COVER STORY
Healthcare policymakers advocate teamwork as a means of assuring quality and safety in the delivery of services. In the case of skilled nursing facilities, the best benefits are realized when individual team members work in cooperation with each other to set and reach goals. Accordingly, the theme of this year's National Nursing Home Week (NNHW) is "Team Care" with an ancillary theme of "Everyone Pitches In." NNHW will be observed in skilled nursing facilities throughout the United States, beginning Mother's Day, May 12 and continuing through May 18, 2013.
By Rebecca Mayer Knutsen
FEATURES
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are a focus in sport medical journals. Identifying risk factors to prevent ACL injury, choosing graft types, following protocols and administering return-to-sport criteria are aspects that are evaluated by a host of professionals. The latest research may cause a shift in thinking for active patients.
By Dan Lorenz, DPT, PT, LAT, CSCS
For those who know of the practice, Pilates is a term that conjures images of a floor mat, core work, stretching and focus. But Pilates' benefits extend beyond the gym to benefit patients with a variety of ailments. However, it is the benefits to individuals with respiratory diseases, such as asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) that is of particular interest, as an exercise designed to enhance breathing helps these patients regain theirs.
By Sue Coyle
Body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT) combines use of a treadmill and offloading of body weight from one or both legs. The patient ambulates while wearing a harness attached to a mounting frame that mechanically unloads weight. It provides support to allow weight bearing through weak or hemiparetic limbs. The goal is to create a more symmetrical gait with improved kinematics and timing.
By Toni Patt, DPT
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Six years ago, physical therapists who attended the annual conference's Rothstein Debate watched their peers wrestle with the question "Should Physical Therapists Practice in the ICU?" Two hospitals are among those across the country that have implemented such programs. Treating in the intensive care unit presents a unique set of challenges that require clever solutions.