South African Journal of Physiotherapy

BACKGROUND: Traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) survivors are confronted by both physical and psychosocial barriers when returning to their communities. Therefore, reintegration is an important aspect of their journey back into social life. OBJECTIVES: To assess psychosocial reintegration after TSCI in Rwanda. METHOD: All community-dwelling adults who were registered in the previous epidemiological study were recruited and injury characteristics questionnaire and the Sydney Psychosocial Reintegration Scale version 2 (SPRS-2) were used to collect data through a telephone interview...

BACKGROUND: Effective healthcare delivery occurs when health professionals collaborate and provide holistic, patient-centred care. Physiotherapists and chiropractors treat a common range of patients with an overlap in their scope of practice and modalities because of typical healthcare roles that could lead to 'perceived' animosity. OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of qualified chiropractors and physiotherapists regarding each other's practice...

BACKGROUND: There are no studies investigating the level of knowledge about and attitude towards sports-related concussions (SRC) among sports coaches in Jordan. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the knowledge about and attitude towards SRC among Jordanian sports coaches. METHOD: Our study was based on a cross-sectional survey. An Arabic version of the questionnaire from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was used to collect data...

BACKGROUND: Partial vascular occlusion (PVO) can increase muscle strength and hypertrophy without joint overload. However, PVO could increase the possibility of imbalances and injuries during physical activity. OBJECTIVES: To identify changes in strength, muscle activation, and postural control during the use of PVO in young women. METHOD: A total of 14 healthy women aged between 18 and 30 years were evaluated. Dynamometry was used to analyse the strength of the quadriceps muscle, and surface electromyography to evaluate quadriceps muscle activity...

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the need for competency-based medical education has been emphasised. Each country needs a defined set of physiotherapy competencies from the associations and governing bodies. OBJECTIVES: Our review aimed to map competencies of undergraduate physiotherapy education and propose a context-specific competency framework for Namibia. METHOD: This scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute framework and was reported using the Preferred Reporting for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews...

BACKGROUND: The use of standardised assessment tools is a fundamental aspect of good clinical practice. However, to our knowledge, no study has documented the use of standardised assessment tools in physiotherapy in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVES: Documenting the use of standardised outcome measures in physiotherapy in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. METHOD: Our cross-sectional survey used an online self-questionnaire on facilitators and barriers to the use of standardised outcome measures, distributed to physiotherapists in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa...

BACKGROUND: Integrating high dosage bilateral movements to improve upper limb (UL) recovery after stroke is a rehabilitation strategy that could potentially improve bimanual activities. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare the effects of bilateral with unilateral UL training on upper limb impairments and functional independence in (sub)acute stroke. METHOD: Five electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, PEDro, ScienceDirect, Web of Science) were systematically searched from inception to June 2023...

BACKGROUND: Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is a World Health Organization (WHO) strategy for social inclusion, equalisation of opportunities and provision of essential services for people with disabilities (PWDs). Community-based rehabilitation is a multi-sectoral strategy that requires all stakeholders to participate equally in its implementation. KwaZulu-Natal has implemented CBR for over two decades, with various stakeholders at the forefront of implementation. However, the status of stakeholder engagement, collaboration and coordination is unknown...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Continuous professional development is important to maintain standards of care in the healthcare sector. However, in Lagos, Nigeria, the additional burden of COVID-19 and limited resources may provide separate challenges for physiotherapists' continuous professional development (CPD). OBJECTIVES: To examine the availability and perceived quality of continuous professional development opportunities for physiotherapists working before and during the pandemic in Lagos, Nigeria...

BACKGROUND: Outcome measures can assess the change in the health status of a patient in an intensive care unit (ICU). The Chelsea Critical Care Physical Assessment (CPAx) tool is used to assess the functional outcomes to monitor patient progression or regression in an ICU. OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to identify studies that assess the functional outcomes of patients nursed in ICUs that use the CPAx tool. METHOD: An integrative review framework was used...

BACKGROUND: Understanding health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among people with HIV (PWH) can inform strategies to maintain or improve health and functioning. Most HRQOL research has focused on resource-rich settings, underrepresenting younger cohorts in low-resource settings. OBJECTIVES: To assess HRQOL and associated factors in PWH visiting two primary healthcare clinics in the Western Cape, South Africa. METHOD: A cross-sectional study included 48 PWH (58...

UNLABELLED: Hand therapy for individuals who sustained hand injuries is included in the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) physiotherapy scope of practice. The training that physiotherapists receive at the undergraduate level lays the foundation for them to deliver hand therapy or hand rehabilitation according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health domains in a uniquely South African health service context. Further structured formal and informal postgraduate continued education opportunities may put physiotherapists in the ideal position in a multidisciplinary team to deliver optimal hand therapy...

BACKGROUND: Evaluating a physiotherapy clinical education programme is challenging, given its complex and multidimensional nature, resulting in a paucity of research on the topic. OBJECTIVES: The objective of our study, which was part of a larger study, was to identify items that could be included in a tool to evaluate a physiotherapy clinical education programme in South Africa. METHOD: A qualitative study utilising focused group discussions including academics, clinical educators and clinicians was undertaken...

BACKGROUND: Knee hyperextension is common following stroke because of changes in joint range of motion (ROM), muscle tone and strength on the hemiparetic side. There is no clear consensus in the literature as to the cause of knee hyperextension during the stance phase of gait. OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to determine the feasibility of methods to investigate the association between ankle joint function and knee hyperextension in patients with hemiparetic stroke during the stance phase of gait...

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a long-term condition that causes significant impairment, and because of the increasing prevalence of OA, the demand for arthroplasty will continue to rise. However, the demand will not be matched by availability, because of prioritisation of trauma-related surgeries. Implementing prehabilitation could assist physiotherapists in having an impact on improving access by reducing the length of stay. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our scoping review was to explore, map and identify trends and gaps to better inform the content of a prehabilitation programme...

BACKGROUND: Hand grip strength (HGS) measurements serve as an objective measure of upper extremity function. Reliable hand strength evaluation is vital for assessing treatment effectiveness. OBJECTIVES: To determine the influence of hand dominance, gender, and body mass index (BMI) on HGS among university students in Ghana. METHOD: In our cross-sectional study of 304 participants, height, weight, and BMI were measured using a stadiometer and weighing scale...

BACKGROUND: Respiratory impairments refer to a reduction in pulmonary function, which may adversely affect an individual's health. Incentive spirometry is a technique designed to assist patients in achieving a pre-set airflow volume; the volume is determined from predicted values or baseline measurements. Our study aims to assess the effect of incentive spirometry on respiratory impairments. METHOD: Fifty-four patients aged 40 years and above with obstructive, restrictive or mixed respiratory impairments attending the respiratory clinic at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja (LASUTH), will be recruited and assigned to three groups of 18 participants based on the class of respiratory impairment...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.