Heather M Barnett, Karen Segar, Qian Qiu, Rachel A Prusynski, Deepika Nehra, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar
{"title":"Physical Therapy Utilization Among Firearm Injury Survivors: An Analysis of Linked Trauma Database and Medical Claims Data.","authors":"Heather M Barnett, Karen Segar, Qian Qiu, Rachel A Prusynski, Deepika Nehra, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar","doi":"10.1093/ptj/pzag034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzag034","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Importance: </strong>Firearm injury in the United States disproportionately affects marginalized and disadvantaged communities and results in high rates of functional limitations, mobility impairments, and chronic pain. Despite the high rates of firearm injury and impact on function, few studies have examined access to rehabilitation care after firearm injury.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study analyzed the use of physical therapy after firearm injuries compared to other traumatic injuries.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A retrospective cohort study was performed using medical claims data from a statewide All Payer Claims Database linked with an institutional trauma registry (2013-2022).</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>The setting was a Level I trauma center.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>Patients were identified from our institution's trauma registry to obtain initial injury information, and trauma registry data were linked to the Washington State All Payer Claims Database to identify physical therapy service use.</p><p><strong>Exposure: </strong>The exposure was mechanism of injury (firearm vs other trauma).</p><p><strong>Main outcomes and measures: </strong>The main outcome was the use of physical therapy services in any setting in the year after hospital or emergency department discharge, and the secondary outcome was the total number of physical therapist visits. Covariates included sociodemographic factors (race, ethnicity, insurance, age, and gender) and clinical characteristics indicating the need for physical therapy (injury region, injury severity, and hospital length of stay). Multivariable Poisson regression with robust SEs was used to evaluate the effect of firearm mechanism on outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 25,404 patients, the overall rate of physical therapist service use was 37.2%. Firearm injury survivors were less likely to use physical therapy services than survivors of other trauma (21.3% vs 38.4%; adjusted relative risk = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.71-0.88). Firearm injury survivors had fewer total physical therapy visits (8.0 [SD = 11.4] vs 11.9 [SD = 13.8]; adjusted relative risk = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.76-0.82).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite a high incidence of serious and disabling physical conditions after firearm injury, there was less use of physical therapy services after firearm injury than after other mechanisms of injury in this single-institution sample.</p><p><strong>Relevance: </strong>Insufficient use of physical therapy services after firearm injury may affect recovery and long-term outcomes among firearm injury survivors, and interventions are needed to support improved access to rehabilitation in this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":20093,"journal":{"name":"Physical Therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147618444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of Non-surgical Interventions on Standing Posture and Pain in Children with Flexible Flatfoot: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.","authors":"Liang-Yu Lin, Ai-Chieh Lin, Pei-Chun Lai, Ching-Ju Fang, Yu-Kang Tu, Ming-Tung Huang, Po-Ting Wu, Wei-Ren Su, Chih-Kai Hong, Fa-Chuan Kuan, Kai-Lan Hsu, Chih-Wei Chang, Chii-Jeng Lin, Jou-Hua Wang, Zhao-Wei Liu, Su-Ying Lee, Chien-An Shih","doi":"10.1093/ptj/pzag033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzag033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Importance: </strong>Pediatric flexible flatfoot (PFF) is a common condition affecting children's foot biomechanics. While various conservative treatments exist, their relative effectiveness remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective was to compare the effectiveness of non-surgical interventions-orthotic devices, active exercise-based interventions, and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES)-for managing PFF.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024539990).</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>Eleven trials encompassing 761 children with flexible flatfoot were included.</p><p><strong>Interventions: </strong>Non-surgical interventions included orthotic devices (traditional insoles, talus control insoles, corrective shoes, heel cups) and active exercise-based physical therapist interventions (corrective exercises, core stabilization exercises, and NMES combined with corrective exercises).</p><p><strong>Outcome measures: </strong>Outcome measures included the Staheli index (static footprint measurement), barefoot radiological measures (anterior-posterior and lateral talocalcaneal angles, calcaneal pitch angle), pain scores, and treatment discontinuation rates.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>NMES combined with corrective exercises demonstrated significant improvement in the Staheli index compared to no intervention (mean difference [MD] = -0.28, 95% CI = -0.35 to -0.22; certainty of evidence [CoE]: moderate). Talus control insoles showed significant improvements in radiological outcomes compared to conventional flat footwear, including lateral talocalcaneal angle (MD = -5.56°, 95% CI = -9.81 to -1.30; CoE: low) and calcaneal pitch angle (MD = 2.74°, 95% CI = 0.41 to 5.06; CoE: low). Traditional insoles effectively reduced pain scores compared to flat insoles (MD = -2.92 points, 95% CI = -3.73 to -2.11; CoE: very low). Pain outcomes were not assessed in exercise or NMES studies, preventing comparative effectiveness conclusions across intervention types. No significant differences in treatment discontinuation rates were observed among orthotic interventions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Both active exercise-based and orthotic interventions demonstrated beneficial effects. NMES with corrective exercises improved standing foot alignment by static footprint analysis, while orthotic interventions enhanced radiological alignment (talus control insoles) and pain relief (traditional insoles) compared to conventional footwear. Outcome measurement differences between intervention types limited direct comparisons. Ten studies measuring gait, functional, or developmental outcomes were excluded due to insufficient outcome overlap.</p><p><strong>Relevance: </strong>This network meta-analysis provides evidence-based guidance for selecting conservative PFF interventions based on primary treatment objectiv","PeriodicalId":20093,"journal":{"name":"Physical Therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147593853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cindy Lane Moore, J Scott Parrott, Kathryn M Sibley, Sandra L Kaplan
{"title":"Complexities of Shared Decision-Making in Home Care Physical Therapy: A Mixed Methods Study.","authors":"Cindy Lane Moore, J Scott Parrott, Kathryn M Sibley, Sandra L Kaplan","doi":"10.1093/ptj/pzag028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzag028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Importance: </strong>Shared decision-making (SDM) appears underutilized in physical therapy despite its potential benefits. Information regarding how SDM occurs in home care physical therapy is limited.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective was to describe SDM as experienced by physical therapists during in-home initial evaluation visits with older adults (age 65+) and to recommend SDM improvement strategies.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A convergent mixed methods design integrated findings from an anonymous survey and from volunteer interviews.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>The setting was United States home care.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>Surveys were completed by 220 home care therapists working in 44 states. Twenty therapists completed interviews.</p><p><strong>Intervention(s) or exposure(s): </strong>Participants' SDM-related experiences were examined.</p><p><strong>Main outcome(s) and measure(s): </strong>Main outcomes were descriptions of SDM contained within 1 theme and practice dilemmas within a second theme.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The theme SDM as a Suite of Decisions emerged from 6 subthemes relating to goal setting, treatment planning, and service administration: discovering patients' goals, translating patients' goals into therapy goals, selecting type of treatment, determining treatment frequency and duration, delineating delivery specifics, and SDM after the evaluation. The theme Balancing Patients', Therapists', and Employers' Needs emerged from 2 subthemes: patient advocacy versus organizational duty and coping with professional distress. Data described SDM actions and actors varying by decision type and therapy allotment decisions shifted from the patient-therapist dyad to include additional actors. Practice dilemmas surfaced related to reimbursement allocations, locus of authority to determine treatment frequency, and care continuity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Home care physical therapy SDM is complex and affected by setting-specific contextual factors including competing loyalties that may cause ethical distress. Strategies for improving SDM are provided.</p><p><strong>Relevance: </strong>Knowledge of shared decision-making's complexities can inform strategies for improving its use, potentially increasing patient engagement and patient and therapist satisfaction.</p>","PeriodicalId":20093,"journal":{"name":"Physical Therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147504894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"On \"Depressive Symptoms and Physical Activity Mediate the Adverse Effect of Pain on Functional Dependence in Patients With Arthritis: Evidence From the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.\" Goubran M, van Allen ZM, Bilodeau M, Boisgontier MP. Phys Ther. 2025;105(11):pzaf120. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzaf120.","authors":"Anas","doi":"10.1093/ptj/pzag023","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ptj/pzag023","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20093,"journal":{"name":"Physical Therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147317957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Madeline Ratoza, Rupal M Patel, Wayne Brewer, Katy Mitchell, Julia Chevan
{"title":"Geographic disparities in rehabilitation provider availability and community demographics in Texas: a cross-sectional geographic information systems study.","authors":"Madeline Ratoza, Rupal M Patel, Wayne Brewer, Katy Mitchell, Julia Chevan","doi":"10.1093/ptj/pzag014","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ptj/pzag014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Importance: </strong>Availability of rehabilitation providers is a critical component of access to care, yet little is known about how workforce supply relates to community demographic characteristics within urban and rural regions.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective of this study was to examine geographic variability in the availability of licensed physical and occupational therapy providers in Texas and evaluate the relationship between provider supply and community-level characteristics including race and ethnicity, disability, and poverty.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>The study used a descriptive, cross-sectional observational study design.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>The setting was all 6896 census tracts across the state of Texas.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>Participants included all physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapists, and occupational therapy assistants who held a license in 2022 and resided in Texas.</p><p><strong>Interventions/exposures: </strong>Provider workforce supply was derived from state licensure records and linked to population-level demographic and socioeconomic data from the American Community Survey using geospatial analysis.</p><p><strong>Main outcomes and measures: </strong>The population-to-provider ratio for physical therapy and occupational therapy providers per census tract and its relationship to community demographics was the main outcome measure.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 45,114 licensed physical therapy and occupational therapy providers, provider availability varied widely across Texas census tracts, with population-to-provider ratios ranging from 4 to 11,147 individuals per provider. Bivariate mapping showed that census tracts with fewer providers often overlapped with areas of higher disability prevalence, larger proportions of Hispanic or non-White residents, and higher poverty rates, particularly along southern and border regions and within parts of urban centers like southern Dallas and eastern Houston. Statistical comparisons revealed significant differences in racial composition between areas with the highest and lowest provider availability (χ26 = 1,561,831; Cramér V = 0.36) and in ethnic composition (χ2₁ = 1,012,990; Cramér V = 0.29). Differences in poverty (χ2₁ = 38,746; Cramér V = 0.06) and disability prevalence (χ2₁ = 5175.9; Cramér V = 0.02) were also significant but had smaller effect sizes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Substantial geographic variability exists in rehabilitation provider supply across census tracts in Texas, with lower availability in areas where populations may have higher needs. These findings highlight opportunities for workforce planning and targeted resource allocation to improve access to rehabilitation services in underserved regions.</p><p><strong>Relevance: </strong>Understanding provider shortages at the census tract level combined with specific community demographics can inform ","PeriodicalId":20093,"journal":{"name":"Physical Therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146202496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuichi Tsushima, Kazuki Fujita, Yoshitomo Saiki, Koji Hayashi, Yasutaka Kobayashi
{"title":"Functional classification of hemiparetic gait based on paretic leg extension angle and gastrocnemius muscle activity.","authors":"Yuichi Tsushima, Kazuki Fujita, Yoshitomo Saiki, Koji Hayashi, Yasutaka Kobayashi","doi":"10.1093/ptj/pzag015","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ptj/pzag015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Importance: </strong>Hemiparetic gait after stroke shows substantial individual variability, and understanding its biomechanical determinants is essential for developing targeted rehabilitation strategies.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective of this study was to classify hemiparetic gait into subgroups based on paretic leg extension angle and gastrocnemius muscle (GM) activity during stance and to examine differences in walking ability among these subgroups.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>This study used a cross-sectional observational design with hierarchical cluster analysis.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>Data were collected in a hospital rehabilitation department.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>Eighty-three individuals with chronic stroke who could walk independently participated.</p><p><strong>Exposure: </strong>Leg extension angle and GM activity during stance were assessed using a video-based markerless motion analysis system and surface electromyography.</p><p><strong>Measures: </strong>Spatiotemporal gait parameters, gait asymmetry, peak knee flexion angle during swing, and clinical assessments of motor paresis and spasticity were compared among the identified clusters.