Work-related complaints and diseases of physical therapists – protocol for the establishment of a “Physical Therapist Cohort” (PTC) in Germany

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Objectives: To find the prevalence of work related musculoskeletal problems among the physical therapist. Study Design: Associational, correlational, causal-comparative. Methodology: The Physical therapists from clinical setups (private and public) in Lahore, Pakistan, were enrolled taking a sample size of 131. The sample size calculated was by keeping margin of error equal to 13% and level of significance equal to 5%. Statistical analysis: Data was analyzed by SPSS software, version 25 as qualitative variables were expressed as frequencies and percentages. Results: There was a significant relation of physical problems related to work of physical therapist as per daily routine of repetitive movements while giving a treatment to the patient. Conclusion: We concluded that experts of the field either switch to the academic side or more preventive nature of job to manage the economic needs along with their profession. Keywords: Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Physical Health Problems.

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FREQUENCY OF WORK RELATED LOW BACK PAIN AMONG PHYSICAL THERAPISTS

Pakistan Journal of Rehabilitation ◽

10.36283/pjr.zu.2.2/007 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 38-44

Author(s):

Saima Javed ◽

Anum Jawaid Sultan ◽

M. Usman Khan ◽

Maria Rahim

Keyword(s):

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Physical Therapists ◽

Physical Therapist ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Activity Level ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Low Back ◽

Specialty Area ◽

Work Related

To find out the frequency of work, related to Low Back Pain (LBP) among physical therapist of tertiary care hospital of Karachi. To analyze the effects of physical activity level, sub-specialty areas and Body Mass Index (BMI) on Work Related Low Back Pain (WRLBP) as well. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with non-probability convenience sampling technique was used. The study included 265 Physical Therapist working in Tertiary Care Hospitals of Karachi. Data was collected throughpre-tested, structured and self-administered questionnaire and then,wasanalyzed on SPSS version 17. This study reported that prevalence of WRLBP was 66.4%. The rate was higher in femalephysiotherapist, that is, 42.6%. Data revealed that, 69% of respondents experienced WRLBP within 2 years of their practices. Moreover, the manual therapy was found to be the most common cause for WRLBP. No significant association was found between BMIand physical activitylevel of physical therapist, but interestingly, it was found that sub-specialty area of work was correlated with WRLBP. The rate of WRLBP has been found to be high in physical therapists due to their profession. It is therefore, required to build up an effective ergonomic strategy, strengthen training for prevention at undergraduate level in order to reduce and prevent WRLBP.

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Work-Related Low Back Pain Among Physical Therapists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Workplace Health & Safety ◽

10.1177/2165079916670167 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 65 (8) ◽

pp. 337-345 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ahmad Alghadir ◽

Hamayun Zafar ◽

Zaheen A. Iqbal ◽

Einas Al-Eisa

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Physical Therapists ◽

Physical Therapist ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Daily Activities ◽

Low Back ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Work Related

Low back pain (LBP) is a common health problem. Professions like physical therapy (PT), involving frequent lifting, bending, or standing, are at risk for developing LBP. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of work-related LBP and factors associated with and consequences of work-related LBP among physical therapists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered online questionnaire (i.e., demographic data, history of LBP before and after working as a physical therapist, work setting, and effect on daily activities) was sent to 600 members of the Saudi PT association. Data were analyzed using the Pearson chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test. Eighty-eight percent of potential respondents completed the questionnaire. Of these, 89.65% of the therapists reported LBP after beginning their PT practice, and 35.6% reported LBP at the time of this survey. Gender, PT specialty, and duration of contact with patients were all found to be related to LBP. The prevalence of work-related LBP among physical therapist in Riyadh was high, affecting patient care and daily activities of the therapists. Both primary and secondary prevention strategies (e.g., introduce ergonomics into PT curricula, reduce therapist stress, and promote teamwork) are needed to decrease LBP among therapists, so they can effectively care for patients.

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Automatically evaluating balance using machine learning and data from a single inertial measurement unit

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation ◽

10.1186/s12984-021-00894-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Fahad Kamran ◽

Kathryn Harrold ◽

Jonathan Zwier ◽

Wendy Carender ◽

Tian Bao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Machine Learning ◽

Inertial Measurement Unit ◽

Physical Therapists ◽

Physical Therapist ◽

Model Performance ◽

Machine Learning Techniques ◽

Measurement Unit ◽

Balance Performance ◽

Inertial Measurement ◽

Self Assessments

Abstract Background Recently, machine learning techniques have been applied to data collected from inertial measurement units to automatically assess balance, but rely on hand-engineered features. We explore the utility of machine learning to automatically extract important features from inertial measurement unit data for balance assessment. Findings Ten participants with balance concerns performed multiple balance exercises in a laboratory setting while wearing an inertial measurement unit on their lower back. Physical therapists watched video recordings of participants performing the exercises and rated balance on a 5-point scale. We trained machine learning models using different representations of the unprocessed inertial measurement unit data to estimate physical therapist ratings. On a held-out test set, we compared these learned models to one another, to participants’ self-assessments of balance, and to models trained using hand-engineered features. Utilizing the unprocessed kinematic data from the inertial measurement unit provided significant improvements over both self-assessments and models using hand-engineered features (AUROC of 0.806 vs. 0.768, 0.665). Conclusions Unprocessed data from an inertial measurement unit used as input to a machine learning model produced accurate estimates of balance performance. The ability to learn from unprocessed data presents a potentially generalizable approach for assessing balance without the need for labor-intensive feature engineering, while maintaining comparable model performance.

