Thursday, February 19, 2004 TODAY
School of Allied Health Professions news
Physical therapy faculty and students publish research
The fall, 2003, issue of the Journal of Dental Hygiene featured a research publication by Eric Johnson, MPT, assistant professor, department of physical therapy, School of Allied Health Professions.The paper, titled "Disability and Self-Assessment and Upper Quarter Muscle Balance between Female Dental Hygienists and Non-Dental Hygienists," explained the research on 87 age-matched females who participated in the study.
"The study evolved from a series of injury prevention lectures I have provided for dental hygiene students in the School of Dentistry," says Mr. Johnson.
Several significant differences were identified between the two groups. Dental hygienists reported higher-perceived disability ratings using a standardized questionnaire, and muscular imbalance of the upper quarter was statistically higher in the dental hygiene group.
The research suggests that muscle balance and disability are related to the profession of dental hygiene. It also indicates that education regarding prevention needs to be a critical component of the dental hygiene curriculum.
Co-investigators for the paper included Joseph Godges, assistant professor, department of physical therapy, SAHP; Joni Stephens, EdS, MS, professor, dental hygiene, School of Dentistry; Everett Lohman III, DPT, assistant professor, department of physical therapy, SAHP; Grenith Zimmerman, PhD, professor, research and statistics, SAHP; and Sharon Anderson, DrPH, private physical therapy practitioner.
Mr. Godges also had a research study published in the December, 2003, issue of Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. His study, "The Immediate Effects of Soft Tissue Mobilization with Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation on Glenohumeral External Rotation and Overhead Reach," was a randomized controlled two-group pretest-posttest study of 20 patients with shoulder musculoskeletal disorders.
Results showed significant and clinically important gains in shoulder motion and overhead reach following treatment as compared to the control group. Findings suggest that a single intervention of the combined treatment techniques was effective in producing immediate improvements.
Co-investigators included Donna Thorpe, MPH, assistant professor, department of physical therapy, and post-professional master students Melodie Mattson-Bell and Drashti Shah.
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Thursday, February 19, 2004 TODAY
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