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Background. The hypermobile type of Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is likely the most common hereditary disorder of connective tissue mainly characterized by joint hypermobility. Patients with hEDS suffer joint pain, in particular low back pain, commonly resistant to drug therapy. The aim of this research was to evaluate a neurocognitive rehabilitation approach based not only on the motion and function recovery but also on the pain management. Methods. In this nonrandomized clinical trial, eighteen hEDS patients (4 males and 14 females) with mean age 21 years (range 13-55) were recruited and evaluated before and after three months of rehabilitation treatment. Results. The outcome scores showed significant statistical results after treatment in reducing pain symptoms (numerical rating scale, P = 0.003 ; McGill (total score), P = 0.03 ), fatigue (fatigue severity scale, P = 0.03 ), fear of movement (Tampa scale, P = 0.003 ), and pain-associated disability (Oswestry disability index, P = 0.03 ). Conclusion. The clinical results observed in our study seem to confirm the role of a specific neurocognitive rehabilitation program in the chronic pain management in the Ehlers–Danlos syndrome; the rehabilitation treatment should be tailored on patient problems and focused not only in the recovery of movement but also on pain perception.

Object. The following study was carried out in order to evaluate through guidelines the best evidence in occupational therapy for daily activities and quality of life of patients with hip prostheses. Methods. Recommendations were generated following the grading method of the National Program for Guidelines/National System Guidelines (PNLG-SNLG), a system for developing guidelines for recommendations in clinical practice. The Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation in Europe (AGREE) tool was also applied. Results. A total of seven studies were included in this research: one randomized controlled trial, two systematic reviews, two outcomes research studies, and two observational studies. We found that, for the three clinical questions we proposed, more research on the effectiveness of treatments is required. Conclusions. The evidence resulting from this study is not sufficient to determine whether the rehabilitation techniques under consideration are effective.Obiettivo. Il seguente studio è stato condotto al fine di valutare attraverso linee guida le migliori evidenze in terapia occupazionale per le attività di vita quotidiane e la qualità della vita dei pazienti con protesi d’anca. Metodi. Le raccomandazioni sono state generate seguendo il metodo di classificazione del National Program for Guidelines/National System Guidelines (PNLG-SNLG), un sistema per lo sviluppo di linee guida per le raccomandazioni nella pratica clinica. È stato inoltre applicato lo strumento Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation in Europe (AGREE). Risultati. In questo studio è stato incluso un totale di sette studi: uno studio randomizzato controllato, due revisioni sistematiche, due outcomes research e due studi osservazionali. Abbiamo trovato che, per le tre domande cliniche che abbiamo proposto, sono necessarie ulteriori ricerche sull’efficacia dei trattamenti. Conclusioni. Le evidenze risultanti da questo studio non sono sufficienti per determinare se le tecniche riabilitative in esame sono efficaci.

To provide clinicians and researchers information regarding (1) the existing outcome measures to assess the loss of functionality in the activities of daily living (ADLs) of patients with stroke and (2) the presence of these assessment tools in the Italian context.For this Systematic Review Medline, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched for articles published up to 4 July 2017. Two authors independently identified eligible studies on the basis of predefined inclusion criteria and extracted data. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies.Of 370 publications identified and screened, 46 studies fell within the inclusion criteria and were critically reviewed. The most commonly used tools were: the Frenchay Activities Index and the Functional Independence Measure.This review has emphasized the need for agreement among researchers as to which tool must be studied in depth or adapted to other national contexts in order to develop universal norms and standards.

Aims: to find and describe, through a systematic review, validated assessment tool that evaluate the fall risk in older adults. Methods: MEDLINE, PEDro, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were consulted and no r...

Lower back pain is an extremely common health problem and globally causes more disability than any other condition. Among other rehabilitation approaches, back schools are interventions comprising both an educational component and exercises. Normally, the main outcome evaluated is pain reduction. The aim of this study was to evaluate not only the efficacy of back school therapy in reducing pain, but also the functional improvement. Patients with lower back pain were clinically and functionally evaluated; in particular, the timed “up and go” test with inertial movement sensor was studied before and after back school therapy. Forty-four patients completed the program, and the results showed not only a reduction of pain, but also an improvement in several parameters of the timed up and go test, especially in temporal parameters (namely duration and velocity). The application of the inertial sensor measurement in evaluating functional aspects seems to be useful and promising in assessing the aspects that are not strictly correlated to the specific pathology, as well as in rehabilitation management.