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Rethinking Telerehabilitation: Attitudes of Physical Therapists and Patients

Journal of Patient Experience ◽

10.1177/23743735211034335 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 237437352110343

Author(s):

Fereshteh Saaei ◽

Susan G Klappa

Keyword(s):

Patient Population ◽

Physical Therapists ◽

Physical Therapist ◽

Patient Survey ◽

Patient Perspectives ◽

Remote Care ◽

Virtual Therapy ◽

Therapy Sessions

COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of telehealth among various specialties, including rehabilitation. The fast-paced implementation of telerehabilitation has laid bare its challenges, providing an opportunity for innovation in order to enhance the experience of remote care. The purpose of this study sought to understand the attitudes toward telerehabilitation from physical therapist (PT) and patient perspectives. Two surveys administered to PTs, and the general patient population explored beliefs regarding telerehabilitation. There were a total of 289 participant responses in this study. There were 228 PT respondents and 61 patients who responded to the patient survey. Qualitative results describe current attitudes toward telerehabilitation. Results indicated both groups were receptive to virtual therapy sessions; however, some challenges were also reported. Current challenges and trends in utilizing telerehabilitation are further discussed.

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Evaluation of Individualized Functional Electrical Stimulation-Induced Acute Changes during Walking: A Case Series in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21134452 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (13) ◽

pp. 4452

Author(s):

Nicole Zahradka ◽

Ahad Behboodi ◽

Ashwini Sansare ◽

Samuel C. K. Lee

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Palsy ◽

Electrical Stimulation ◽

Functional Electrical Stimulation ◽

Physical Therapists ◽

Physical Therapist ◽

Case Series ◽

Phase Detection ◽

Lower Extremity Muscle ◽

Children With Cerebral Palsy ◽

Muscle Groups

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) walking interventions have demonstrated improvements to gait parameters; however, studies were often confined to stimulation of one or two muscle groups. Increased options such as number of muscle groups targeted, timing of stimulation delivery, and level of stimulation are needed to address subject-specific gait deviations. We aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of using a FES system with increased stimulation options during walking in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Three physical therapists designed individualized stimulation programs for six children with CP to target participant-specific gait deviations. Stimulation settings (pulse duration and current) were tuned to each participant. Participants donned our custom FES system that utilized gait phase detection to control stimulation to lower extremity muscle groups and walked on a treadmill at a self-selected speed. Motion capture data were collected during walking with and without the individualized stimulation program. Eight gait metrics and associated timing were compared between walking conditions. The prescribed participant-specific stimulation programs induced significant change towards typical gait in at least one metric for each participant with one iteration of FES-walking. FES systems with increased stimulation options have the potential to allow the physical therapist to better target the individual’s gait deviations than a one size fits all device.

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Patient Screening by a Physical Therapist for Nonmusculoskeletal Hip Pain

Physical Therapy ◽

10.2522/ptj.20070366 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 89 (3) ◽

pp. 248-256 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

William R VanWye

Keyword(s):

Lumbar Spine ◽

Physical Therapists ◽

Physical Therapist ◽

Hip Osteoarthritis ◽

Care Physician ◽

Hip Pain ◽

Screening Tools ◽

Positive Sign ◽

Diagnostic Challenge ◽

Trochanteric Bursitis

Background and Purpose Mechanical hip pain and disease-based hip pain can have similar signs and symptoms, thereby presenting a differential diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Hip pain is a common complaint addressed by physical therapists; therefore, it would be advantageous for them to be knowledgeable about differential diagnosis for hip pain, so that they can screen for possible serious conditions outside the realm of physical therapist practice and make the appropriate referral. Case Description A 77-year-old man was referred for physical therapy by his primary care physician (PCP) with diagnoses of lumbar spine and left hip osteoarthritis and possible trochanteric bursitis. After the examination, the physical therapist determined that the patient should return to his PCP for further testing. Findings leading to this conclusion were pain severity out of proportion to the reported injury, the presence of night pain, a positive “sign of the buttock,” and empty end feels of all hip joint motions, which represented a noncapsular pattern of joint restriction. Outcomes The patient was diagnosed later with primary lung adenocarcinoma with widespread metastases. A computerized tomography scan of the left hip revealed a metastatic lesion at the left proximal femur. Discussion Physical therapists’ ability to adequately screen for conditions requiring examination by a physician can lead to a more timely diagnosis of serious medical conditions. Investigators have found published descriptions of end feels, capsular versus noncapsular patterns of restriction, and the sign of the buttock to be beneficial screening tools for use in people with hip, pelvis, or lumbar spine pain.