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Hierarchical cluster analysis identified 4 gait patterns based on paretic leg extension angle and gastrocnemius activity during stance: Cluster 1 (large leg extension angle with moderate gastrocnemius activity) showed walking speed comparable to Cluster 3 but with reduced knee flexion during swing; Cluster 2 (moderate leg extension angle with moderate gastrocnemius activity) demonstrated intermediate walking speed that was slower than that of Cluster 1; Cluster 3 (large leg extension angle with the greatest gastrocnemius activity) exhibited faster walking speed and the greatest peak knee flexion during swing; and Cluster 4 (small leg extension angle with reduced gastrocnemius activity) showed the slowest walking speed, significant gait asymmetry, and severe motor paresis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Hemiparetic gait was classified into 4 patterns based on leg extension angle and gastrocnemius activity, and these patterns were associated with differences in walking ability.</p><p><strong>Relevance: </strong>This functional classification framework may help clinicians identify key biomechanical targets and support the design of individualized rehabilitation strategies after stroke.</p>","PeriodicalId":20093,"journal":{"name":"Physical Therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146213907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"News From the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, March 2026.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/ptj/pzag022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzag022","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20093,"journal":{"name":"Physical Therapy","volume":"106 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147469063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dora Janela, Xin Tong, Diogo Pires, Hélder Fonseca, Fabíola Costa
{"title":"Psychological mediators in chronic spinal pain after fully remote digital rehabilitation: a real-world, large-sample study.","authors":"Dora Janela, Xin Tong, Diogo Pires, Hélder Fonseca, Fabíola Costa","doi":"10.1093/ptj/pzag010","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ptj/pzag010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Importance: </strong>Psychological factors are associated with chronic spinal pain, yet their mediating role in postrehabilitation recovery remains poorly understood, particularly in fully remote digital care. Most research has focused on baseline predictors, with few studies evaluating psychological mediators and moderators.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective of this study was to investigate whether changes in fear avoidance beliefs, depression, and anxiety mediate pain outcome following a digital care program (DCP) for chronic spinal conditions and whether these effects vary by Body Mass Index (BMI), self-reported gender, and socioeconomic status.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>This was an ad hoc analysis of a real-world registry of patients undergoing a DCP.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>The setting was a fully remote DCP delivered across the United States.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>The participants were adults who had chronic spinal musculoskeletal pain (N = 14,818) and who accessed the DCP via employer-sponsored health plans.</p><p><strong>Intervention: </strong>The DCP consisted of exercise, education, and behavior change, managed asynchronously by physical therapists.</p><p><strong>Main outcomes and measures: </strong>The final pain score (11-point numeric pain rating scale) was the primary outcome. Candidate mediators were changes in fear avoidance beliefs, depression, and anxiety. Confounding was mitigated through demographic and clinical covariates. Moderation was tested for BMI, self-reported gender, and socioeconomic deprivation. Structural equation modeling was used.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Improvements in fear avoidance beliefs (β = -0.10, SE = 0.00), depression (β = -0.05, SE = 0.01), and anxiety (β = -0.04, SE = 0.01) significantly mediated lower final pain scores after adjustment for confounding. The mediating effect of fear avoidance was especially pronounced among patients with severe obesity. Self-reported gender and socioeconomic status did not show moderating effects. The model's explained variance was 30%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions and relevance: </strong>Changes in fear avoidance beliefs, depression, and anxiety play a central role in pain recovery following digital rehabilitation. Fear avoidance mediation was particularly strong in individuals with severe obesity, highlighting the need for targeted psychological support in this subgroup. The findings emphasize the pertinence of systematically screening, monitoring, and addressing psychological factors in remote care, contributing to understanding how digital rehabilitation promotes recovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":20093,"journal":{"name":"Physical Therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13016882/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146106753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Addressing loneliness through movement and connection in physical therapy practice.","authors":"Davy Vancampfort, Ryan L McGrath, Brendon Stubbs","doi":"10.1093/ptj/pzag013","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ptj/pzag013","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20093,"journal":{"name":"Physical Therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146150224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}