Background. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) have been described as one of the major causes of physical pain and disability. Health professions, in general, are among those at higher risk of injury. Objective. The aim of the study was to carry out a systematic review of cross-sectional studies on physical-physiotherapeutic musculoskeletal disorders in physiotherapists. Materials and Methods. Bibliographic research was carried out through the PUBMED, PEDRO, and CINAHL databases. The selected articles had to comply with the following inclusion criteria: original peer review articles, English and Italian articles, cross-sectional studies with sample sizes of at least 25 physiotherapists, and no time limit. Results. In general, the results of studies on the WRMDs of physiotherapists have been comparable, with the exception of some differences between the various countries linked to both the level of development and the psychosocial and epidemiological status of the physiotherapy profession. Healthcare workers are among the professional categories most exposed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders because they are in direct contact with the patient, which often requires an important physical commitment to lifting and relocating patients for long-held incongruous postures, for repetitive movements, for joint effort, and for overload in manual techniques.I disturbi muscoloscheletrici (MSD), in particolare la lombalgia (LBP), sono stati descritti come una delle maggiori cause di dolore e di disabilità fisica. Le professioni sanitarie, in generale, risultano essere tra quelle a più alto rischio di infortunio. Obiettivo dello studio. Lo scopo dello studio è effettuare una revisione sistematica sui disordini Muscoloscheletrici Lavoro Correlati Dei Fisioterapisti Prendendo In Esame Cross Sectional Study. Materiali e Metodi. La ricerca bibliografica è stata effettuata attraverso i database PUBMED, PEDRO e CINAHL. Gli articoli selezionati dovevano rispettare i seguenti criteri di inclusione: articoli originali peer review, articoli in lingua inglese ed italiana, cross selectional study, con numerosità campionaria pari ad almeno 25 fisioterapisti e nessun limite temporale. Risultati. In generale i risultati degli studi sui WRMDs dei fisioterapisti sono stati paragonabili, ad eccezione di alcune differenze tra i vari paesi legate sia al livello di sviluppo, che allo status psicosociale e epidemiologico della professione di fisioterapista. I lavoratori del settore sanitario sono tra le categorie professionali più esposte a disordini muscoloscheletrici lavoro correlati perché è una professione a diretto contatto col paziente, che spesso richiede un importante impegno fisico per il sollevamento e trasferimento dei pazienti, per le posture incongrue mantenute per lungo tempo, per i movimenti ripetitivi, per lo sforzo e il sovraccarico articolare nelle tecniche manuali.

Objective.The aim of the study was to translate and culturally adapt the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly into Italian (PASE-I) and to evaluate its psychometric properties in the Italian older adults healthy population.Methods.For translation and cultural adaptation, the “Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures” guidelines have been followed. Participants included healthy individuals between 55 and 75 years old. The reliability and validity were assessed following the “Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments” checklist. To evaluate internal consistency and test-retest reliability, Cronbach’sαand Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were, respectively, calculated. The Berg Balance Score (BBS) and the PASE-I were administered together, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated for validity.Results.All the PASE-I items were identical or similar to the original version. The scale was administered twice within a week to 94 Italian healthy older people. The mean PASE-I score in this study was 159±77.88. Cronbach’sαwas 0.815 (p < 0.01) and ICC was 0.977 (p < 0.01). The correlation with the BBS was 0.817 (p < 0.01).Conclusions.The PASE-I showed positive results for reliability and validity. This scale will be of great use to clinicians and researchers in evaluating and managing physical activities in the Italian older adults population.

The aim of the work is to highlight the need, the duty and the obligation also for the physiotherapist to obtain a valid informed consent of the patient.The authors, starting with the informed consent forms that already exist for physicians, offer four modules tailored to the needs of the physiotherapist, specific to each field of rehabilitation.Such informed consent may be very useful to physiotherapists to fulfill the obligations of giving information and obtaining consent from patients. At the same time it allows physiotherapists to obtain all information they need about patient's condition and permit patient to understand the proposed treatment and adhere to it.