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Background: People with severe mental illness (SMI) are less physically active and more sedentary than healthy controls, contributing to poorer physical health outcomes in this population. There is a need to understand the feasibility and acceptability, and explore the effective components, of health behaviour change interventions targeting physical activity and sedentary behaviour in this population in rural and semi-rural settings. Methods: This 13-week randomised controlled feasibility trial compares the Walking fOR Health (WORtH) multi-component behaviour change intervention, which includes education, goal-setting and self-monitoring, with a one-off education session. It aims to recruit 60 inactive adults with SMI via three community mental health teams in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Primary outcomes are related to feasibility and acceptability, including recruitment, retention and adherence rates, adverse events and qualitative feedback from participants and clinicians. Secondary outcome measures include self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour, anthropometry measures, physical function and mental wellbeing. A mixed-methods process evaluation will be undertaken. This study protocol outlines changes to the study in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion: This study will address the challenges and implications of remote delivery of the WORtH intervention due to the COVID-19 pandemic and inform the design of a future definitive randomised controlled trial if it is shown to be feasible. Trial registration: The trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04134871) on 22 October 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the feasibility and practicalities of using the technique of mental practice as an adjunct in the rehabilitation of the upper limb following stroke. Design: A series of single-case studies. Setting: A stroke rehabilitation unit in Belfast. Subjects: Fourteen patients admitted for rehabilitation of their first stroke: six men and four women, aged 45-81 between 10 and 176 days post stroke. Intervention: Each patient underwent a single-case design, with two weeks baseline, two weeks intervention and one week withdrawal. The intervention consisted of structured daily mental practice sessions of a reach and grasp task, in addition to their usual therapy. Main outcome measures: The upper limb component of the Motricity Index was used to grade motor activity sequentially across the timescale of the study. Results: Of the 14 patients recruited, four withdrew and 10 completed the study. Nine showed improvement in upper limb Motricity Index score with mental practice as measured by the two-band standard deviation method. One of these cases demonstrated an unstable baseline such that changes could not be attributed to intervention. Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that mental practice may be useful as an adjunct to physiotherapy after stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: A questionnaire survey of physiotherapists treating low back pain., Objective: To investigate current clinical practice in the physiotherapeutic management of low back pain in Northern Ireland., Summary of Background: Physiotherapists play an important role in the management of low back pain. However, there is relatively limited evidence about physiotherapy or about current physiotherapeutic management of low back pain. This survey aimed to establish current practice in this area., Methods: Two sets of questionnaires were completed by physiotherapists during the period 1996-1997: one in relation to their professional profile, and subsequently a questionnaire for each patient referred by physicians to physiotherapy departments in the (government-funded) National Health Service in Northern Ireland., Results: Physiotherapists (n = 157) recorded data for 1062 patients treated for low back pain in 35 outpatient centers across Northern Ireland. Of the patients treated, 70% had a duration of current episode more than 6 weeks; 26% of patients had previously received physiotherapy for low back pain. Physiotherapy treatment most commonly involved advice (89% of patients), McKenzie treatment (70%), Maitland mobilizations (42%), and interferential therapy (30.3%)., Conclusion and Discussion: Physiotherapists typically treated subacute and chronic patients, principally using some types of manual techniques and advice, in keeping with current guidelines. However, high levels of the use of electrotherapy, and only limited use of manipulation, indicates the importance of further research to establish optimum management for this group of patients.