Browsing by Subject "Rehabilitation"

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    An ultrasonographic analysis of the activation patterns of abdominal muscles in children with spastic type cerebral palsy and in typically developing individuals: a comparative study
    (BioMed Central, 2018-06-05) Adjenti, Saviour K; Louw, Graham J; Jelsma, Jennifer; Unger, Marianne
    Abstract Background Abdominal muscles have stiffer appearance in individuals with spastic type cerebral palsy (STCP) than in their typically developing (TD) peers. This apparent stiffness has been implicated in pelvic instability, mal-rotation, poor gait and locomotion. This study was aimed at investigating whether abdominal muscles activation patterns from rest to activity differ in the two groups. Method From ultrasound images, abdominal muscles thickness during the resting and active stages was measured in 63 STCP and 82 TD children. The thickness at each stage and the change in thickness from rest to activity were compared between the two groups. Results Rectus abdominis (RA) muscle was the thickest muscle at rest as well as in active stage in both groups. At rest, all muscles were significantly thicker in the STCP children (p <  0.001). From rest to active stages muscle thickness significantly increased (p <  0.001) in the TD group and significantly decreased (p <  0.001) in the STCP children, except for RA, which became thicker during activity in both groups. In active stages, no significant differences in the thickness in the four abdominal muscles were found between the STCP and the TD children. Conclusion Apart from the RA muscle, the activation pattern of abdominal muscles in individuals with STCP differs from that of TD individuals. Further studies required for understanding the activation patterns of abdominal muscles prior to any physical fitness programmes aimed at improving the quality of life in individuals with STCP. Trial registration HREC REF: 490/2011 . Human Research Ethics Committee, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa. November 17, 2011.
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    Burn injuries in Zimbabwe: development of guidelines for physiotherapy rehabilitation of musculoskeletal impairments and functional limitations
    (2022) Mudawarima, Tapfuma; Jelsma, Jennifer
    Background and need: Burn injuries are a major cause of hospital admission in low-income countries such as Zimbabwe and often lead to secondary complications such as disfigurements, contractures, and scar formations. The study aimed to establish “Guidelines for Rehabilitation of Musculoskeletal Impairments and Functional Limitations for Zimbabwe for Patients with Burns” based on the best evidence available. There were three good candidates for use as the source guideline, but ultimately, the Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) of New South Wales in Australia guidelines1 was chosen. The contextualisation of these guidelines for the Zimbabwean situation was informed by the outcomes of five sub-studies. A summary of the methodologies applied and the key results follow. Methods and Results: The Epidemiology of Burns in Zimbabwe: The characteristics of patients with burns in Zimbabwe was established through a retrospective record review (descriptive review) to characterise patients admitted with burns to the two central hospitals in Harare over fifteen months. The sample consisted of 926 admission records and 435 full patient folders were retrieved and analysed. Unfortunately, 425 full folders of children were missing and 85 folders of adults. There was a clear difference in presentation between children and adults, with children constituting over threequarters of all admissions, but with less severe injuries. Post-discharge follow-up: Access to rehabilitation and impact on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL): The second study investigated the utilisation of post-discharge care, regarding referral after discharge and home programme. This was a study with a small sample, 14 adult and 23 child respondents. Despite referrals having been made to local rehabilitation departments, there was practically no further post-discharge contact with rehabilitation and only a single person received post-discharge rehabilitation. Both Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) instruments used by the adult respondents indicated less impact on physical domains of functioning with the greatest impact in pain and emotional well-being. In the absence of trained counsellors, rehabilitation therapists might need to step into this role. Systematic review: The broad objective of this review was to systematically evaluate the effectiveness, safety and applicability to low-income countries of therapeutic exercises utilised by physiotherapists to improve function in patients with burns. The review, which included 19 papers, established that exercises (either resistance or aerobic), are effective and generally have a positive effect on muscle strength and aerobic capacity. However, there was a risk of bias in many of the papers and the evidence is not of high quality. As most of the research enrolled paediatric patients older than seven years and no adverse effects were reported, it can be concluded that resistance exercise is safe for this group of patients. However, as most children admitted with burns are younger than seven years, exercise needs to be carefully monitored in this group as safety and efficacy have not been proven for younger children. The results from this support the use of aerobic and resistance as an important component of a burn rehabilitation program as they have shown to improve muscle strength aerobic capacity and functional status even after hospital discharge, especially in patients with severe burns. Documentation of the current rehabilitation practice: This phase documented clinical interventions used to treat musculoskeletal problems by observation of seven rehabilitation workers (not only physiotherapists), based in the five central hospitals, one provincial and one district hospital. The treatments of five adults and five paediatric patients were observed at each hospital, a total of 70 treatments in all. The most significant finding was that the