Musculoskeletal System

Physical activity and associations with computed tomography-detected lumbar zygapophyseal joint osteoarthritis

Spine J. 2015 Jan 1;15(1):42-9. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2014.06.022. Epub 2014 Jul 8. Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT: There are no previous epidemiologic studies examining associations between physical activity and imaging-detected lumbar zygapophyseal joint osteoarthritis (ZJO) in a community-based sample. PURPOSE: To determine whether physical activity is associated with prevalent lumbar ZJO on computed tomography (CT). STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: A […]

Opioids for low back pain

BMJ. 2015 Jan 5;350:g6380. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g6380. Opioids for low back pain. Deyo RA, Von Korff M, Duhrkoop D. Abstract Back pain affects most adults, causes disability for some, and is a common reason for seeking healthcare. In the United States, opioid prescription for low back pain has increased, and opioids are now the most commonly […]

Symptomatic versus Asymptomatic Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: Is Inflammation the Key?

Critical Reviews™ in Eukaryotic Gene Expression Volume 25, 2015 Issue 1 DOI: 10.1615/CritRevEukaryotGeneExpr.2015012369 pages 13-21 Yan Peng Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Feng-Juan Lv Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong; HKU Shenzhen Institute of […]

Manual therapy for cervicogenic dizziness

Manual therapy for cervicogenic dizziness: Long-term outcomes of a randomised trial Susan A. Reid Received: April 10, 2014; Received in revised form: July 29, 2014; Accepted: August 5, 2014; Published Online: August 26, 2014 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2014.08.003 Manual therapy is effective for reducing cervicogenic dizziness, a disabling and persistent problem, in the short term. This study […]

ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF GLUTEUS MEDIUS AND GLUTEUS MAXIMUS DURING REHABILITATION EXERCISES

Kristen Boren, DPT, Cara Conrey, DPT Abstract Purpose/Background: Previous research studies by Bolga, Ayotte, and Distefano have examined the level of muscle recruitment of the gluteal muscles for various clinical exercises;  however, there has been no cross comparison among the top exercises from each study. The purpose of this study is to compare top exercises from […]

Arthritis: Self-directed Exercise Program Shows Benefits

Laird Harrison December 31, 2014 A self-directed exercise program can improve the symptoms of arthritis, a new study shows. After 12 weeks, participants in the First Step to Active Health program showed significant improvements in lower body strength, functional exercise capacity, lower body flexibility, pain, fatigue, stiffness, and arthritis management self-efficacy. “This program adds a more flexible […]

Effect of Weather on Back Pain: Results From a Case-Crossover Study Daniel Steffens

Arthritis Care & Research Volume 66, Issue 12, pages 1867–1872, December 2014 Objective To investigate the influence of various weather conditions on risk of low back pain. Methods We conducted a case-crossover study in primary care clinics in Sydney, Australia. A total of 993 consecutive patients with a sudden, acute episode of back pain were […]

Stem cell knee injection shown to regenerate meniscus, reduce pain

Vangsness C. J Bone Joint Surg. 2014;doi: 10.2106/JBJS.M.00058 January 24, 2014 Results of a randomized, double-blind controlled study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery supported the use of human mesenchymal stem cell for meniscal regeneration and the control of knee pain. “There was evidence of meniscus regeneration and improvement in knee pain following […]

Anatomy Angel: Quadratus Lumborum

Anatomy Angel: Quadratus Lumborum December 30, 2014 by Kathy Dooley The quadratus lumborum (QL) is a glorious muscle of the posterior abdominal wall. This muscle attaches to transverse processes of vertebrae L1-L4, anchoring itself inferiorly to the iliolumbar ligament and iliac crest. These attachments place the QL in perfect position to laterally stabilize the lumbar […]

Does a healthy lifestyle behaviour influence the prognosis of low back pain among men and women in a general population?

BMJ Open. 2014 Dec 30;4(12):e005713. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005713. Does a healthy lifestyle behaviour influence the prognosis of low back pain among men and women in a general population? A population-based cohort study. Bohman T, Alfredsson L, Jensen I, Hallqvist J, Vingård E, Skillgate E. Abstract OBJECTIVES: To study the influence of healthy lifestyle behaviour on the […]

Regional effects of orthopedic manual physical therapy in the successful management of chronic jaw pain

Cranio. 2014 Dec 30:2151090314Y0000000039. [Epub ahead of print] Regional effects of orthopedic manual physical therapy in the successful management of chronic jaw pain. Sault JD, Emerson Kavchak AJ, Courtney CA, Tow N. Abstract Objective and importance: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) encompass a variety of dysfunction of the maxillofacial region. A strong relationship between TMD and cervical […]

Weight Still Top Risk Factor for Knee Arthritis, Pain

Other factors include female gender, previous knee injury, age, and presence of hand OA. Familiar risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (OA) in individuals 50 years and older — high body mass index (BMI), previous knee injury, age, female sex, and the presence of hand OA — were confirmed as the condition’s top drivers in a […]

Association between kyphosis and subacromial impingement syndrome: LOHAS study

Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery December 2014Volume 23, Issue 12, Pages e300–e307 Kenichi Otoshi, MD, PhD Background Kyphosis is a cause of scapular dyskinesis, which can induce various shoulder disorders, including subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS). This study aimed to clarify the impact of kyphosis on SIS with use of cross-sectional data from the Locomotive […]

Changes in cervical range of motion, flexion-relaxation ratio and pain with visual display terminal work

Work. 2014;47(2):261-5. doi: 10.3233/WOR-121580. Shin SJ1, Yoo WG2. Author information Abstract BACKGROUND: The static posture in visual display terminal (VDT) workers results in increased forward neck flexion and increased static muscle tension in the neck and shoulder regions. However, few studies have objectively quantified the change in head posture induced shoulder pain during VDT work. […]

Distribution of Schmorl Nodes in the Lumbar Spine and Their Relationship With Lumbar Disk Degeneration and Range of Motion

Yin, Ruofeng MD Spine 01 January 2015 Vol. 40 – Issue 1: p E49–E53 Abstract Study Design. A kinematic magnetic resonance imaging study. Objective. To investigate the distribution of Schmorl nodes (SNs) in the lumbar spine in healthy adults, and determine the association with lumbar disk degeneration and lumbar spine motion. Summary of Background Data. […]

The Cervical Lordosis in Health and Disease: Literature Review & The Denneroll ‘Home Based’ Orthotic

Since my graduation from Chiropractic College (Life Chiropractic College West) in 1994, I’ve spent much of my 20 years in the clinical and research trenches attempting to understand and improve abnormalities of the cervical lordosis in patient populations. I’ve personally been involved in many scientific research investigations developing and discussing the evidence for the connection […]

‘Where Does It Hurt Most?’ Is a Valid Diagnostic Question

by Rita Baron-Faust MedPage Today Staff Writer Two new studies say that patients’ descriptions of back or hip pain may have clinically valid utility in diagnosis of their conditions. A small study involving patients with hip pain in New Zealand found numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) scores from more than a dozen standardized tests, such […]

Cause-Effect: Vascular Disease and LBP

Atherosclerosis contributes to low back pain and spinal degeneration. By Deborah Pate, DC, DACBR Dynamic Chiropractic – January 1, 2015, Vol. 33, Issue 01 Atherosclerosis is a far-too-common chronic, systemic disease. We tend to think only of the clinical symptoms associated with this disease affecting the coronary arteries, as in a myocardial infarction; or the carotids, […]

Evaluation of paraclinical tests in the diagnosis of cervicogenic dizziness

Otol Neurotol. 2014 Dec;35(10):1858-65. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000000506. L’Heureux-Lebeau B1, Godbout A, Berbiche D, Saliba I. Abstract OBJECTIVE: To assess the utility of the paraclinical tests in patients presenting with clinical diagnosis of cervicogenic dizziness. STUDY DESIGN: Case controlled. SETTING: Otolaryngology clinic of a tertiary referral hospital center. PATIENTS: Twenty-five subjects with cervicogenic dizziness and 25 subjects […]

Walking exercise for chronic musculoskeletal pain

Walking exercise for chronic musculoskeletal pain: systematic review and meta-analysis Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,12/23/2014  Clinical Article O’Connor SR, et al. – The aim of this study is to systematically review the evidence examining effects of walking interventions on pain and self–reported function in individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Evidence of fair methodological quality suggests that […]