Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy News From Medical News Today

Rehab Robots Engineered To Help Stroke Patients
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 4:00 AM

While they don't look like R2-D2 or the other robotic stars of the silver screen, assistive robotic devices being designed to help stroke and spinal cord injury survivors with rehabilitation could be an even bigger hit. The prototypes are armed with a scissor-like claw that can perform a variety of functions, including moving a glass of water or snatching a pen off the floor.

Unwin Safety Systems And Brotherwood Introduce New 190kg Wheelchair Safe Accessible Vehicle
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 4:00 AM

During the development of its high quality wheelchair accessible conversion of the Kia Sedona, Brotherwood Automobility Ltd. called on the expertise of Unwin Safety Systems with whom they share a long standing working relationship. In recent years, powered wheelchair manufacturers have had to respond to the demands of clients for greater versatility and mobility, resulting in an inevitable weight increase.

Irish Therapists Look Towards FHT For Industry Suppport
Monday, April 06, 2009 1:00 AM

It has been announced that as of 1st March 2009, the FHT Ireland, which operated as an independent association has been incorporated into the UK based Federation of Holistic Therapists. The decision has been taken following consultation and the obvious benefits to Irish therapists that result. Irish therapists can take advantage of the enhanced membership services that the FHT provide and a greater support network than ever before.

Mountway Delivers Aquila Bath Lift To Professor Stephen Hawking CBE
Sunday, April 05, 2009 1:00 AM

Tredegar based Mountway, one of the UK's leading manufacturers and suppliers of independent living solutions, has recently gained an exciting new customer for its Aquila bath lift, the respected Professor Stephen Hawking, CBE. Professor Hawking's scientific career spans over 40 years and his books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity and world-renowned theoretical physicist.

Supervised Exercise Therapy Can Lead To Improvements In COPD Symptoms
Friday, April 03, 2009 7:00 AM

Those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often complain that exercise is too exhausting and leaves them breathless. An article in the current issue of The New England Journal of Medicine reports that supervised exercise through pulmonary rehabilitation can actually reduce their feelings of breathlessness, increase their tolerance for exercise and improve their quality of life. The article's lead author is Richard Casaburi, Ph.D., M.D.

Naidex '09 To Host A Series Of Informative Pressure Care Seminars, UK
Friday, April 03, 2009 12:00 AM

Naidex '09, the UK's leading disability, homecare and rehabilitation show (28th-30th April, NEC, Birmingham) is delighted to announce that it will be hosting a full programme of pressure care seminars presented by well known seating specialist Fiona Collins.

Legislation Aims To Increase Access To Physical Therapist Services By Eliminating Physician Referral Requirement
Thursday, April 02, 2009 5:00 AM

Medicare beneficiaries who need physical therapist services would find it easier and more efficient to obtain treatment under legislation introduced yesterday in the US House of Representatives. The Medicare Patient Access to Physical Therapists Act (HR 1829), introduced by Representatives Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), Tim Murphy (R-PA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), eliminates the need for beneficiaries to obtain a physician referral for physical therapy services.

Depuy Spine And Advanced Technologies And Regenerative Medicine, Llc, Begin Testing Genetically Engineered Human Protein For Degenerative Disc Disease
Thursday, April 02, 2009 2:00 AM

DePuy Spine, Inc., in collaboration with Advanced Technologies and Regenerative Medicine, LLC, announced today it has begun testing of a genetically engineered human protein in patients with moderate to severe low back pain. The first in a series of clinical studies evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the protein, intradiscal rhGDF-5 (recombinant human growth and differentiation factor-5), began at Texas Back Institute in Plano, Texas.

By Shutting Down Inflammation, Agent Reverses Damage From Spinal Cord Injury In Preclinical Studies
Thursday, April 02, 2009 1:00 AM

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have been able to speed recovery and substantially reduce damage resulting from spinal cord injury in preclinical studies. Their research, published online in Annals of Neurology and led by Kimberly Byrnes, PhD, shows that inflammation following injury causes the neurotoxicity that leads to lasting nerve cell damage, and that an experimental agent is able to block this inflammatory reaction.

FDA Approves Abiomed's New AB Portable™ Driver; Providing Patient Transport, Mobility And Ambulation Without Compromising Performance
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 3:00 AM

Abiomed, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABMD), a leading provider of heart recovery products designed to recover hearts and eliminate in-hospital deaths from heart attacks and high risk percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its Premarket Approval Application (PMA) supplement for the AB Portable™ driver.

United Spinal Association Praises Historic Signing Of The Christopher And Dana Reeve Paralysis Act
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 1:00 AM

President Obama signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act that will improve the quality of life for people living with paralysis and mobility impairments from any cause - stroke, ALS, spinal cord injuries, and others. The legislation authorizes Congress to fund $25,000,000 per fiscal year through 2011, as part of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act Title XIV of H.R. 146, the Omnibus Public Land Management Bill 2009.

Statement On New NICE Guidance On Helping People Return To Work Following Long Term Sickness Absence, England
Monday, March 30, 2009 5:00 AM

The Society of Occupational Medicine welcomed this new guidance from NICE on the management of long-term sickness absence. This is important Guidance that for the first time sets a nationally agreed standard for support for people absent from work. We strongly support NICE's recommendation that workers with long term health issues need access to support from suitably trained and qualified specialists.

