulders

Pamela Teys Previous research suggests that Mulligan’s Mobilisation-with-Movement (MWM) technique for the shoulder produces an immediate improvement in movement and pain. The aims of this study were to investigate the time course of the effects of a single MWM technique and to ascertain the effects of adding tape following MWM in people with shoulder pain. […]

Exercise for Lower Limb Osteoarthritis

Systematic Review Incorporating Trial Sequential Analysis and Network Meta-Analysis BMJ 2013 Sep 20;[EPub Ahead of Print], OA Uthman, DA van der Windt, JL Jordan, KS Dziedzic, EL Healey, GM Peat, NE Foster TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Is exercise effective in relieving pain and improving function in patients with lower-limb osteoarthritis? A total of 60 trials with > […]