Musculoskeletal System

Physical Activity and Exercise Therapy Benefit More Than Just Symptoms and Impairments in People With Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis

Authors: Søren T. Skou, PT, PhD Synopsis Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip and knee is among the leading causes of global disability, highlighting the need for early, targeted, and effective treatment. The benefits of exercise therapy in people with hip and knee OA are substantial and supported by high-quality evidence, underlining that it should be […]

Test-Retest Reliability of Handgrip Strength as an Outcome Measure in Patients With Symptoms of Shoulder Impingement Syndrome – Full Text

Christos Savva, PhD JMPT. March–April, 2018 Volume 41, Issue 3, Pages 252–257 Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of test-retest reliability of grip strength measurement using a hand dynamometer in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. Methods A total of 19 patients (10 women and 9 men; mean ± standard […]

Complementary and alternative medicine for rheumatic diseases: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Complement Ther Med. 2018 Apr;37:143-157. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.03.003. Epub 2018 Mar 5. Phang JK Abstract OBJECTIVES: To summarize all good quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions in patients with rheumatic diseases. METHODS: A systematic literature review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) was performed. […]

Intervertebral disc status is associated with vertebral marrow adipose tissue and muscular endurance

Quittner, M., Rantalainen, T., Ridgers, N.D. et al. Eur Spine J (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-018-5567-3 Abstract Purpose Low back pain is a major public health issue. Identifying factors associated with better intervertebral disc (IVD) characteristics gives insight into IVD metabolism and highlights intervention targets for improvement of IVD health. This cross-sectional study investigates whether IVD T2-relaxation time […]

TMS Device May Offer Nondrug Option for Migraine Prevention

Damian McNamara April 12, 2018 A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved device that delivers single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (sTMS) to the brains of people with frequent migraines reduced the number of headache days by almost one third, new research shows. Results of the multicenter, prospective, open-label study showed 3 months of daily treatment with […]

Thousands of patients given ‘useless’ back-pain injection every year

Tens of thousands of patients are given a ‘useless’ back-pain injection that costs the NHS nearly £40 million ($567 million) each year Patients demanding a ‘quick fix’ are given the treatment at £540 ($765) per procedure Doctors are advised not to give the therapy but instead recommend exercise Previous research suggests painkillers and rest are wrongly […]

How Can the Intractable Problem of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain (CMP) Be Effectively Managed? The Need for a Well-Integrated Systems Approach – Full Text

Cherkin, D.C. J GEN INTERN MED (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-018-4362-5 Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) has long been one of the most clinically challenging conditions. The inability of clinicians to identify specific underlying causes of CMP for most patients and the lack of highly effective treatments continues to frustrate both clinicians and patients. Clinician desires to relieve their […]

Endometriosis Involving the Sciatic Nerve: A Case Report of Isolated Endometriosis of the Sciatic Nerve and Review of the Literature – Full-Text Article

Gynecol Minim Invasive Ther. 2018 Apr-Jun; 7(2): 81–85. Published online 2018 May 2. doi: 10.4103/GMIT.GMIT_24_18 PMCID: PMC6113996 PMID: 30254944 Tal D. Saar Abstract Endometriosis is a common gynecological condition which affects 5–10% of women of reproductive age and up to 50% of women with pelvic pain and infertility. The most commonly affected areas are the […]

ABCs of the degenerative spine – Full Text Article

Insights Imaging. 2018 Apr; 9(2): 253–274. Published online 2018 Mar 22. doi: 10.1007/s13244-017-0584-z PMCID: PMC5893484 PMID: 29569215 Sergiy V. Kushchayev Abstract Degenerative changes in the spine have high medical and socioeconomic significance. Imaging of the degenerative spine is a frequent challenge in radiology. The pathogenesis of this degenerative process represents a biomechanically related continuum of […]

Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Treating Chronic Back Pain

Wu, Lien-Chen Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine: February 1, 2018 – Volume Online First – Issue – p doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000740 Background and Objectives This study is a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to a control and to other nerve stimulation therapies (NSTs) for the treatment of […]

