Associate Professor Suzanne Snodgrass

© 2018 National Athletic Trainers' Association Inc. All rights reserved. Context: Scapular taping can offer clinical benefit to some patients with shoulder pain; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Understanding these mechanisms may guide the development of treatment strategies for managing neuromusculoskeletal shoulder conditions. Objective: To examine the mechanisms underpinning the benefits of scapular taping. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Setting: University laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 15 individuals (8 men, 7 women; age ¼ 31.0 6 12.4 years, height ¼ 170.9 6 7.6 cm, mass ¼ 73.8 6 14.4 kg) with no history of shoulder pain. Intervention(s): Scapular taping. Main Outcome Measure(s): Surface electromyography (EMG) was used to assess the (1) magnitude and onset of contraction of the upper trapezius (UT), lower trapezius (LT), and serratus anterior relative to the contraction of the middle deltoid during active shoulder flexion and abduction and (2) corticomotor excitability (amplitude of motor-evoked potentials from transcranial magnetic stimulation) of these muscles at rest and during isometric abduction. Active shoulder-flexion and shoulder-abduction range of motion were also evaluated. All outcomes were measured before taping, immediately after taping, 24 hours after taping with the original tape on, and 24 hours after taping with the tape removed. Results: Onset of contractions occurred earlier immediately after taping than before taping during abduction for the UT (34.18 6 118.91 milliseconds and 93.95 6 106.33 milliseconds, respectively, after middle deltoid contraction; P ¼ .02) and during flexion for the LT (110.02 6 109.83 milliseconds and 5.94 6 92.35 milliseconds, respectively, before middle deltoid contraction; P ¼ .06). These changes were not maintained 24 hours after taping. Mean motor-evoked potential onset of the middle deltoid was earlier at 24 hours after taping (tape on ¼ 7.20 6 4.33 milliseconds) than before taping (8.71 6 5.24 milliseconds, P ¼ .008). We observed no differences in peak root mean square EMG activity or corticomotor excitability of the scapular muscles among any time frames. Conclusions: Scapular taping was associated with the earlier onset of UT and LT contractions during shoulder abduction and flexion, respectively. Altered corticomotor excitability did not underpin earlier EMG onsets of activity after taping in this sample. Our findings suggested that the optimal time to engage in rehabilitative exercises to facilitate onset of trapezius contractions during shoulder movements may be immediately after tape application.

© 2018 Taylor & Francis Objectives: To describe the outcomes of 10 patients with chronic biceps tendinopathy treated by physical therapy with the novel approach of dry needling (DN), eccentric-concentric exercise (ECE), and stretching of the long head of the biceps tendon (LHBT). Methods: Ten individuals reporting chronic anterior shoulder symptoms (> 3¿months), pain with palpation of the LHBT, and positive results on a combination of tests including active shoulder flexion, Speed¿s, Hawkins Kennedy, Neer, and Yergason¿s tests participated in this case series. Validated self-reported outcome measures including the mean numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) and Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) were taken at baseline. Participants were treated with two to eight sessions of DN to the LHBT and an ECE program and stretching of the biceps muscle. At discharge, patients completed the global rating of change (GROC), QuickDASH and NPRS. Results: Patients had an improved mean NPRS of 3.9 (SD, 1.3; p¿<¿0.001), QuickDASH of 19.01% (SD, 10.8; p¿<¿0.02) and GROC +5.4 (SD, 1.3). Conclusion: Findings from this case series suggest that DN and ECE may be beneficial for the management of patients with chronic LHBT tendinopathy. Further research on the efficacy of this novel treatment approach is warranted.

Copyright © 2018 Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy®. All rights reserved. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. BACKGROUND: Therapeutic exercise is commonly used to treat individuals with knee disorders, but dosing parameters for optimal outcomes are unclear. Large variations exist in exercise prescription, and research related to specific dosing variables for knee osteoarthritis, patellar tendinopathy, and patellofemoral pain is sparse. OBJECTIVES: To identify specific doses of exercise related to improved outcomes of pain and function in individuals with common knee disorders, categorized by effect size. METHODS: Five electronic databases were searched for studies related to exercise and the 3 diagnoses. Means and standard deviations were used to calculate effect sizes for the exercise groups. The overall quality of evidence was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. RESULTS: Five hundred eighty-three studies were found after the initial search, and 45 were included for analysis after screening. Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale scores were "fair" quality and ranged from 3 to 8. For knee osteoarthritis, 24 total therapeutic exercise sessions and 8- and 12-week durations of exercise were parameters most often associated with large effects. An exercise frequency of once per week was associated with no effect. No trends were seen with exercise dosing for patellar tendinopathy and patellofemoral pain. CONCLUSION: This review suggests that there are clinically relevant exercise dosing variables that result in improved pain and function for patients with knee osteoarthritis, but optimal dosing is still unclear for patellar tendinopathy and patellofemoral pain. Prospective studies investigating dosing parameters are needed to confirm the results from this systematic review.

