I have previously discussed Patellofemoral pain and the evidence base behind the diagnosis, pre-disposing factors and treatment of this disorder (link here). As discussed in the above-mentioned post a significant volume of literature would suggest that the clinical utility of “clinical tests” for diagnosing Patellofemoral pain is poor, that being they lack specificity, sensitivity, and […]
I was always taught that stretching improved the flexibility of the muscle group. This occurred by changing the muscle structure, for example a structural change to the myofibril. The following three studies I recently read have been enlightening regarding this: Law et al (2009) A RCT investigating the effects of a 3 week stretching program […]
For this post I wanted to continue the trend of posts regarding the usefulness of clinical tests to diagnose specific “structural” dysfunctions. The previous post being about the hip, this post being about “spinal” clinical tests. How useful are our clinical tests in the diagnosis of spinal pain? I think the article by Cook and […]
Another great post from this blog by Louis Gifford. A blog well worth following.
Further to my last post I thought we might start by looking at the clinical usefulness of tests we do for diagnosis of hip disorders. So todays question: How useful are Clinical Tests for the Hip in diagnosing Labral Tears, Hip Impingement and/or Intra-artciular Hip Pathologies? Evidence Regarding Orthopaedic Clinical/Special Tests A systematic review by […]
My plan for upcoming posts is to begin to scrutinise the “orthopaedic” tests that we perform in clinical practice. When we really begin to look at the “usefulness” of many of our tests it becomes apparent that many of them have limitations. To begin with I first think we need to understand is what terms […]
Another Research Evidence post! This time the shoulder…..What is the research evidence in regards to Physiotherapy Treatment for Shoulder Pain? Diagnostic Tests Hughes et al (2008) A systematic review of investigations into the diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests for rotator cuff pathology. Conclusions: Overall, most tests for rotator cuff pathology were inaccurate and cannot be recommended for clinical use. […]
Another short post, but one I intend to add to as I gather more research. As the title of this post eludes to…..this is about Research Evidence in relation to treatments such as Education and Mindfulness. Pain Physiology Education Louw et al (2011) Systematic Review to evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of neuroscience education […]
There appears to be numerous methods in the attempt at Classification of Back and Neck Pain. The purpose of this post is to summarise some of the more common classification systems. In addition to this I have also included some references that debate the merits of classifying pain states. Spine Pain Classification Shah (2012) Moral […]
Just a short post this time around…… I realise this is not directly related to physiotherapy treatment but given that patients with a dominance of neuropathic pain and/or central sensitisation (e.g. those patients with a positive LANSS or DN4 score for neuropathic pain) would seem to be the more difficult ones to improve, I think it […]
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