QUESTION What is the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel weight-bearing strengthening program compared with that of a traditional non-weight-bearing strengthening program for older inpatients undergoing rehabilitation? DESIGN Randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis. PARTICIPANTS Eighty-eight inpatients (11% loss to foll...

[Purpose] This study investigated the efficacy on postural control of a bridging exercise in order to suggest a pertinent procedure for the bridging exercise. [Subject] One poststroke hemiplegic patient who had received surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis participated in this study [Methods] A reverse ABAB single-case experimental design was used. To assess postural control, foot pressure and th...

Hip fractures are an important public health issue. By the age of 90, 32% of women and 17% of men have suffered a hip fracture (Gallagher et al 1980). By the year 2050 there will be about 2.3 million annual hip fractures globally (Gullberg et al 1997). Unfortunately, outcomes after hip fracture are often poor (Marottoli et al 1992). If more effective rehabilitation strategies could be developed...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To test the effects of aerobic and resistance exercise on changes in bone mineral density (BMD) in women newly diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer receiving chemotherapy. DESIGN Randomized clinical trial. SETTING Two National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in metropolitan areas. SAMPLE 66 women with stage I-III breast cancer beginning adjuvant chemother...

[Purpose] This study compared and analyzed use of an existing ankle ramp and a newly developed ankle ramp for stretching exercises. [Subjects] Fourteen subjects were included; they were stroke patients more than 6 months after onset, with no orthopedic or biological problems in the legs, so independent gait was possible. [Methods] The subjects performed stretching exercises for 5 min with an ex...

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of core stability-enhancing exercises on the lower trunk and muscle activity of stroke patients. The control group (n = 10) underwent standard exercise therapy, while the experiment group (n =10) underwent both the core stability-enhancing exercise and standard exercise therapy simultaneously. The standard exercise therapy applied to the two ...

Reports in the rehabilitation literature suggest that patients with trans-femoral amputation ambulate well after suitable prosthetic treatment. The effects of exercise protocols on function, however, have not been documented in this population. This study was conducted to compare the outcome of traditional and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques on weight bearing and gait...

BACKGROUND Hip fracture mainly occurs in older people. Strategies to improve mobility include gait retraining, various forms of exercise and muscle stimulation. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of different interventions for improving mobility after hip fracture surgery in adults. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group Specialised Register, the Cochra...

This study investigated the relationship between daytime physical activity patterns and physical fitness in elderly women. The subjects comprised 19 elderly women who resided in a nursing home. Time spent lying, sitting, standing and walking and the number of steps taken during the daytime from 10:00 to 16:00 were measured to determine physical activity patterns. Physical fitness measures inclu...

Mechanical loading is a crucial factor for maintaining skeletal health. Physical activities, exercise, and sports provide a wealth and variety of mechanical loads to bones, through muscle forces, ground reaction forces, and other contact or impact forces. Weightbearing activities can be effective exercises to enhance bone health-particularly, those that involve jumping and impact loads (with gr...