Reliability and validity of a new clinical test for assessment of the sacroiliac joint dysfunction

Hong Kong Physiotherapy Journal lVol. 38, No. 01, pp. 13-22 (2018) Research Papers Open Access Apurv Shimpi, Renuka Hatekar, Ashok Shyam and Parag Sancheti https://doi.org/10.1142/S1013702518500026 Abstract Background: Dysfunctional sacroiliac joint (SIJ) has been cited as a source of low backache (LBA). Numerous non-invasive clinical tests are available for its assessment having poor validity and reliability […]

Complete Detoxification Is the Most Effective Treatment of Medication-Overuse Headache

March 27, 2018 Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Medication-overuse headache is a common problem encountered in practice. With the dilemma of chronic opioid use becoming a focus of national attention, effective methods of treating medication-overuse headache are important to discuss. The authors of this study argue that there is there is lack […]

Use of Prescription Opioids Before and After Lumbar Fusion Surgery

March 28, 2018 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Adults undergoing lumbar fusion surgery (N = 2491) for chronic back pain were retrospectively followed to evaluate patterns of opioid use following surgery. Long-term opioids were used by 1045 individuals before surgery and by 1094 individuals postoperatively. Long-term postoperative use of opioids was observed in 77.1% of preoperative users and […]

Obesity Surgery Tames Knee OA Pain

Most pain reduction in those with greatest weight loss by Nancy Walsh, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today March 23, 2018 Laparoscopic gastric band (LAGB) surgery was associated with significant decreases in knee pain from osteoarthritis (OA), with the greatest improvements seen among those whose body mass index (BMI) had the greatest decreases and among younger […]

Validity of Combining History Elements and Physical Examination Tests to Diagnose Patellofemoral Pain

Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation April 2018 Volume 99, Issue 4, Pages 607–614.e1 Simon Décary, PT, PhD Abstract Objective To assess the validity of diagnostic clusters combining history elements and physical examination tests to diagnose or exclude patellofemoral pain (PFP). Design Prospective diagnostic study. Settings Orthopedic outpatient clinics, family medicine clinics, and community-dwelling. Participants […]

Accuracy of Ultrasonography for the Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation April 2018 Volume 99, Issue 4, Pages 758–765.e10 Ana Torres-Costoso, PhD Abstract Objective To evaluate the accuracy of inlet and outlet ultrasonography measurements for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Data Sources MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and the Web of Science databases were systematically searched from inception […]

MRI evaluation of the effects of extension exercises on the disc fluid content and location of the centroid of the fluid distribution

Musculoskeletal Science and Practice Volume 33, February 2018, Pages 67-70 Vahid Abdollah Highlights The signal intensity weighted centroid (SIWC) is a novel reliable non-invasive method for quantifying the effects of loading. Except for a more anterior SIWC in the L4L5 disc after extension, there were no significant SIWC differences. No significant differences were found in […]

Chiropractic Manipulation or Medication for Low Back Pain?

3/6/17 By Andrew Moeller Pain medication is a common and convenient treatment for lower back pain. But easier is not always better, as a recent study suggests that spinal manipulation may provide more relief than at least one popular pain medication. Published in the journal Spine, the recent study suggests that treating acute, non-specific lower […]

Good Morning America Segment on Back Pain Guidelines – Video

Good Morning America – the most watched morning show for most of 2017 – aired a segment about low back pain after new research published in The Lancet surfaced. Encouraging non-pharmacological pain management options prior to utilization of prescription opioids, Good Morning America encouraged its viewers to stay active, apply heat and receive spinal manipulation – which we know […]

Effect of Tai chi vs aerobic exercise for fibromyalgia: Comparative effectiveness randomized controlled trial

BMJ — | March 23, 2018 Wang C, et al. – Experts undertook a comparative scrutiny of the effectiveness of Tai chi interventions vs aerobic exercise, a current core standard treatment in patients with fibromyalgia. Furthermore, they intended to contemplate if the effectiveness of Tai chi depended on its dosage or duration. Results illustrated similar […]