Evidence Based Practice Updates in Motor Learning February 14, 2022 by Lori Potts, PT
A girl walks in a Rifton Pacer gait trainer, accompanied by a caretaker
Research continues to increase knowledge in the field of motor learning. Understanding the mechanisms of motor learning can contribute to therapist interventions to further promote motor skills.
Evidence Based Practice A New Clinical Practice Guideline for Functional Interventions for Children with CP November 09, 2021 by Elena Noble, MPT
A girl walking in a Rifton E-Pacer, with the help of a therapist
This excellent new study provides clinical practice guidelines at the activities and participation level of the ICF to families and therapists, addressing which interventions are effective and evidence-based.
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...
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