© 2017 Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia Objective: The purpose of this review was to identify doses of exercise therapy associated with greater treatment effect sizes in individuals with common musculoskeletal disorders of the foot and ankle, namely, achilles tendinopathy, ankle sprains and plantar heel pain. Methods: AMED, EMBASE and MEDLINE were searched from 2005 to August 2017 for randomized controlled trials related to exercise for these three diagnoses. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale was used for methodological quality assessment. Exercise dosing variables and outcome measures related to pain and function were extracted from the studies, and standardized mean differences were calculated for the exercise groups. Results: Fourteen studies met the final inclusion. A majority of the studies showed large effects and two small trends were identified. Patients with plantar heel pain may benefit more from a daily home exercise program than two supervised visits per week (SMD = 3.82), but this recommendation is based on weak evidence. In achilles tendinopathy, a relationship was also seen when sets and repetitions of eccentric exercise were performed as tolerated (SMD = 1.08 for function, -1.29 for pain). Conclusions: Session duration, frequency, total number of visits, and overall length of care may all be dosing variables with limited value for determining effective exercise prescription. However, the limited number of studies prevents any definitive conclusions. Further investigation is warranted to improve our understanding of the influence exercise dosing has on treatment effect sizes. Future randomized controlled trials comparing specific exercise dose variables should be conducted to clarify the impact of these variables.

Copyright © 2017 Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and metaanalysis. BACKGROUND: An increasing number of physical therapists in the United States and throughout the world are using dry needling to treat musculoskeletal pain. OBJECTIVE: To examine the short- and longterm effectiveness of dry needling delivered by a physical therapist for any musculoskeletal pain condition. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched. Eligible randomized controlled trials included those with human subjects who had musculoskeletal conditions that were treated with dry needling performed by a physical therapist, compared with a control or other intervention. The overall quality of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. RESULTS: The initial search returned 218 articles. After screening, 13 were included. Physiotherapy Evidence Database quality scale scores ranged from 4 to 9 (out of a maximum score of 10), with a median score of 7. Eight meta-analyses were performed. In the immediate to 12-week follow-up period, studies provided evidence that dry needling may decrease pain and increase pressure pain threshold when compared to control/sham or other treatment. At 6 to 12 months, dry needling was favored for decreasing pain, but the treatment effect was not statistically significant. Dry needling, when compared to control/sham treatment, provides a statistically significant effect on functional outcomes, but not when compared to other treatments. CONCLUSION: Very low-quality to moderatequality evidence suggests that dry needling performed by physical therapists is more effective than no treatment, sham dry needling, and other treatments for reducing pain and improving pressure pain threshold in patients presenting with musculoskeletal pain in the immediate to 12-week follow-up period. Low-quality evidence suggests superior outcomes with dry needling for functional outcomes when compared to no treatment or sham needling. However, no difference in functional outcomes exists when compared to other physical therapy treatments. Evidence of long-term benefit of dry needling is currently lacking.

© 2016 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Objectives Clinical reasoning can be difficult to teach to pre-professional physiotherapy students due to their lack of clinical experience. It may be that tools such as clinical prediction rules (CPRs) could aid the process, but there has been little investigation into their use in physiotherapy clinical education. This study aimed to determine the perceptions and experiences of physiotherapy students regarding CPRs, and whether they are learning about CPRs on clinical placement. Design Cross-sectional survey using a paper-based questionnaire. Participants Final year pre-professional physiotherapy students (n¿=¿371, response rate 77%) from five universities across five states of Australia. Results Sixty percent of respondents had not heard of CPRs, and a further 19% had not clinically used CPRs. Only 21% reported using CPRs, and of these nearly three-quarters were rarely, if ever, learning about CPRs in the clinical setting. However most of those who used CPRs (78%) believed CPRs assisted in the development of clinical reasoning skills and none (0%) was opposed to the teaching of CPRs to students. The CPRs most commonly recognised and used by students were those for determining the need for an X-ray following injuries to the ankle and foot (67%), and for identifying deep venous thrombosis (63%). Conclusions The large majority of students in this sample knew little, if anything, about CPRs and few had learned about, experienced or practiced them on clinical placement. However, students who were aware of CPRs found them helpful for their clinical reasoning and were in favour of learning more about them.

