Copyright 2012 Medical News TodayLatest Health News and Medical News posted throughout the day, every day.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/rehabilitation/admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin)editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors)en-us Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241486.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241486.phpThe treatment for moderate-to-severe memory impairment could one day include a prescription for a smartphone. Baycrest has published the strongest evidence yet that a smartphone training program, theory-driven and specifically designed for individuals with memory impairment, can result in "robust" improvements in day-to-day functioning, and boost independence and confidence levels...IT / Internet / E-mail Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241386.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241386.phpAn Oregon Research Institute (ORI) exercise study conducted in four Oregon cities has shown significant benefits for patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease. In an original article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), ORI scientist Fuzhong Li, Ph.D...Parkinson's Disease Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241439.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241439.phpMild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease patients who practice Tai Chi were found to experience significant benefits, including better posture, fewer falls, and improved walking ability, researchers from the Oregon Research Institute (ORI) reported in NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine)...Parkinson's Disease Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241356.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241356.phpPoor emotional health and morbid obesity are associated with less functional gain following total knee replacement (TKR) surgery...Bones / Orthopedics Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241279.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241279.phpUniversity of Illinois researchers determined that an adult stem cell present in muscle is responsive to exercise, a discovery that may provide a link between exercise and muscle health. The findings could lead to new therapeutic techniques using these cells to rehabilitate injured muscle and prevent or restore muscle loss with age...Bones / Orthopedics Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241209.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241209.phpA new drug that showed promise in animal studies and an early clinical trial didn't improve disability among stroke patients, according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012. After a stroke and other types of brain damage, the brain naturally produces more granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF)...Stroke Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241215.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241215.phpThe February edition of Neurosurgery reports that animal experiments in brain-injured rats have shown that stem cells injected via the carotid artery travel directly to the brain, greatly enhancing functional recovery...Neurology / Neuroscience Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241053.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241053.php According to a study published online in Science Translational Medicine by researchers from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario, massages aid the growth of new mitochondria in skeletal muscle, and help to reduce inflammation...Pain / Anesthetics Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240863.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240863.phpMultiple sclerosis (MS), a neurodegenerative disease, causes periodic attacks of neurologic symptoms such as limb weakness and mobility defects. And while MS patients' walking abilities and muscle strength are examined on a regular basis, doctors have yet to determine when the lower limb muscles begin to deteriorate...Multiple Sclerosis Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240551.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240551.phpIf you have stable cardiovascular disease, it is more than likely that you can safely engage in sexual activity, according to an American Heart Association scientific statement. The statement, published online in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, contains recommendations by experts from various fields, including heart disease, exercise physiology and sexual counseling...Heart Disease Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240465.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240465.phpResearchers studied three types of tennis serves, and identified one in particular, called a "kick" serve, which creates the highest potential for shoulder injury. The results, published in a recent issue of Annals of Biomedical Engineering, could aid sports training and rehab, said Alison Sheets, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Ohio State University...Sports Medicine / Fitness Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240427.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240427.phpEmpa engineers, together with the firm 'r going', have succeeded in developing an ergonomic seat for electric wheelchairs which encourages the user to move around frequently. True to the motto 'life is movement' the aim is to enhance the freedom of movement of wheelchair users with a range of disabilities. Today's office workplaces are designed to be as ergonomic as possible...Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240405.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240405.php A new study published online on 17 January in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism reports that rates of knee replacement surgery in Finland's 30 to 59-year-olds soared between 1980 and 2006, with women being the more common recipients throughout. Lead author Dr...Arthritis / Rheumatology Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240214.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240214.phpAll patients with hip fractures should be fast-tracked through hospital emergency departments and operated on within 48 hours of admission, according to new consensus guidelines developed by UK experts in anaesthesia, orthopaedics, geriatrics and emergency medicine and published in the January issue of Anaesthesia...Bones / Orthopedics Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240218.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240218.phpVisual rehabilitation will continue to increase in importance in the near future, particularly because the number of older patients is rising. Susanne Trauzettel-Klosinski summarizes the present state of knowledge in the current issue of the Deutsches Arzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2011; 108[51/52]: 871-8)...Eye Health / Blindness Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240056.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240056.phpResearch has just been published showing that silk produced by transgenically-engineered silkworms in the laboratory of Malcolm Fraser, Jr., professor of biological sciences at University of Notre Dame, exhibits the highly sought-after strength and elasticity of spider silk. This stronger silk could possibly be used to make sutures, artificial limbs and parachutes...Dermatology Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240040.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240040.phpEarly diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema by a physical therapist can significantly reduce costs and the need for intensive rehabilitation, according to an article published in the January issue of Physical Therapy (PTJ), the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)...Breast Cancer Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239833.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239833.phpThe 2011 revision of the International Standards for the Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) was published in the November 2011 issue of the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. The accompanying reference article by Steven Kirshblum et al clarifies the modifications to this newest revision. Both are available for free download...Neurology / Neuroscience Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239849.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239849.phpCollaborative stroke research study in January 2012 Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation shows bedside clinical evaluation can detect spatial neglect, a common disabling cognitive disorder that impedes recovery for 30 to 50% of stroke survivors. West Orange, NJ. January 3, 2012...Stroke Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239617.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239617.php Despite increased use of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there is a notable lack of consensus about optimal postoperative treatment. Aquatic therapy has been shown to have a beneficial effect, and it is typically begun two weeks after surgery, after the wound has healed...Bones / Orthopedics Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239373.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239373.phpMonitored by scientists at Kessler Foundation, six people with traumatic spinal cord injuries tested Ekso, the robotic exoskeleton from Ekso Bionics that enables wheelchair users to stand and walk. The six participated in one week of preliminary testing in October 2011...Neurology / Neuroscience Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239332.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239332.phpSeverely impaired stroke survivors could walk better when a robotic assist system was added to conventional rehabilitation, according to a study in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Italian researchers evaluated two-year mobility outcomes in 48 stroke survivors who had been discharged from a hospital and were unable to walk at the study's start...Stroke Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239268.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239268.phpResearchers in Norway report that patients who receive walking skills training following total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis show improved physical function. The physical therapy program displayed a positive effect on walking distance and stair climbing which continued 12 months following hip replacement surgery...Arthritis / Rheumatology Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239162.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239162.phpResearchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Baltimore VA Medical Center have launched a study of exercise and computerized memory training to see if those activities may help people with Parkinson's disease prevent memory changes. The type of memory that will be examined is known as "executive function;" it allows people to take in information and use it in a new way...Parkinson's Disease Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239120.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239120.phpParticipation in horticultural activities can improve confidence and social skills, cultivate a positive attitude, and rejuvenate the mind and body...Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy