In the next installment of my Research Review series for MedBridge Education, we will discuss a recent study that appeared in Physical Therapy Journal conducted by Thomas et al. The authors investigated the changes in vertebral and internal carotid blood flow during selective positions that are commonly associated with manual therapy techniques were assumed. This…
The following is another article written for the online, video-based physical therapy continuing education company MedBridge Education... Following any type of surgery, significant weakness of the primary and secondary musculature is common. For example, quadriceps weakness has been documented during the immediate post-operative phase following surgery (Snyder-Mackler et al), as well as years following rehabilitation (Rosenberg et…
Blog Posts Over at ACL Prevention, Trent Nessler, DPT has posted several fantastic posts centered around using movement analysis in the treatment of orthopedic conditions ("Does Movement Assessment Really Tell You Anything?", "Does Injury Prevention = Improved Performance?", "Does endurance play a role in lower kinetic chain injury prevention?"). Evidence-Based Practice has been an important…
In my first in a series of 'Research Review' articles for MedBridge Education, I will review a recent study that appeared in The American Journal of Sports Medicine. Shaarani et al investigated the utility of a Prehabilitation program for patients scheduled to undergo anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Considering the variable rate of return to sport…
Biomechanical and neuromuscular factors receive considerable attention in discussing Return to Sport Following ACL Reconstruction. Psychological considerations, however, despite playing an integral role in returning an injured athlete to their respective sport, often go under-appreciated. The purpose of this piece is therefore to briefly review the literature related to the psychology of ACL injury and…
In my previous post, I discussed the current research and concepts with regards to Return to Sport following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACLR)... Now it is time to discuss how we, as clinicians, can help to prevent these injuries altogether. A recent Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 14 studies and 27,000 participants conducted by Gagnier…
Clinical decision making is integral to becoming an effective clinician, regardless of profession. One tool that we, as physical therapists, have is the clinical prediction rule (CPR), which is the best combination of medical signs, symptoms, and/or other findings in predicting the probability of a specific disease or outcome. There have been many CPRs developed…
Blog Posts Harrison Vaughan, PT, DPT at In Touch PT delves into some current evidence and clinical reasoning related to mechanical traction for patients presenting with neck pain ("What is Your Clinical Reasoning Behind Using Cervical Traction?"). As he states, the current CPR is unvalidated and likely leaves out many patients who could potentially benefit…
"When can I play ___________ again?" Such a simple question. Following an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), this is the answer that everyone (clinician, patient, coach, and parent) wants to know. Unfortunately, this simple question does not have a simple answer. With copious amounts of research devoted to this pathology, it would seem like an…
Hip pain is an all too common occurrence among older adults and adolescents alike. According to a survey and subsequent study conducted based on a predominantly female German population by Thiem et al. Out of the 2,221 individuals (> 40 years old) who responded, 15.2% reported hip pain and 3.5% reported bilateral hip pain. Similarly,…
John Snyder, DPT 