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Economic Realities Associated With Diabetes Care: Opportunities to Expand Delivery of Physical Therapist Services to a Vulnerable Population

Physical Therapy ◽

10.2522/ptj.20070383 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 88 (11) ◽

pp. 1417-1424 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Rhea Cohn

Keyword(s):

Health Insurance ◽

Physical Therapists ◽

Physical Therapist ◽

Indirect Costs ◽

Market Forces ◽

Employee Productivity ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Profit Margins ◽

Current Trends

Each year, more Americans are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The costs for managing this disease are high, and the cascade of problems associated with poorly controlled diabetes is significant. At the same time, the number of uninsured or underinsured Americans is growing. This article describes current trends in health insurance availability and coverage for the growing number of people with diabetes and addresses the direct costs associated with treating this disease. The economic burden of health care for people with diabetes continues to escalate. Payers and employers are interested in decreasing their direct and indirect costs, improving profit margins, decreasing employee absenteeism, and increasing employee productivity. For physical therapists to recognize existing or new opportunities to participate in the management of this costly disease, it is critical that they understand how employees, payers, and employers are responding to the changing market forces affecting health insurance.

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Management of Sternal Precautions Following Median Sternotomy by Physical Therapists in Australia: A Web-Based Survey

Physical Therapy ◽

10.2522/ptj.20100373 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 92 (1) ◽

pp. 83-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Lara J. Tuyl ◽

Jennifer H. Mackney ◽

Catherine L. Johnston

Keyword(s):

Patient Outcomes ◽

Physical Therapists ◽

Physical Therapist ◽

Median Sternotomy ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Wound Breakdown ◽

Observational Design ◽

Midline Sternotomy

Background Sternal precautions are utilized within many hospitals with the aim of preventing the occurrence of sternal complications (eg, infection, wound breakdown) following midline sternotomy. The evidence base for sternal precaution protocols, however, has been questioned due to a paucity of research, unknown effect on patient outcomes, and possible discrepancies in pattern of use among institutions. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate and document the use of sternal precautions by physical therapists in the treatment of patients following median sternotomy in hospitals throughout Australia, from immediately postsurgery to discharge from the hospital. Design A cross-sectional, observational design was used. An anonymous, Web-based survey was custom designed for use in the study. Methods The questionnaire was content validated, and the online functionality was assessed. The senior cardiothoracic physical therapist from each hospital identified as currently performing cardiothoracic surgery (N=51) was invited to participate. Results The response rate was 58.8% (n=30). Both public (n=18) and private (n=12) hospitals in all states of Australia were represented. Management protocols reported by participants included wound support (n=22), restrictions on lifting and transfers (n=23), and restrictions on mobility aid use (n=15). Factors influencing clinical practice most commonly included “workplace practices/protocols” (n=27) and “clinical experience” (n=22). Limitations The study may be limited by response bias. Conclusions Significant variation exists in the sternal precautions and protocols used in the treatment of patients following median sternotomy in Australian hospitals. Further research is needed to investigate whether the restrictions and precautions used are necessary and whether protocols have an impact on patient outcomes, including rates of recovery and length of stay.

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Development of Active Rehabilitation Device of Hand Joint

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.591-593.245 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 591-593 ◽

pp. 245-250 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hsi Chuan Huang ◽

W.H. Kao ◽

T.S. Wei ◽

S.Y. Liu ◽

Y.S. Syu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Control System ◽

Embedded System ◽

Physical Therapists ◽

Physical Therapist ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Control Technology ◽

Rehabilitation Process ◽

Processing Control ◽

Active Rehabilitation ◽

External Forces

If the hand joints patients have not been taking autonomic or external force rehabilitation, they might become disabled, even leading the cause ofirreversible disability eventually. Generally speaking, the medical treatment of rehabilitation has been doing by physical therapist by providing patients with external forces rehabilitation assistance as far as we know currently. For the purpose of both of reducing the workload of physical therapists and providing the quantitative data obtained during the rehabilitation process so as for physical therapist’s reference. This research will build an automatic finger stretch and grip control system by using the Human- Machine Interface for operation control. It can be done by physical therapist or physical doctor to set the operating conditions so as to help the patients with their finger joints motion so as to achieve the rehabilitation effect of their fingers. This research is trying to integrate the mechanism and control technology mainly. With regards to the control technology, it uses a micro chip so as to lead the motions of the stretch & grip for finger rehabilitation by a signal processing control servo motor. And its operation interface is using an embedded system along with Visual Studio compiling software so as to touch input the operating conditions. The system operation functions are including single finger joint motion orsynchronized actuation of all fingers and the setting of the cycle numbers. Furthermore, in order to soften the finger tendons so as to promote the rehabilitation effect during the rehabilitation process, the system adds external steam in so as to control the internal temperature & humidity of the rehabilitation box and apparently, the whole finger automatic stretch & grip control system will be better owing to it.

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