Evidence Based Practice Evidence Update: The Effects of Inclination, Hip Abduction, Orientation and Tone on Weight-Bearing in Adaptive Standers September 06, 2021 by Elena Noble, MPT
A young girl wheeling down a hallway in a green Rifton Mobile Stander, with a caretaker next to her
This new exploratory and descriptive study is the first to measure weight-bearing during standing in different degrees of hip abduction, stander inclination and stander orientation.
Evidence Based Practice Evidence Update: Long-Term Benefits of Abducted Standing in Children with Cerebral Palsy April 12, 2021 by Elena Noble, MPT
A girl standing in a Rifton Supine Stander, playing a game with her caretaker
Children with CP who do not walk are at risk for hip displacement. This recent study contributes new insights into the preventative benefits of standing in hip abduction.
Evidence Based Practice State of the Evidence: Intervention Effectiveness in Children with Cerebral Palsy March 26, 2020 by Elena Noble, MPT
A therapist helps a young girl into a gait trainer
In 2013, Iona Novak and her team put together one of the most comprehensive evidence-based overviews of pediatric interventions. With over 200 systematic reviews performed since then, this evidence update adds strength and definition to recommended interventions for children with cerebral palsy.
Evidence Based Practice Evidence Update: Clinical Practice Guideline to Improve Locomotor Function in Neurorehab February 25, 2020 by Elena Noble, MPT
man walking in the Rifton E-Pacer
New evidence in neurorehab points to the importance of intensive overground walking opportunities for individuals recovering from chronic stroke, TBI and SCI.
Evidence Based Practice Evidence Update: Stretching and Resistance Exercise in Children with CP August 12, 2019 by Elena Noble, MPT
A girl in a green Rifton Pacer with a caretaker
Improved joint range of motion (ROM) and strength certainly contribute to better functional outcomes in children with cerebral palsy (CP), but is stretching and progressive resistance exercise an adequate intervention to achieve the end? Previous research shows that children with CP have shorter hamstring muscles than their peers. A short or spastic hamstring muscle contributes to gait deviations, and...
Evidence Based Practice Teens with Cerebral Palsy Benefit from Treadmill Gait Training – A Case Story March 18, 2019 by Connie Johnson, PT, DScPT
A teenage girl with cerebral palsy stands on a treadmill in a gym.
As a pediatric physical therapist working in public schools, I want my students to move, and to move in the same way their peers do. When Rifton came out with the treadmill gait trainer, I was eager to explore increasing exercise intensity for my teenagers with mobility impairments. I was fortunate enough to get funding for one in my school. I went to the literature to look for protocols using gait treadmills for youth with disabilities and did not find much.
Evidence Based Practice Prospective cohort studies can inform pediatric physical therapy practice February 04, 2019 by Lori Potts, PT
A young girl with braids and a colorful t-shirt smiles at her caregiver.
The field of pediatric physical therapy has long recognized the difficulty of conducting high level research with the cerebral palsy population. Meeting the qualifications of a randomized controlled trial while implementing interventions with children with multiple physical disabilities – with all their varied daily realities – is extraordinarily difficult. In turn, the systematic review that...
Evidence Based Practice Evidence Update: New Research Suggests Increasing Pediatric Intervention Frequency January 02, 2019 by Elena Noble, MPT
A caregiver steers a child in a blue Rifton Adaptive Tricycle.
Existing evidence on pediatric therapy dosing is scanty and conflicting, though motor learning theory has long associated increased frequency and repetition of movement and skills with improved outcomes. A new study now appears to bolster this view in the context of school-based intervention. The study comes out of Norway, where almost all children with cerebral palsy are registered in CP-specific follow...
Evidence Based Practice Don’t Be Afraid of Early Mobilization in Acute Brain Injury February 20, 2018 by Mary Beth Osborne, PT, DPT, NCS
A therapist helps a patient with brain injury in an early mobilization exercise in the ICU.
This article was originally written for Medbridge and is shared here with permission. People who suffer brain injuries require extensive medical care to preserve vital organ functions and prevent secondary injury. Physical therapists are in a unique position to positively influence the ultimate outcome for these individuals by simply providing early mobilization. Two studies provide support for early...
Evidence Based Practice Don’t Skimp on Good Design and Quality January 30, 2018 by Lori Potts, PT
A young physical therapist guides the walking of a TBI patient in a Rifton TRAM.
Does the quality of an individual’s mobility device influence their participation? Common sense tells us it would, but do we find research to back that up? Thankfully, yes. Today’s post highlights the work of a research team that implemented a two-day assessment with 604 community-dwelling adults with spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and stroke. Of these, 250 people (41%) self...
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