Evaluation Of Exercise Rehabilitation For Survivors Of Intensive Care
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,282.00
Summary
Intensive care medicine has improved survival in critically ill patients. However, international literature reports poor quality of life and physical outcomes in ICU survivors compared to people of the same age. In addition, patients who require a prolonged ICU stay consume a large amount of resources. This project is testing whether an early ICU physiotherapist-directed exercise rehabilitation program continuing until after hospital discharge will improve patient's quality of life, physical fun ....Intensive care medicine has improved survival in critically ill patients. However, international literature reports poor quality of life and physical outcomes in ICU survivors compared to people of the same age. In addition, patients who require a prolonged ICU stay consume a large amount of resources. This project is testing whether an early ICU physiotherapist-directed exercise rehabilitation program continuing until after hospital discharge will improve patient's quality of life, physical function and decrease the use of health resources compared with patients' receiving standard care. Patients in the rehabilitation group will take part in a physiotherapy exercise rehabilitation program including returning to out patient classes after discharge. The physiotherapist will treat patients daily during hospital stay then twice weekly for 8 weeks after discharge. All patients will complete 2 quality of life questionnaires and physical function will be assessed using a new test developed for the acute ICU stay the 6 minute walk test, which measures how far patients can walk quickly in 6 minutes. The timed up and go test will also be used and it measures how quickly patients can get up from a chair and walk. An activity monitor, worn on the wrist, for some of the time after discharge will measure how much exercise and moving about patients are doing at home. Measurements will performed by a physiotherapist, blinded to the group to which patients were randomly allocated, on admission to the ICU (quality of life only by proxy), on discharge from the ICU, discharge from hospital and at 3, 6, 12 months after discharge. Economic evaluation will be performed to examine overall use of resources using information from the questionnaires.Read moreRead less
A Prospective Investigation Of Musculoskeletal And Vestibular Deficits Post-concussion In Adolescent Rugby Players
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$66,746.00
Summary
The primary aim of this thesis will be to investigate deficits in the musculoskeletal and vestibular systems in the acute and subacute periods following sport-related concussion injury in school level rugby union players.
Investigation Of The Clinical Utility Of The Nintendo Wii_ Gaming System For Assessment And Rehabilitation Of Balance Post-stroke
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$75,660.00
Summary
The assessment and treatment of balance problems following stroke is a primary focus for physiotherapists working in this field. The Nintendo Wii_, a commercially available active gaming system, is a potentially useful tool for stroke rehabilitation. This research will investigate the effectiveness of this system to improve balance following stroke as well as examine the clinical utility of the Wii Balance Board_, with custom-designed software, for assessment of balance in stroke patients.
Hip fractures are a devastating consequence of injurious falls, resulting in reduced quality of life, reduced independence and further falls. The cause of a fall is often multi-faceted. Falls risk assessment tools identifying falls management strategies are available, yet hip fracture rehabilitation approaches often fail to identify and implement these targeted management strategies. The aim of this project is to improve falls and injury risk assessment and management following hip fracture.
Efficacy Of A Physiotherapy Treatment For Knee Joint Osteoarthritis: A Randomised, Double-blind, Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$156,743.00
Summary
Osteoarthritis of the knee is a disabling condition affecting the lining of the joints giving rise to pain and stiffness. It is common in older individuals and is a major cause of disability. Physiotherapy is often used to decrease pain and improve muscle strength and functional ability. However, there are few well controlled scientific studies which prove the efficacy of physiotherapy as a form of treatment in this condition. This project aims to establish whether a 12 week course of physiother ....Osteoarthritis of the knee is a disabling condition affecting the lining of the joints giving rise to pain and stiffness. It is common in older individuals and is a major cause of disability. Physiotherapy is often used to decrease pain and improve muscle strength and functional ability. However, there are few well controlled scientific studies which prove the efficacy of physiotherapy as a form of treatment in this condition. This project aims to establish whether a 12 week course of physiotherapy treatment is effective in reducing pain and improving function in 50-80 year old individuals diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee joint. It will also assess whether any improvements seen after treatment can be maintained with a home program. This will provide scientific evidence to justify the role of physiotherapy management in this condition.Read moreRead less
My primary research interest is in the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions. A second research interest is in the mechanical and architectural properties of human muscles and tendons.
Can unloading footwear improve clinical care of people with knee osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis is a public health problem imposing major economic and personal burden. It is the fourth highest cause of morbidity in Australia and national health expenditure in 2007 was $2.03 billion. Footwear can reduce knee load which is linked to disease pathogenesis. Specially-designed unloading shoes will be evaluated in a clinical trial and biomechanical studies to determine their efficacy at reducing sympto ....Can unloading footwear improve clinical care of people with knee osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis is a public health problem imposing major economic and personal burden. It is the fourth highest cause of morbidity in Australia and national health expenditure in 2007 was $2.03 billion. Footwear can reduce knee load which is linked to disease pathogenesis. Specially-designed unloading shoes will be evaluated in a clinical trial and biomechanical studies to determine their efficacy at reducing symptoms, mechanical mechanism of pain relief, patient sub-groups that best respond to treatment and whether combined treatment with medial arch supports changes knee biomechanics. Outcomes will impact clinical practice and relieve suffering of people with knee osteoarthritis. Findings will also guide future shoe developments for arthritis. Read moreRead less