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Showing posts from November, 2008

THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY

In the mid-1970s Dr John Upledger was the first practitioner to teach some of these therapeutic skills to people who were not osteopathically trained. Dr Upledger had become drawn to exploring primary respiratory motion after an incident that occurred while he was assisting during a spinal surgical operation. He was asked to hold aside a part of the dural membrane system which enfolds the spine, while the surgeon attempted to remove a calcium growth. To his embarrassment, Dr Upledger was unable to keep a firm hold on the membrane, as it kept rhythmically moving under his fingers. He took a post-graduate course in cranial osteopathy and then set out on his own path of clinical research. Over the years, Dr Upledger has done a great deal to popularize craniosacral work around the world. When Dr Upledger began to teach non-osteopaths, he encountered great opposition from many in the profession who believed that the foundation of a full osteopathic training is necessary to practise the cran

Quantifying the lumbar flexion-relaxation phenomenon: theory, normative data, and clinical applications.

Following is a excerpt form Neblett R et al’s study on flexion-relaxation phenomenon: The flexion-relaxation phenomenon has been recognized since 1951, and it can be reproducibly assessed in normal subjects with FR unloaded. It can be found intermittently in patients with chronic low back pain. Recent studies have moved toward deriving formulas to identify FR, but only a few have examined a potential relation between inclinometric lumbar motion measures and the surface electromyographic signal. No previous studies have developed normative data potentially useful for objectively assessing nonoperative treatment progress, effort, or the validity of permanent impairment rating measures. This phenomenon was offer a potentially promising method for individualizing rehabilitation treatment, decreasing unnecessary utilization, identifying potential postrehabilitation treatment failures, and assessing permanent impairment rating validity. Moreover, this is the first study to demonstrate syste

Does the evidence support the existence of lumbar spine coupled motion? A critical review of the literature.

Legaspi and Edmond of USA reviewed the current literature addressing coupled motion between side bending and rotation in the lumbar spine to determine if a consistent pattern exists across articles. They found 24 articles in which 32 analyses addressed their clinical question. Seventeen of the 24 articles identified concluded that some form of coupled motion exists; however, there was little agreement across articles as to the specific characteristics of coupled motion. They found high degree of inconsistency in reported patterns of coupled motion. This suggested that physical therapists should use caution when applying concepts of coupled motion to the evaluation and treatment of patients with low back pain.

Physical therapy for Bell s palsy (idiopathic facial paralysis).

Bell's palsy (idiopathic facial paralysis) is commonly treated by physical therapy services with various therapeutic strategies and devices. There are many questions about their efficacy and effectiveness. To evaluate the efficacy of physical therapies on the outcome of Bell's palsy Teixeira LJ et al in 2008. They searched the Cochrane Neuromuscular Disease Group Trials Register (February 2008), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 2007), MEDLINE (January 1966 to February 2008), EMBASE (January 1980 to February 2008), LILACS (January 1982 to February 2008), PEDro (from 1929 to February 2008), and CINAHL (January 1982 to February 2008). They selected randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials involving any physical therapy. We included participants of any age with a diagnosis of Bell's palsy and all degrees of severity. The outcome measures were: incomplete recovery six months after randomisation, motor synkinesis, crocod

Graston Technique

Graston Technique Changing the way soft tissue injuries are treated. Graston Technique is an interdisciplinary treatment used by nearly 5000 clinicians—including athletic trainers, chiropractors, hand therapists, occupational and physical therapists. GT is implemented at the following settings: Out Patient Facilities Companies/Industry Schools and Universities Sports Organizations For the clinician: It provides improved diagnostic treatment. It help in detecting major and minor fibrotic changes in soft tissue. It also reduces manual stress; provides hand and joint conservation of the clinician. It also increases patient satisfaction by achieving notably better outcomes that further expands business and revenue opportunities For the patient: It decreases overall time of treatment, fosters faster rehabilitation/recovery, reduces need for anti-inflammatory medication, resolves chronic conditions thought to be permanent Six stainless steel instruments form the cornerstone of Graston Te

The weight watchers

Weight watchers has “Four Pillars” of weight loss based on research that includes: 1.Behavior, 2.Exercise, 3.Support, and 4.Food. Each is an important component of a well rounded weight loss program that has lasting results.