Copyright © 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. Objective: To determine whether nonmodifiable and modifiable risk factors [ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM), lower limb power output, and balance], as identified in preseason screening, predict the risk of sustaining a noncontact ankle injury in amateur male soccer players during the training and competitive season. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Amateur soccer competition (club and area representative teams). Participants: Amateur soccer players (n = 210) aged =15 years. Assessment of Risk Factors (Independent Variables): Height, weight, ankle dorsiflexion ROM, power (vertical jump) and balance (time of double-leg balanced stance on an electronic wobble board, maximum 20 seconds) measured in preseason screening. Main Outcome Measures (Dependent Variable): Incidence of noncontact ankle injury and exposure to both training and games, monitored during the competitive season following baseline measurement. Noncontact ankle injury was defined as any ankle injury not caused by a collision (with another player or object) resulting in a participant missing at least 1 game or training session. Results: Fourteen of the 210 participants (6.7%) sustained a noncontact ankle injury yielding an injury rate of 0.484 injuries per 1000 player hours. Lower limb power output scores <30 W/kg [odds ratio (OR), 9.20, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13-75.09, P = 0.038] and poorer balance scores (OR, 0.43, 95% CI, 0.21-0.89, P = 0.024) were associated with higher odds of injury. Conclusions: Poorer lower limb power output and balance are risk factors for noncontact ankle injury among amateur soccer players. These deficits can potentially be identified by screening, providing opportunities to investigate prevention strategies.

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd The development of student-practitioners' practical clinical skills is essential in health professional education. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations are central to the assessment of students performing clinical procedures on simulated patients (actors). While feedback is considered core to learning providing timely, individualised student OSCE feedback is difficult. This study explored the perceptions of students about the multiple factors which shape the utility of e-feedback following an electronic Objective Structured Clinical Examinations, which utilized iPad and specialised software. The e-feedback was trialled in four courses within occupational therapy and physiotherapy pre-professional programs with a cohort of 204 students. Evaluation of student perceptions about feedback was collected using two surveys and eight focus groups. This data showed three factors shaped perceptions of the utility of e- Objective Structured Clinical Examinations feedback: 1) timely accessibility within one day of the assessment, 2) feedback demonstrating examiners' academic literacy and 3) feedback orientated to ways of improving future performance of clinical skills. The study found training in the provision of feedback using IPads and software is needed for examiners to ensure e-feedback meets students' needs for specific, future-oriented e-feedback and institutional requirements for justification of grades.

© 2015 American Physical Therapy Association. Background. The ulnar nerve upper limb neurodynamic test (ULNT3) uses upper limb positioning to investigate symptoms arising from the ulnar nerve. It is proposed to selectively increase tension of the nerve; however, this property of the test is not well established. Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the upper limb position that results in: (1) the greatest tension of the ulnar nerve and (2) the greatest difference in tension between the ulnar nerve and the other 2 major nerves of the upper limb: median and radial. Design. This was an observational cadaver study. Methods. Tension (in newtons) of the ulnar, median, and radial nerves was measured simultaneously using 3 buckle force transducers in 5 upper limb positions in 10 embalmed human cadavers (N=20 limbs). Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni post hoc tests determined differences in tension among nerves and among limb positions. Results. The addition of shoulder horizontal abduction (H.Abd; 12.62 N; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]=10.76, 14.47) and combined shoulder abduction and internal rotation (H.Abd+IR; 11.86 N; 95% CI=9.96, 13.77) to ULNT3 (scapular depression, shoulder abduction and external rotation, elbow flexion, forearm pronation, and wrist and finger extension) produced significantly greater ulnar nerve tension compared with the ULNT3 alone (8.71 N; 95% CI=7.25, 10.17). The ULNT3+H.Abd test demonstrated the greatest difference in tension among nerves (mean difference between ulnar and median nerves=11.87 N; 95% CI=9.80, 13.92; mean difference between ulnar and radial nerves=8.47 N; 95% CI=6.41, 10.53). Limitations. These results pertain only to the biomechanical plausibility of the ulnar nerve neurodynamic test and do not account for other factors that may affect the clinical application of this test. Conclusions. The ULNT3+H.Abd is a biomechanically plausible test for detecting peripheral neuropathic pain related to the ulnar nerve. In situations where the shoulder complex will not tolerate the combination of shoulder external rotation in abduction, performing upper limb neurodynamic tests with internal rotation instead of external rotation is a biomechanically plausible alternative.