management of patients with burns was offered by a single rehabilitation worker a Physiotherapists (PT), Occupational Therapists (OT) or Rehabilitation Technician (RT), working in Burns' Units without any specialised training or additional courses. The management of burns across all hospitals was similar, and information saturation was reached with the planned number of observations. Passive and active movements were used almost universally, and the patients received a ward programme, which included positioning. Sitting and standing were included in some patients and patients were monitored for any adverse effects. A major weakness observed was the lack of baseline assessment or treatment progress during treatment. No compression bandages were applied and no scar tissue massage was done. Identification and adaptation of the suitable guidelines: Following a literature search and examination of different guidelines by two independent reviewers, the Agency for Clinical Innovation of New South Wales, Australia1 was chosen as a candidate for amendment. The guidelines were amended based on the results of the previous studies and subjected to a Delphi process with four to six Zimbabwean rehabilitation therapists who were experienced in the field of burn management. A credible set of guidelines for Zimbabwe for the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal impairments and functional limitations was thus produced. Conclusion: The current study adds to the body of knowledge through the development of guidelines for the physiotherapy rehabilitation of musculoskeletal impairments and functional limitations for patients with burns in low- and middle-income countries. The thesis has provided an evidence-based framework for patients, rehabilitation workers and policymakers to inform the provision of effective management of patients with burns. The Zimbabwe Guidelines should be regarded as a first attempt rather than the final version and hopefully will be subjected to further review as they are tried out in practice.
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    Burn injuries in Zimbabwe: development of guidelines for physiotherapy rehabilitation of musculoskeletal impairments and functional limitations
    (2021) Mudawarima, Tapfuma; Jelsma, Jennifer; Grimmer Karen
    Background and need: Burn injuries are a major cause of hospital admission in low-income countries such as Zimbabwe and often lead to secondary complications such as disfigurements, contractures, and scar formations. The study aimed to establish “Guidelines for Rehabilitation of Musculoskeletal Impairments and Functional Limitations for Zimbabwe for Patients with Burns” based on the best evidence available. There were three good candidates for use as the source guideline, but ultimately, the Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) of New South Wales in Australia guidelines1 was chosen. The contextualisation of these guidelines for the Zimbabwean situation was informed by the outcomes of five sub-studies. A summary of the methodologies applied and the key results follow. Methods and Results: The Epidemiology of Burns in Zimbabwe: The characteristics of patients with burns in Zimbabwe was established through a retrospective record review (descriptive review) to characterise patients admitted with burns to the two central hospitals in Harare over fifteen months. The sample consisted of 926 admission records and 435 full patient folders were retrieved and analysed. Unfortunately, 425 full folders of children were missing and 85 folders of adults. There was a clear difference in presentation between children and adults, with children constituting over threequarters of all admissions, but with less severe injuries. Post-discharge follow-up: Access to rehabilitation and impact on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL): The second study investigated the utilisation of post-discharge care, regarding referral after discharge and home programme. This was a study with a small sample, 14 adult and 23 child respondents. Despite referrals having been made to local rehabilitation departments, there was practically no further post-discharge contact with rehabilitation and only a single person received post-discharge rehabilitation. Both Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) instruments used by the adult respondents indicated less impact on physical domains of functioning with the greatest impact in pain and emotional well-being. In the absence of trained counsellors, rehabilitation therapists might need to step into this role. Systematic review: The broad objective of this review was to systematically evaluate the effectiveness, safety and applicability to low-income countries of therapeutic exercises utilised by physiotherapists to improve function in patients with burns. The review, which included 19 papers, established that exercises (either resistance or aerobic), are effective and generally have a positive effect on muscle strength and aerobic capacity. However, there was a risk of bias in many of the papers and the evidence is not of high quality. As most of the research enrolled paediatric patients older than seven years and no adverse effects were reported, it can be concluded that resistance exercise is safe for this group of patients. However, as most children admitted with burns are younger than seven years, exercise needs to be carefully monitored in this group as safety and efficacy have not been proven for younger children. iii The results from this support the use of aerobic and resistance as an important component of a burn rehabilitation program as they have shown to improve muscle strength aerobic capacity and functional status even after hospital discharge, especially in patients with severe burns. Documentation of the current rehabilitation practice: This phase documented clinical interventions used to treat musculoskeletal problems by observation of seven rehabilitation workers (not only physiotherapists), based in the five central hospitals, one provincial and one district hospital. The treatments of five adults and five paediatric patients were observed at each hospital, a total of 70 treatments in all. The most significant finding was that the management of patients with burns