Evidence-based practice (EBP) is one of the most important developments in decades for the helping professions, which includes medicine, nursing, social work, psychology, public health, counseling, and all the other health and human service professions. Evidence-based practice is an outgrowth of evidence-based medicine. Initially, evidence-based medicine was defined as the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual pati... Read More

Though there have been various definitions of evidence based practice, essentially it involves application of best research evidence along with use of clinical expertise keeping in mind the patient’s preferences and concerns in making pertinent clinical decisions.

The move to ‘evidence-based practice’ over the last decade or so has brought with it changes in the way physiotherapy research is conducted and disseminated and changes in the way physiotherapists are exp... Read More

SUSAN B. O'SULLIVAN is a name that needs no introduction to physios across the globe. She has played a pivotal role in standardizing physical Rehabilitation which is now in its 6^th Edition

In an email interview with Mukesh nayak , Susan B.O’Sullivan gets candid about her book and shares her thoughts on several aspects of her life and career spanning more than four decades in physical therapy presented are the excerpts from the interview

Physiotherapists play a significant role in improving the functional status of patients with neurological disorders. However, there are some neurological diseases and injuries, where despite our best efforts, the patients are still left with severe and incapacitating neurological deficits.It is for this group of patients that there is now a new hope in the form of regenerative medicine using stem cell therapy.The relevance of stem cell therapy to us is that, physiotherapist have a very import... Read More

Healthcare was traditionally considered a noble profession and hence its practitioners were recipients of a great deal of adulation and gratitude. This has evolved into a more equal relationship between practitioners and patients, which has resulted in greater accountability being expected of healthcare professionals.

Until recently, in India, the physician centric model of healthcare was widely accepted. This reduced all other disciplines into ancillary services with the ultimate r... Read More

I welcome the readers of PHYSIOTIMES to ‘The World of Research’ in the field of Physical Therapy. As you may understand, research is an ocean, an ocean built by drops of thought, accumulated over a period of time, to develop into a question. The research question then if deemed eligible for testing, enters the phase of hypothesis. A hypothesis is an abstract collection of thoughts which are yet to be tested for their authenticity.

I m a  physical therapist for the l... Read More

Introduction: Measurement in physiotherapy is a dynamic concern. Measurements are inseparable part and embedded in our clinical practice, research methods and academic evaluation. Consider the following scenarios and weigh our clinical and research cognizance.

A first scenario: A p value of p < 0.5 and p< 0.001. Which one is most preferable in our study results? Our joy and sorrow depends respectively on smaller and larger p values found in our statistical analysis of study re... Read More

SNAGS is an acronym for "sustained natural apophyseal glides and is a useful treatment for selected patients with pain eminating from the axial skeleton. In  the cervical spine, they are performed in the sitting position.  The therapist applies manual pressure with the thumbs to either the spinous process or articular pillar of a specific vertebrae. The pressure is gently applied along the facet joint plain.  In the middle and lower cervical joints this would be upwardly i... Read More

As clinical therapists, we often find ourselves frustrated by our patients’ apparent lack of interest in our carefully planned intervention programs. Patients may report that they had yet to start, or even complete any part of their home program. We as therapists then assume that the patients were uninterested, or didn’t have the necessary motivation; or worst of all, simply did not care. Lack of participation on the patent’s part is frustrating to the therapist, and often d... Read More

The body’s natural relaxation response is a powerful antidote to stress. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and yoga can help one activate this relaxation response. When practiced regularly, these activities lead to a reduction in the everyday stress levels and a boost in the feelings of joy and serenity.

 Yoga to me is “Self-discipline”. Yoga is a way of right living. Yoga practices eliminat... Read More

Physiotherapy Software: The New Age Mantra for Transforming your Practice

Computer software is incredibly useful for any kind of business. There are many software packages that can help increase the efficiency of private practice in physiotherapy as well. Such software can increase patient satisfaction as well as increase practice revenues. This article discusses in brief about two types of software that are especially useful for physiotherapy clinics. Physiotherapy Billing (PT Bill... Read More

Physiotherapy is still in infancy stage with least evidence for the PT Interventions given cultural and socio-economic difference in India and therefore following the evidence from western culture might not always provide best treatment options. Hence PT research is critical to address these issues and gain respected status in the health care system

Evidence-based practice has become a central part of modern physiotherapy, but the questions of what evidence-based practice means in the day-to-day clinical setting and what constitutes evidence are too often open to interpretation. The author of practical evidence-based physiotherapy  interrogate the terminology and concepts of evidence-based practice drawing on their extensive experience and their international perspectives.