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Intrathecal baclofen therapy is a recognized treatment for severe spasticity. We report here a case of stiff person syndrome in Australia, treated with intrathecal baclofen followed by a rehabilitation programme with substantial clinical and functional improvements. A 59-year-old woman diagnosed with stiff person syndrome had become hoist-dependent and required full care due to severe spasticity o ...

Objective: To assess and describe the involvement of all speech subsystems, including respiration, phonation, articulation, resonance, and prosody, in an individual with cervical spinal cord injury. Methods: Detailed speech and voice assessment was performed that included Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment, cranial nerve examination, voice (perceptual and instrumental) and nasometric evaluation, and ...

Objective: To examine the feasibility and practicality of whole body vibration therapy for individuals with dystonic or spastic dystonic cerebral palsy. Design: Pilot study. Subjects: Children and adults with dystonic or spastic dystonic cerebral palsy. Methods: Study participants received total body vibration therapy when standing still on a vibration platform for 3 bouts, duration 3-min, of v ...

Objective: To evaluate comprehensive unmet rehabilitation needs by using a novel graphic screening tool, Rehab-Compass, among individuals in the sub-acute stage after first-ever transient ischaemic attack. Methods: A pilot prospective cohort study investigated 47 individuals with first-ever transient ischaemic attack in an outpatient clinic setting. By using Rehab-Compass, based on well-validated ...

Objective: Sacral insufficiency fractures should be considered in differential diagnosis as a cause of autonomic dysreflexia and other vague symptoms in patients with spinal cord injury. Setting: The Supra Regional Tertiary Centre, Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries, Oswestry, UK. Method: Outpatient clinic review of 2 patients with long-standing spinal cord injury presenting with vague symptoms ...

Objective: Painful diabetic neuropathy is associated with low quality of life, depression and anxiety. Patients are limited in their performance of activities of daily living due to fears related to their condition. Treatment modalities are needed to help patients cope with their pain and pain-related disability. Exposure in vivo is an effective treatment in other chronic pain syndromes, increasin ...

Objective: Total knee arthroplasty is an effective surgical approach used to treat arthritis and knee trauma. Its utilization has grown, as has the accompanying financial impact, resulting in an equal need to advance physical therapy practice. One emerging approach improving patient outcomes and reducing cost is the inclusion of a preoperative physical therapy visit. The aim of this study was to q ...

Objective: Long-lasting pain is a challenge for patients’ everyday lives. The aim of this study was to examine how women and men who have participated in multimodal pain rehabilitation experience its impact in their everyday lives. Patients and methods: Individual semi-structured interviews with 5 women and 3 men who had participated in multimodal pain rehabilitation at a clinic in Sweden, ana ...

Background: Physical impairment or frailty due to sarcopaenia is common in patients with chronic kidney disease and those receiving dialysis. This study examined the association between muscle weakness and kidney function in Japanese patients with chronic kidney disease. Methods: A total of 23 stable outpatients were enrolled in the study. Several indices were used to assess muscle function; hand ...

Background: The course of Parkinson's disease is characterized by gait disturbance and falls, which affect patients' quality of life and engender high healthcare costs. These factors are not greatly improved by levodopa therapy or deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nuclei. Indeed, the symptoms may even worsen with these treatment. Physiotherapy may be the most appropriate treatment to reduc ...

Objective: Gait rehabilitation is a major concern for adults with an intellectual disability or a neuropsychological disorder. This study evaluated a collective task exercise that could complement an individual rehabilitation routine in such individuals. The movements of 3 individuals (2 patients and 1 healthy individual) were measured while walking alone and in pairs. The recovery rate, amplitude ...

Osteoarthritis is a group of multiple overlapping pathological conditions that cause destruction of articular cartilage and other structures of the joint. It is a progressive disease that leads to limitations of physical activity. New forms of treatment are therefore sought to alleviate the clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis and avoid surgery. Stem cell based therapy is an emerging field in ortho ...

Background: Growth hormone deficiency is a recognized consequence of traumatic brain injury. The aim of this study was to determine adherence to human growth hormone therapy among patients with traumatic brain injury compared with patients with hypothalamic or pituitary disease. Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients with traumatic brain injury referred for growth hormone stimulation ...

Objective: To compare the number of review papers published in rehabilitation journals during recent years with the number published a decade ago. Methods: PubMed search for review papers publi-shed in 7 major rehabilitation journals in 2005–2007 and 2015–2017. Results: Of the 940 review papers identified, 659 were published in 2015–2017, and 281 in 2005–2007. Two journals: Disability a ...

Background: Within the practice of physical medicine, instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization (IASTM) is increasing in popularity. However, the intervention is still in its infancy and important clinical issues require elucidation; among these are the effects on asymptomatic individuals. Methods: Twenty healthy males were allocated randomly to either 3 minutes of high-pressure IASTM or activ ...

Neuropathies of the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint are a well-documented cause of pain and weakness in sports people. Repetitive or excessive traction on the nerve supplying the affected muscle is believed to be the primary mechanism. We describe a case of this phenomenon in a young amateur boxer which has never been described in the literature previously. We document our hypothesis on the ...

Objective: To identify barriers to appropriate referral and treatment for patients with spasticity and present solutions that address these in a pragmatic way. Methods: Using the findings of interviews conducted with UK healthcare professionals on the management of post-stroke spasticity, a consensus meeting was held involving 7 UK spasticity experts. The panel identified barriers to timely iden ...

Objective: To evaluate the safety and outcomes of aerobic and resistance training in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation after spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Methods: Eleven patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection at 2 academic centres were studied retrospectively during cardiac rehabilitation from July 2013 to September 2017. Patients underwent maximal effort exercis ...