was offered by a single rehabilitation worker a Physiotherapists (PT), Occupational Therapists (OT) or Rehabilitation Technician (RT), working in Burns' Units without any specialised training or additional courses. The management of burns across all hospitals was similar, and information saturation was reached with the planned number of observations. Passive and active movements were used almost universally, and the patients received a ward programme, which included positioning. Sitting and standing were included in some patients and patients were monitored for any adverse effects. A major weakness observed was the lack of baseline assessment or treatment progress during treatment. No compression bandages were applied and no scar tissue massage was done. Identification and adaptation of the suitable guidelines: Following a literature search and examination of different guidelines by two independent reviewers, the Agency for Clinical Innovation of New South Wales, Australia1 was chosen as a candidate for amendment. The guidelines were amended based on the results of the previous studies and subjected to a Delphi process with four to six Zimbabwean rehabilitation therapists who were experienced in the field of burn management. A credible set of guidelines for Zimbabwe for the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal impairments and functional limitations was thus produced. Conclusion: The current study adds to the body of knowledge through the development of guidelines for the physiotherapy rehabilitation of musculoskeletal impairments and functional limitations for patients with burns in low- and middle-income countries. The thesis has provided an evidence-based framework for patients, rehabilitation workers and policymakers to inform the provision of effective management of patients with burns. The Zimbabwe Guidelines should be regarded as a first attempt rather than the final version and hopefully will be subjected to further review as they are tried out in practice.
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    Exploring pedagogical dissonance in including a traditional acupuncture treatment approach into a western biomedical evidence-based Physiotherapy curriculum
    (2022) Anjos, Ana Alexandra; Maart, Soraya; Corten, Lieselotte
    Background: We cannot speak about complementary and alternative medicine without speaking about the most popular form of it, acupuncture, and its connection with health maintenance or forms of intervention to recover it. Over the last few years, acupuncture has been increasingly used for the treatment of pain either as a combined or complementing therapy, and evidence also suggests an increased in physiotherapists interested in acupuncture. The study aimed to 1) explore the scientific support for the combined use of acupuncture and physiotherapy in MSK conditions through a systematic review and 2) to explore the inclusion of acupuncture in undergraduate curricula as an elective course by doing a quantitative descriptive survey. Methods: Three major databases were used for the conduction of the systematic review of literature, taking place from March 2019 to May 2019, i.e., Cochrane Library, PubMed, and PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database). For inclusion criteria were accepted only randomized controlled trials (RCT) published in English, released within the past decade, and using subject's adult population with MSK conditions. A quantitative descriptive survey was conducted among physiotherapists registered with professional societies in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. A questionnaire was distributed to registered members using an online format to explore demographic information, usage of acupuncture as a treatment modality, and level of agreement for including acupuncture in undergraduate curricula. Results: Systematic Review (CHAPTER 3) The results from the electronic search yielded a total of 227 abstracts and study titles. Eight studies were considered after a detailed screening, in the included studies six of them were considered for a quantitative meta-analysis and all eight were used to perform a qualitative analysis. In total 960 patients were included, with 349 and 611 patients respectively divided into intervention and control groups. No statistically significant results were found in studies assessing pain to back up the combination of physiotherapy and acupuncture, as well in studies assessing range of motion in knee osteoarthritis. When comparing the baseline of physiotherapy combined with acupuncture or physiotherapy alone statistically significant improvements were found within-group. The studies that examined Isometric Neck-Muscle Strength (INMS) expressed noteworthy bettering within groups with physiotherapy combined with acupuncture being more viable than acupuncture or physiotherapy alone. The Constant Shoulder Assessment (CSA) for shoulder function was altogether superior within the exercise plus acupuncture group compared with the exercise group. Survey (CHAPTER 4) One hundred eighty-one physiotherapists completed the survey, with 35.4% (n=64) from the UAE, while 64.5% (n=117) were from South Africa. Additionally, 78.5% (n=142) of the participants were female, while 21.5% (n=39) were males. The mean (SD) age of the participants was 41.2 (11.9) years, and there was no statistical difference between the two countries (t=0.04, p=0.97). Thirty-five percent had a postgraduate qualification. Sixty-two (34.2%) physiotherapists reported a specialization in acupuncture, with the majority at certificate level. More physiotherapists in the UAE (57%) agreed that acupuncture ought to be included within the undergrad educational curriculum compared to South Africa (44%). Conclusion: There was no noteworthy prove found to back that the addition of acupuncture to physiotherapy treatments includes advantages to pain decrease. This review did, however, observe benefits of including acupuncture together with physiotherapy treatment in the diminishing of neck incapacity, muscle strength and shoulder function. Although physiotherapists are gaining qualification in acupuncture and using in practice, there is not sufficient traction on the inclusion of acupuncture in undergraduate curriculum.