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Manual therapy is effective for reducing cervicogenic dizziness, a disabling and persistent problem, in the short term. This study investigated the effects of sustained natural apophyseal glides (SNAGs) and passive joint mobilisations (PJMs) on cervicogenic dizziness compared to a placebo at 12 months post-treatment. Eighty-six participants (mean age 62 years, standard deviation (SD) 12.7) with chronic cervicogenic dizziness were randomised to receive SNAGs with self-SNAGs (n=29), PJMs with range-of-motion (ROM) exercises (n=29), or a placebo (n=28) for 2-6 sessions over 6 weeks. Outcome measures were dizziness intensity, dizziness frequency (rated between 0 [none] and 5 [>once/day]), the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), pain intensity, head repositioning accuracy (HRA), cervical spine ROM, balance, and global perceived effect (GPE). At 12 months both manual therapy groups had less dizziness frequency (mean difference SNAGs vs placebo-0.7, 95% confidence interval (CI)-1.3,-0.2, p=0.01; PJMs vs placebo-0.7,-1.2,-0.1, p=0.02), lower DHI scores (mean difference SNAGs vs placebo-8.9, 95% CI-16.3,-1.6, p=0.02; PJMs vs placebo-13.6,-20.8,-6.4, p<0.001) and higher GPE compared to placebo, whereas there were no between-group differences in dizziness intensity, pain intensity or HRA. There was greater ROM in all six directions for the SNAG group and in four directions for the PJM group compared to placebo, and small improvements in balance for the SNAG group compared to placebo. There were no adverse effects. These results provide evidence that both forms of manual therapy have long-term beneficial effects in the treatment of chronic cervicogenic dizziness.

© 2014 Dietitians Association of Australia. Aim: The aim of this analysis is to establish if dietitians have the knowledge, skills and attitude to provide support to other health professional (HP) groups in the provision of weight management advice to overweight/obese patients. Methods: A secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey of HPs was undertaken to perform a gap analysis with regard to practices, knowledge, confidence and attitudes in the provision of weight management advice. Survey responses and additional measures (practice, knowledge, confidence and attitude scores) were compared between dietitians and other HPs. Descriptive statistics were undertaken, and differences between group ¿² tests were performed for nominal data and the Wilcoxon rank sum test for ordinal and non-parametric data. Results: About 100% of dietitians had received initial weight management training and 85% had participated in professional development training, compared with 18 and 19% of HPs, respectively, although 70% believed it was within their scope of practice to provide evidence-based advice. Dietitian respondents achieved a higher median score (maximum 10) in the following areas (practice = 6.5, knowledge = 8.0, confidence = 8.3) when compared with HP respondents (practice = 4.2, knowledge = 7.0, confidence = 5.4). The median attitude score for both groups was 6.0. Conclusions: HPs are receptive to providing evidence-based weight loss messages to overweight/obese clients in their current practice. However, weight management training is required to enhance HPs' knowledge and skills in order to increase confidence and improve practice skills. Dietitians can assist HPs to ensure that clear, consistent, evidence-based messages are delivered to overweight clients throughout the health-care system.

© 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a regional area in Australia to measure nurses' perceptions, practices, and knowledge in regard to providing healthy lifestyle advice to people who are overweight or obese. Responses were compared between geographic regions. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. Of the 79 nurse participants, 68% considered that provision of healthy lifestyle advice was within their scope of practice. Only 28% reported frequently estimating body mass index in the practice setting. Nurses often recommended increasing activity levels (44%), but recommended reducing daily caloric intake less often (25%). Nurses' knowledge about weight management was variable and the proportion of correct answers to knowledge items ranged from 33-99%. Nurses have many opportunities to deliver healthy lifestyle advice in a range of practice settings. The variation in practices and knowledge of nurses indicates a need for improved healthy lifestyle education for undergraduate and practicing nurses.

Objectives: Clinical prediction rules (CPRs) are widely used in medicine, but their application to physiotherapy practice is more recent and less widespread, and their implementation in physiotherapy clinical education has not been investigated. This study aimed to determine the experiences and perceptions of physiotherapy clinical educators regarding CPRs, and whether they are teaching CPRs to students on clinical placement. Design: Cross-sectional observational survey using a modified Dillman method. Participants: Clinical educators (n = 211, response rate 81%) supervising physiotherapy students from 10 universities across 5 states and territories in Australia. Results: Half (48%) of respondents had never heard of CPRs, and a further 25% had never used CPRs. Only 27% reported using CPRs, and of these half (51%) were rarely if ever teaching CPRs to students in the clinical setting. However most respondents (81%) believed CPRs assisted in the development of clinical reasoning skills and few (9%) were opposed to teaching CPRs to students. Users of CPRs were more likely to be male (p <. 0.001), have post-professional qualifications (p = 0.020), work in private practice (p <. 0.001), and work in the area of musculoskeletal physiotherapy (p <. 0.001) compared with non-users. The CPRs most commonly known, used and taught were the Ottawa Ankle Rule, the Ottawa Knee Rule, and Wells' Rule for Deep Vein Thrombosis. Conclusions: Students are unlikely to be learning about CPRs on clinical placement, as few clinical educators use them. Clinical educators will require training in CPRs and assistance in teaching them if students are to better learn about implementing CPRs in physiotherapy clinical practice.

© 2015 - IOS Press and the authors. BACKGROUND: The reproducibility of the HUMAC-NORM isokinetic dynamometer has not yet been established for the muscles around the knee. Previous research suggests practice-based improvement (PBI) may impact upon the reproducibility of isokinetic testing. OBJECTIVE: To investigate test-retest reproducibility of knee flexion and extension isokinetic findings at different velocities, including the influence of familiarisation. METHODS: Seventy physically active, healthy participants with no experience in isokinetic dynamometry performed five repetitions of continuous concentric knee flexion and extension at 60, 120, 180 and 240°/s on four occasions. Peak moment, angle of peak moment, total work and average power were recorded. Reproducibility was determined using percentage change in the mean, typical error and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). RESULTS: For knee flexion and extension, group data met desirable reproducibility criteria for most outcomes and velocities after Trial 2. Within-subject reproducibility generally met acceptable reliabilty criteria after Trial 2 for knee extension, but was predominantly unacceptable for knee flexion. ICC's were acceptable from Trial 2, except for angle of peak moment which did not achieve an acceptable level of reliabilty across any trials, outcomes or velocities. CONCLUSIONS: The HUMAC-NORM demonstrates excellent reproducibility for peak moment, average power and total work parameters for the major knee muscles after one trial. One familiarisation session is recommended prior to testing to minimise the impact of PBI. Additional familiarisation is beneficial when testing individuals, higher velocities and knee flexion.

© 2014 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Background: Clinicians commonly assess cervical range of motion (ROM), but it has rarely been critically evaluated for its ability to contribute to patient diagnosis or prognosis, or whether it is affected by mobilisation/manipulation. Objectives: This review summarises the methods used to measure cervical ROM in research involving patients with cervical spine disorders, reviews the evidence for using cervical ROM in patient diagnosis, prognosis, and evaluation of the effects of mobilisation/manipulation on cervical ROM. Data sources and study selection: A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED and ICL databases was conducted, addressing one of four constructs related to cervical ROM: measurement, diagnosis, prognosis, and the effects of mobilisation/manipulation on cervical ROM. Study appraisal and synthesis: Two independent raters appraised methodological quality using the QUADAS-2 tool for diagnostic studies, the QUIPS tool for prognostic studies and the PEDro scale for interventional studies. Heterogeneity of studies prevented meta-analysis. Results: Thirty-six studies met the criteria and findings showed there is limited evidence for the diagnostic value of cervical ROM in cervicogenic headache, cervical radiculopathy and cervical spine injury. There is conflicting evidence for the prognostic value of cervical ROM, though restricted ROM appears associated with negative outcomes while greater ROM is associated with positive outcomes. There is conflicting evidence as to whether cervical ROM increases or decreases following mobilisation/manipulation. Conclusion and implications of key findings: Cervical ROM has value as one component of assessment, but clinicians should be cautious about making clinical judgments primarily on the basis of cervical ROM. Funding: This collaboration was supported by an internal grant from the Faculty of Health, The University of Newcastle.

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Evidence is emerging for central nervous system (CNS) changes in the presence of musculoskeletal dysfunction and pain. Motor control exercises, and potentially manual therapy, can induce changes in the CNS, yet the focus in musculoskeletal physiotherapy practice is conventionally on movement impairments with less consideration of intervention-induced neuroplastic changes. Studies in healthy individuals and those with neurological dysfunction provide examples of strategies that may also be used to enhance neuroplasticity during the rehabilitation of individuals with musculoskeletal dysfunction, improving the effectiveness of interventions. In this paper, the evidence for neuroplastic changes in patients with musculoskeletal conditions is discussed. The authors compare and contrast neurological and musculoskeletal physiotherapy clinical paradigms in the context of the motor learning principles of experience-dependent plasticity: part and whole practice, repetition, task-specificity and feedback that induces an external focus of attention in the learner. It is proposed that increased collaboration between neurological and musculoskeletal physiotherapists and researchers will facilitate new discoveries on the neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning sensorimotor changes in patients with musculoskeletal dysfunction. This may lead to greater integration of strategies to enhance neuroplasticity in patients treated in musculoskeletal physiotherapy practice.

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. The radial nerve neurodynamic test (ULNT2b), used to implicate symptoms arising from the radial nerve, is proposed to selectively increase strain of the nerve without increasing strain of adjacent tissue, though this has not been established. This study aimed to determine the upper limb position that results in: (1) the greatest tension of the radial nerve and (2) the greatest difference in tension between the radial nerve and the other two major nerves of the upper limb: median and ulnar. Tension (N) of the radial, median and ulnar nerves was measured simultaneously using three buckle force transducers during seven upper limb positions in the axilla of ten embalmed whole body human cadavers (n=20 limbs). Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni post-hoc tests determined differences in tension between nerves and between limb positions. A Composite position consisting of ULNT2b (scapular depression, shoulder internal rotation, elbow extension, forearm pronation, wrist flexion) with the addition of shoulder abduction 40° and extension 25°, wrist ulnar deviation and thumb flexion demonstrated significantly greater tension of the radial nerve than any other tested position (mean tension 11.32N; 95% CI 10.25, 12.29, p<0.01), including ULNT2b (2.20N; 1.84, 2.57; p<0.01). Additionally, the Composite position demonstrated the greatest difference in tension between the radial and median (mean difference 4.88N; 95% CI 3.16, 6.61; p<0.01) and radial and ulnar nerves (9.26N, 7.54, 10.99; p<0.01). This position constitutes a biomechanically plausible test to detect neuropathic pain related to the radial nerve.

Background/aim: Obesity affects more than half the Australian population and has become epidemic throughout the world. Little is known regarding occupational therapy interventions with clients who are overweight or obese. This study aimed to identify occupational therapy practice in relation to the provision of weight management. This was part of a larger study investigating health professional practice. Methods: A cross-sectional study design using a self-administered, purpose-designed survey was employed to identify the current practices of occupational therapists working in a regional area of New South Wales, Australia. Participants were recruited via email or mail as publically available. Results: Fifty-one occupational therapists anonymously completed the survey. Results revealed that 53% (n = 26) of respondents did not consider weight management to be within their scope of practice or their workplace role description. The most common intervention was the provision of physical activity advice (65.2%; n = 30). Dietary advice was provided by 20.8% (n = 10), while 77% (n = 32) referred onto dietitian services. During entry-level occupational therapy education, only 7.8% (n = 4) had received weight management advice education. Completion of postgraduate professional development training in this area was reported by 14% (n = 7) of respondents. Conclusion: This study provides insight into the current practices of Australian occupational therapists in relation to the provision of weight management advice. This research displays a need to acknowledge both a generic and a discipline-specific role for the provision of healthy lifestyle interventions. This may be achieved through better access to education during entry-level programmes and in the workplace. © 2013 Occupational Therapy Australia.