Ground Breaking Ice Pack Improves Joint Mobility Among Osteoarthritis Patients And Helps Athletes Recover Faster
Monday, March 30, 2009 5:00 AM

A ground breaking ice pack, which reduces pain and improves joint mobility among osteoarthritis patients and helps athletes recover quicker and more effectively from injury or surgery, has been launched by North Yorkshire healthcare innovations company - Salitas The revolutionary MORPHO™ Cryo-Matrix remains colder up to 12 times longer than conventional gel packs and is not wet or messy and is easy to prepare and apply.

Loneliness And Bad Jobs Are Factors Which Delay Lower Back Pain Recovery
Monday, March 30, 2009 4:00 AM

If you are unhappy with your job or are female and live alone, chances are you may take longer to recover from lower back pain than your less stressed counterparts, says recent UQ PhD recipient and osteopath Dr Nick Penney. Dr Penney examined the relationship between lower back pain and psychological, physiological and social factors.

Postural Stability Improved In Patients With Parkinson's Disease
Saturday, March 28, 2009 12:00 AM

Patients with Parkinson disease may be able to improve their postural stability by directing their attention to the external effects of their movements rather than to the movements of their own body, according to a study published in the February 2009 issue of Physical Therapy, the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Adults with Parkinson disease are at greater risk for posture and balance impairments.

NICE Improves Rehabilitation For People After Critical Illness
Friday, March 27, 2009 1:00 AM

NICE guidance published sets out to improve the quality of care patients receive during their recovery and rehabilitation after critical illness. Approximately 110,000 [1] people spend time in critical care units in England and Wales each year, the majority survive to be discharged home.

Improved Ability To Predict Who Is At Risk For Falling In SNFs And ALFs
Thursday, March 26, 2009 4:00 AM

A multi-state project to help operators of skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities improve their ability to better predict which residents are at risk for falling was announced by Simply Rehab LLC at the annual LSN (Life Services Network) convention in Chicago. This program also includes measurements that lead to appropriate preventative actions for the at risk resident.

Dialysis Is Changing: New Treatment Options Offer Patients Greater Flexibility And Control Over Lifestyle
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 1:00 AM

People who need dialysis have more options for treatment, including home and nocturnal programs that may allow for more flexible lifestyles. During National Kidney Month in March, Fresenius Medical Care North America, operator of the nation's leading network of dialysis clinics, encourages individuals with kidney disease who are facing dialysis to learn more about options for treatment by attending a free, educational Treatment Options Program (TOPs) session.

RADAR Calls For Change In Law After Disabled Couple Lose Their Fight For NHS Direct Payments, England
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 6:00 AM

Following a High Court decision that disabled people have no right to receive Direct Payments from the NHS to fund care services of the patient's own choosing, RADAR has called for a change in the law.

Research Evaluates Support Treatments For Severe Ankle Sprains
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 6:00 AM

New research published by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme has found that the most clinically and cost-effective treatment for pain relief and recovery from severe ankle sprain, where patients cannot put any weight through that leg, is a below the knee plaster cast.

RADAR Hopes Obama Apology Sincere And Lesson Learned
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 5:00 AM

Anyone can make a mistake when speaking off the cuff, and no one knows this better than politicians. But Barack Obama, as the first black President of the United States, probably knows better than most how hurtful and damaging off the cuff discriminatory remarks can be.

Most Adolescents Sent To Group Homes Still Involved With Drugs/crime Seven Years Later Study Finds
Saturday, March 21, 2009 12:00 AM

Most adolescents referred to long-term group homes in Los Angeles County after being charged with a serious offense reported they were still involved with crime or drugs seven years later, according to a new RAND Corporation study. The bleak findings suggest there is a need to improve juvenile justice rehabilitation programs, according to the report published online by the American Journal of Public Health.

Computer Learning, Electrical Stimulation Offer Hope For Paralyzed
Friday, March 20, 2009 3:00 AM

Trainers have used it for decades to help athletes build muscle. Late-night TV commercials hawk it as an effortless flab buster. But a University of Florida engineering researcher says electrical stimulation - a simple, decades-old technique to prompt muscles to contract - can be combined with sophisticated computer learning technology to help people regain more precise, more life-like control of paralyzed limbs.

Unique Approach To Enhancing Transitions For Disabled Students At University Of Huddersfield
Friday, March 20, 2009 12:00 AM

Human & Health Sciences staff at the University of Huddersfield have come up with an innovative way of easing the transition from school to higher education for disabled students. Associate Dean Janet Hargreaves, Research Assistant Lizzie Walker and Haneef Rashid, Students' Union Vice President for Education & Welfare, have organised a national conference, on 16th and 17th April, which will see as many disabled students as academic staff presenting papers over the two-day event.

Study Tests Durability And Life Expectancy Of Titanium Wheelchairs
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 1:00 AM

A titanium wheelchair can be less than one-half the weight of an aluminum or steel wheelchair, reportedly while maintaining the same strength.