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    The impact of hospital-based and community based models of cerebral palsy rehabilitation: a quasi-experimental study
    (BioMed Central, 2014-12-05) Dambi, Jermaine M; Jelsma, Jennifer
    Background: Cerebral palsy requires appropriate on-going rehabilitation intervention which should effectively meet the needs of both children and parents/care-givers. The provision of effective support is a challenge, particularly in resource constrained settings. A quasi-experimental pragmatic research design was used to compare the impact of two models of rehabilitation service delivery currently offered in Harare, Zimbabwe, an outreach-based programme and the other institution-based. Method: Questionnaires were distributed to 46 caregivers of children with cerebral palsy at baseline and after three months. Twenty children received rehabilitation services in a community setting and 26 received services as outpatients at a central hospital. The Gross Motor Function Measurement was used to assess functional change. The burden of care was measured using the Caregiver Strain Index, satisfaction with physiotherapy was assessed using the modified Medrisk satisfaction with physiotherapy services questionnaire and compliance was measured as the proportion met of the scheduled appointments. Results: Children receiving outreach-based treatment were significantly older than children in the institution-based group. Regression analysis revealed that, once age and level of severity were controlled for, children in the outreach-based treatment group improved their motor function 6% more than children receiving institution-based services. There were no differences detected between the groups with regard to caregiver well-being and 51% of the caregivers reported signs consistent with clinical distress/depression. Most caregivers (83%) expressed that they were overwhelmed by the caregiving role and this increased with the chronicity of care. The financial burden of caregiver was predictive of caregiver strain. Caregivers in the outreach-based group reported greater satisfaction with services and were more compliant (p < .001) as compared to recipients of institution-based services. Conclusion: Long term caregiving leads to strain in caregivers and there is a need to design interventions to alleviate the burden. The study was a pragmatic, quasi-experimental study thus causality cannot be inferred. However findings from this study suggest that the provision of care within a community setting as part of a well-structured outreach programme may be preferable method of service delivery within a resource-constrained context. It was associated with a greater improvement in functioning, greater satisfaction with services and better compliance.
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    Strategies occupational therapists employ to facilitate work-related transitions for persons with hand injuries: a study protocol
    (2019-04-11) Uys, Michelle Elizabeth; Buchanan, Helen; Van Niekerk, Lana
    Introduction Hands make it possible to be employable and productive, to communicate non-verbally and to perform fine motor tasks required in day-to-day activities. Sustaining a hand injury can be detrimental to function including the ability to work. As the literature on work-related transitions is scattered across a range of journals, it is difficult to get a sense of how much literature there is, what is known and where the gaps lie. This scoping study will provide a single source of up-to-date evidence to inform health professionals about the strategies occupational therapists employ to facilitate work-related transitions for people with hand injuries. Methods and analysis The Methodological Framework by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) will form the structure of the scoping review. The search strategy has been developed in collaboration with a subject librarian. The following databases will be searched: EBSCOhost including only Medline, CINAHL and Nursing/Academic Edition; PubMed, Scopus, The Cochrane library and Web of Science. Reference lists will be examined, and grey literature sources will be searched to ensure that literature missed in the database searches is included. Covidence will be used to manage the project. Full-texts will be uploaded for literature that meets the inclusion criteria. A process of blind review will be used to ensure that consistency and rigour is upheld. Ethics and Dissemination The findings of the scoping review will be disseminated in an article, within 2019, to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The findings will be presented at conferences to ensure the optimal dissemination of the scoping review's conclusions.