Points of weight watchers (USA)

1. Widely available On the website, enter zip code, and meeting locations and times are presented. 2. No commitments Can attend meetings once a week for less than an hour. There’s no contract, it is pay as you go. 3.Physician referral Children between the ages of 10-17 need a doctor's note with a goal weight. Children under the age of 10 are unable to join. 4. Use behavioral components since 1974 Now offers online access and weigh-ins. Message boards are available online and members are encouraged to communicate with one another. 5. Nutritionally sound exchange program Incorporates the exchange list into the program for individuals choosing the flexible points plan. 6. Convenience Can meet one hour a week at the nearest location for meetings. 7. Exercise Incorporated into the plan for individuals cleared to exercise. Offers demonstrations, advice and plans. 8. Online access Offers recipes and information on foods and special dietary needs. The database contains over 15,000 favor

Top commercial weight-loss programs of USA

Weight Watchers TOPS Overeaters Anonymous Nutri System Diet Center Health Management Resources Jenny Craig Optifast Medical Weight Loss Clinic LA Weight Loss Curves for Women

Adherence and effectiveness of 4 popular diets- Weight change at 1-year

Atkins (Carbohydrate restriction): weight loss of 2.1 kg; 21 patients [53%] of 40 patients completed the study. Ornish (Fat restriction): weight loss of 3.3 kg; 20 patients [50%] of 40 patients completed the study. Weight Watchers (Energy restriction): weight loss of 3.0 kg; 26 patients [65%] of 40 patients completed the study. Zone (Macronutrient balance): weight loss of 3.2 kg; 26 patients [65%] of 40 patients completed the study.

Exercise Facts on metabolism & physiological systems

• The role of physical activity in type 2 diabetes prevention is well established. (DPS, DPP) • Physical activity improves glycaemic control but has no significant effect upon body mass index. (Boule et al, JAMA 2001) • Physical activity has beneficial effects upon cardiorespiratory fitness. (Boule et al, Diabetologia 2003) • > 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most (preferably all) days of the week. (ACSM) • To maintain long-term weight loss, studies suggest that more exercise (60-75 mins/day) is needed (Di Loreto, Diabetes Care 2005) • Post-intervention A1c lower in exercise groups compared with control groups (weighted mean difference –0.66%) • No difference in body weight (weighted mean difference 0.54kg) (Boule et al, Diabetes Care 2003)

Athlete’s knee problems and the cartilage know how:

Knee pain is one of the commonest in athlete. The following are the most common causes: 1. Cartilage Tears 2. Patellar Tendinitis 3. ACL Injuries The menisci: The two crescent-shaped pads of cartilage are present in both knees. The pad on the inner side of the knee is the ‘medial meniscus’, while the outer one is the ‘lateral meniscus’. Together they act in four different ways to improve knee function: 1. They spread load across the joint. In standing, this is up to 50% of the supported load; in flexion (bending at the knee) it increases to 90% 2. They improve joint congruency or stability 3. They increase the contact surface area of the main leg bones, helping to spread the weight of the body across a greater area of articular cartilage 4. They help to circulate synovial (joint) fluid around the knee. Crucially, the menisci have limited healing potential as their blood supply only reaches the outermost 10% to 30% of each meniscus. Within this region tears may heal. But more centrally-

Back pain solutions for general readers of this blog.

According to a USA study 90 percent of Americans suffer from LBA at some point of time in life and the gross USA back pain expenditure is around $50 billion per year. A simple view of why LBA occurs? First it’s important to understand why we get that back pain in the first place: tendons attach your muscles to your bones. Ligaments attach bones to bones. As you get older, your flexibility decreases. Certain muscles shorten and your joints lose their range of motion—meaning your ligaments get weaker. This can trigger a number of back problems. A simple technique that’ll rid you of back pain in as little as two minutes a day. Healthy stretching works by lengthening those ligaments and strengthening your tendons. Problem is most average stretching exercises put stress on your ligature. Not exactly helpful. The key factor that most folks don’t know—including a lot of yoga teachers and personal trainers—is that you don’t want loose joints. The tighter they are, the more stable and stronger

Surgical treatment of tennis elbow

According to Knudsen R et al (2008) surgical treatment of lateral epicondylitits (LE) has not been investigated sufficiently to allow general guidelines, nor has non-invasive treatment produced sufficiently good results. The results of 31 mini-tenotomies performed by them to treat lateral epicondylitis. The mini-tenotomies were performed under local anaesthesia and the extensor aponeurosis was cut close to the epicondyl. Surgery achieved its maximal effect on average four weeks after surgery. The present results indicate that mini-tenotomy could be a promising treatment for a selected group with isolated LE.