Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Practice

A logic model was developed as part of an evaluation of a case management program (CMP) for frequent users in a health and social services center in the province of Québec (Canada). Five approaches were used as part of a qualitative multiple case study methodology: analysis of unpublished documents, review of literature on CMPs for frequent users, in-depth interviews, focus groups with stakeholders and participant observations. Collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis and validated by the health and social services center’s partners.

At the beginning there was an international network of physical therapists working in the field of psychiatry and mental health with the origin at Leuven University (Belgium) from in 2006. The International Organization of Physical Therapy in Mental Health (IOPTMH) was accepted as a World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) subgroup at the 17th General Meeting, in 2011 and reconfirmed in 2015 and 2019, including 21 member countries, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, but within IOPTMH, there is a network of individual physical therapists, representing 59 nations from 6 continents.

According to the International Organization of Physical Therapy in Mental Health (IOPTMH), physiotherapy in mental health is a recognized specialty of physical therapy, with a subgroup representing physiotherapists from around the world before the World Confederation of Physical Therapy (WCPT). It is implemented in different settings, in health, psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine.

According to the United Nations, to date the number and proportion of elderly grows much faster than in other age groups. The increase in the total number of elderly persons in the population of the globe makes the actual problems of social and economic consequences of population ageing. The issue of ensuring the quality of life of older people becomes an important and urgent task of the state.

Cross-sectional studies and small case series have suggested that increased left ventricular (LV) trabeculation may be a manifestation of benign athletic remodeling in predisposed individuals. Interestingly, there is some support that increased LV trabeculation may improve cardiac performance through increases in stroke volume, stroke work and cardiac index (preprint). The practical implications are that athletes are at risk of over diagnosis of left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC).

Osteoporosis is a worldwide disease and osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) have a high incidence in the elderly population, mostly involving female sex in the postmenopausal status. They are usually treated conservatively with a bed rest period, pain control with analgesics, bracing, bisphosphonates and early rehabilitation. Nevertheless, this kind of treatment can fail with persistent pain, collapse, pseudoarthrosis, kyphotic deformity and neurologic impairment. Therefore, there is the necessity to identify clinical, radiographic and magnetic resonance parameters that might predict risk of complications and conservative treatment failure of osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

Participating in physical activity and exercise has significant benefits, including treating, preventing, and reducing risk factors for chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and osteoarthritis. Physical activity can also positively play a role in palliative care among individuals with terminal diseases. 

Stroke is the 5th leading cause of death and the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States sustains a stroke, resulting in approximately 133,000 deaths per year. Stroke related deaths accounted for 11.8% of total deaths in 2015, making stroke the second leading cause of death worldwide, second only to heart disease 

Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) may be considered in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients with advance emphysema who are symptomatic and have refractory hyperinflation despite optimal medical therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation.

Described in seafarers in the 18th century, Vitamin C deficiency is the cause of the clinical syndrome that became known as ‘The Scurvy’ . Observations that dietary supplementation with citrus fruits effected a rapid cure led to organized preventative measures, and helped to establish the importance of a balanced diet in maintaining health. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient also known as Ascorbic acid, isolated in 1923, and chemically produced in 1933. This was the first example of a vitamin being developed and then used as a therapeutic pharmacological preparation .

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Stroke also imposes an important economic burden. In Western countries, approximately 2-5 per cent of total health-care costs are due to cerebrovascular diseases. Within the first year following a stroke, acute in-patient care accounts for the majority of direct health-care costs.

Breathing instruction in physiotherapy is considered an important skill for the assessment and intervention in diaphragmatic dysfunction associated with respiratory disorders. For respiratory physiotherapy, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of respiratory movements in the thorax and abdomen and to evaluate the laterality and difference in movements depending on the site.

NASA is on the verge of its second and most challenging phase of space exploration, returning to the Moon and then onto Mars. The proposed missions will be markedly different in nature from previous Apollo and ISS missions, which may result in many additional health concerns for astronauts. Astronauts will endure prolonged exposure to multiple fight stressors that may seriously impact their health. Prolonged exposure to microgravity is a greater health concern than for shorter duration flights, but NASA has spent decades developing approaches to minimize microgravity effects on astronauts that should be effective for deep space missions.

Renal rehabilitation is a process to conduct treatments for the patients suffering from kidney disease and support to help them for their smooth achievement of social rehabilitation. Patients with dialysis-dependent kidney failure carry some additional burden of co-morbidity, such as, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, infections, and many other. Approximately 10% of the world population is affected by chronic kidney disease and the incidence of dialysis is quite high.

The chances and opportunities of dermatological rehabilitation are not fully exhausted among dermatological experts. Reasons for that lack of referral are insufficient knowledge and education about the chances and opportunities of dermatological rehabilitation. Rehabilitation offers an extended approach of treatment to the underlying disease, including the treatment of comorbidities, psychological burden and the problems at workplace and personal and social life.

Chronic neurological disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide and their burden of death and disability is increasing. Of all chronic neurological disorders, stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are the three largest contributors to disability and mortality. Despite the incidence of chronic neurological conditions declining from 1990 to 2015, time spent living with a disability, and mortality rates from chronic neurological conditions has been increasing. These findings suggest that people with chronic neurological conditions are living longer with persistent disability.

Review articles are essential for the progress of science. Consequently, they need to be reliable. This is, however, not always the case, as shown by a review article dealing with the application of dry needling to the rehabilitation of patients with spasticity. This example and its follow-up show not only that various types of errors may occur in one single review article, but also that that not all medical authors feel themselves responsible for reliable information.

Levels of disability and health-related work absence continue to increase, yet the risk assessment and modern medicine aimed at mitigating ill health and work absence also continues to increase. There is evidence to suggest that the interaction between health and work, the economic work loss, and the influence of long-term sickness absence on health and social inequality is an important consideration for researchers and clinicians in healthcare.

Diastasis recti is defined as an interrecti distance (IRD) over 23 mm in Beninese postpartum women. Its prevalence is 46%. The Curl-up acutely reduces the IRD but it increases the linea alba distortion and it is considered to be hyperpressive. When Curl-up is combined with Diaphragmatic aspiration (DA) the intra-abdominal pressure is lower. Moreover, combining Curl-up with transversus abdominis activation is recommended to decrease the linea alba distortion. However, the effect of this DA combined with Curl-up on the IRD is not known in postpartum women. 

Pectus Carniatum (PC) is a term used to describe a range of different chest wall deformities characterized by anterior protrusion of sternum and attached ribs. Depends on involvement of the components of sternum, it is divided into chondrogladiolar and chondromanubrial. It is the second most common chest deformity observed in children. The exact pathogenesis of PC is not cleared.