Lower limb

A little more hope: ALS patients taking anti-psychotic drug in clinical trial

Cliff Barr has no illusions about how his life is going to end but he still has hope. ALS patient Cliff Barr, left, who is taking part in a new Canada-wide clinical trial to treat ALS, poses in an examination room with tria leader Dr. … READ MORE

Runners’ knees get a lift: Elevating heel cuts patellofemoral load

Wearing heel lifts in conventional running shoes can help reduce patellofemoral joint loading and may offer an alternative to gait retraining in runners with patellofemoral pain (PFP), according to research conducted at the … READ MORE

What is overpronation?

When the arch of the foot collapses excessively downward or inward, this is known as overpronation. Sometimes, people call this condition flat feet. Overpronation is when the arches of the foot roll inward or downward when walking, … READ MORE

Boy, 12, overcomes limited mobility and inspires friends to play sledge hockey

Yellowknife’s first such team has about 20 players, but only one actually requires a seated sled. Riley Oldford, 12, who has limited mobility, has inspired the formation of Yellowknife’s first sledge hockey team. Sarah Bridge … READ MORE

Stroke patients improve their gait with new shoe attachment, early study shows

A therapeutic shoe engineered to improve stroke recovery is proving successful and expected to hit the market by the end of the year. Clinical trials have been completed on the U.S. patented and licensed iStride Device, formerly the … READ MORE

Botox treatment observed less effective for children with CP

More than one injection of botulinum toxin A in children with cerebral palsy (CP) was seen as less effective over the long term and had fewer gait benefits compared to patients injected once or not at all, according to a new … READ MORE

Umbilical cord blood improves motor skills in some children with cerebral palsy

Randomized clinical trial shows improved motor function in children infused with own cells. An infusion of cells from a child’s own umbilical cord blood appears to improve brain connectivity and motor function in children with … READ MORE

New shoe makes running 4 percent easier, 2-hour marathon possible

Eleven days after Boulder-born Shalane Flanagan won the New York City Marathon in new state-of-the-art racing flats known as “4%s,” University of Colorado Boulder researchers have published the study that inspired the shoes’ … READ MORE

Bearspaw boy struggles toward recovery, years after being choked by lanyard

It’s a looming five-year anniversary Kamila Kitzul is loath to ponder. On Dec. 12, 2012, her eight-year-old son Nicholas donned a hall pass dangling from a non-breakaway lanyard for a trip to the boys’ washroom at Bearspaw School, … READ MORE

Study finds children with cerebral palsy not receiving common spasticity therapy

Among children with cerebral palsy, 42% have not received any common spasticity management therapies, including orthotics, casting or orthopedic surgery, according to a press release from Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Inquiry into … READ MORE

Home monitored rehab following total knee replacement

Claris Reflex is a wearable sensor that provides 24/7 continuous monitoring of patient movement. Claris Healthcare, a company with offices in Vancouver, Canada and Ferndale, Washington, is releasing its novel Claris Reflex knee rehab … READ MORE

Relieving foot pressure with shoe fixes

Many people wouldn’t expect footwear to be a big concern for people who can’t walk, but wheelers know — if you don’t move your feet all day, you’ve got to make sure that things fit just right. Additionally, if you can’t … READ MORE

Fine-tuning orthotic device prescription and fitting in CP

Half of those diagnosed with cerebral palsy have been prescribed standard AFOs to aid in walking, according to United Cerebral Palsy and the CDC. A patient with CP at Shriners Hospital for Children—Chicago wearing his customized … READ MORE

Auckland vibration therapy trial offers hope to sufferers

A vibration-based therapy trial in Auckland could help young people with cerebral palsy. Aucklander Luke Torrens Kelly, 14, was one of 40 people with cerebral palsy, aged 11 to 20, in a new trial that showed vibration therapy … READ MORE

Portable 3D scanner assesses patients with elephantiasis

Device measures swollen limbs faster, more easily than other methods. A portable scanning device produces a 3D reconstruction of swollen legs caused by lymphatic filariasis, a disease that infects millions globally. Researchers at … READ MORE

Living in a greener neighbourhood could lower your risk of death

Not just parks but also streetside trees and lawns could have health benefits, study suggests. In Japan, they call it shinrin-yoku – literally, “forest bathing.” Here, we might just call it a walk in the park. Either … READ MORE

A safe space for kids with special needs: Vancouver Phoenix Gymnastics

Finding fun outside of the home can be difficult for children with special needs and their families. Thankfully, Vancouver Phoenix Gymnastics gives kids with special needs and disabilities the perfect place to learn and play. The … READ MORE

South Health Campus, AHS

Dr. Cheri Nijssen-Jordan in the pediatric unit at the South Health Campus in Calgary, Alberta on May 29, 2013. Leah Hennel, Calgary Herald General Pediatric Clinic Dr. Nadira Rashid Dr. Adel El Sharkawy Allison Massey PT This service … READ MORE

Neurodevelopmental physical therapy improves spasticity in children with CP

A physical therapy approach known as neurodevelopmental treatment can improve shaking but not movement in children with cerebral palsy, according to a South Korean study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science. Neurodevelopmental … READ MORE

AFOs and balance issues in peripheral neuropathy

At a symposium in Cape Town, South Africa, an orthotist demonstrated his technique for treating balance issues in patients with peripheral neuropathy using ankle foot orthoses (AFOs), and a team of researchers theorized about … READ MORE

Can AFOs help prevent falls?

Studies suggest that ankle foot orthoses can improve balance in some individuals, so it might seem logical that they would also help prevent falls. But the medical literature has yet to reveal a direct connection between AFOs and … READ MORE

Golfer travels to Oshawa to use assistive device to help him play round of golf

Golf gives paralyzed former champion shot at life. In this July, 27, 2017 photo, Chris Haubach lines up a shot uses a three-wheeled Ottobock ParaGolfer that allows him to play golf at Wolf Hollow Golf Course in Lena, Illinois. Haubach … READ MORE

A lower body approach to lumbar pain in pitchers

What do gators, windmills, and lawnmowers all have in common? All three are nicknames for exercises that incorporate strengthening or stretching of muscles in both the lower back and the lower extremities. And all three are examples … READ MORE

Calgary’s Kyle Miller makes history as first golfer with cerebral palsy in PGA event

26-year-old Kyle Miller determined to soldier through despite challenges. Calgary’s Kyle Miller has an exemption to play in Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada’s ATB Financial Classic 2017, August 10-13 at the Country Hills … READ MORE

Understanding hypotonia

Diagnostic challenges should not delay clinical intervention. Hypotonia, or abnormally low muscle tone, is by itself not a disorder but a symptom of an enormous array of issues—many of which can be difficult to diagnose accurately. … READ MORE

Kinematics identify subgroups of kids with CP and equinovarus

Chicago researchers have identified clinically relevant subgroups based on foot and ankle kinematics in children with equinovarus secondary to hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) that could help improve treatment planning and clinical … READ MORE

MS marathoner Cheryl Hile conquers Antarctica

Back in September, I told you about Cheryl Hile. Cheryl is a young woman with MS whose goal is to become the first person with MS to run in seven marathons on seven continents. by Ed Tobias, Multiple Sclerosis News Today February 7, … READ MORE

7-year-old’s mystery illness baffles specialists

Gracie Lee Straus loves taking photographs of people and turning them into jigsaw puzzles on her iPad — from her friends and teachers to her doctors, nurses and therapists. She loves puzzles, even the old-fashioned, hands-on ones. … READ MORE

Recreation programs foster inclusion

It’s all about playing together. That’s the philosophy of special recreation inclusion efforts integrating those with special needs into mainstream park programs. Laney Myers, right, works to get control of the ball during … READ MORE

How magic tricks help children with cerebral palsy

For children with hemiplegia, a common form of cerebral palsy, learning to be a magician is remarkably effective therapy — as attendees at the Breathe Magic summer camp find out. A child at Breathe Magic. Photographs: Graeme … READ MORE

« 1 … 6 7 8 9 10 … 14 »