On 20 April 2013, 3 weeks before the fifth anniversary of the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, another powerful earthquake (7.0 magnitude) stuck Sichuan province, this time in the city of Ya'an. Once again, our fellow countrymen are experiencing serious threats to their lives and health. As rehabilitation workers, we plead with all our colleagues to engage in early rehabilitation for the Y...

BACKGROUND For patients in intensive care unit (ICU), mechanical ventilation is an effective treatment to survive from acute illness and improve survival rates. However, long periods of bed rest and restricted physical activity can result in side effects. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of early rehabilitation therapy in patients with mechanical ventilation. METHODS A randomiz...

OBJECTIVE To predict successful prosthetic ambulation for patients immediately transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation facility after amputation surgery. METHODS Seventy-five individuals with lower-limb amputation were studied at a tertiary acute care and rehabilitation facility. Successful prosthetic ambulation, defined as the ability to ambulate with a prosthesis at least 45 m, was measu...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the outcome after spinal surgery when adding prehabilitation to the early rehabilitation. DESIGN A randomized clinical study. SETTING Orthopaedic surgery department. SUBJECT Sixty patients scheduled for surgery followed by inpatient rehabilitation for degenerative lumbar disease. INTERVENTIONS The patients were computer randomized to prehabilitation and early rehab...

INTRODUCTION The quality of life of cardiovascular patients is worse than that of healthy individuals. Pain, dyspnea, and fatigue impair daily activities, which in turn leads to decreased life satisfaction and emotional deterioration. The objective of comprehensive treatment, including early rehabilitation, is to reduce the risk of complications, progression, and recurrence of the disease, as w...

OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of adding a whole-body vibration protocol at optimal frequency (WBV-OF) to a traditional rehabilitation programme (TRP) early after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, on maximal strength and balance, in comparison with a traditional rehabilitation programme. DESIGN A total of 34 anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed patients with hamstring-tendon gra...

BACKGROUND Workplace injuries are common, cause significant morbidity for workers and have considerable economic impact. General practitioners can play an important role in facilitating early return to work, improving outcomes for all parties. OBJECTIVE This article provides guiding principles for the initial assessment and early treatment phase of injury with a primary focus on the rehabilit...

Many factors that have an adverse effect on fetal growth and development can manifest later in the child's development. Because of the biological basis, children born under the influence of these factors belong to the group of neurorisk children. They need special attention and prompt participation in the early rehabilitation program to encourage the use of brain plasticity. In addition to the ...