In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School found non-invasive brain stimulation could be a safe, feasible intervention for improving coordination and motor skills in children with cerebral palsy (CP). It is the first time researchers have ever studied this combined intervention for cerebral palsy. Findings from the pilot study were published this month in the European Journal of Pediatric Neurology, suggesting a broader study is wa

Director of Rehabilitation Services at Lancaster Neuroscience and Spine Associates, Jeffrey A. Bole, says many headaches are a result of posture and position of the body. And as people who suffer with chronic migraines and tension headaches, they can be debilitating. Bole explains that by examining the body and paying close attention to symptoms, a skilled physical therapist can lessen and even alleviate persistent headache symptoms. In an article published in the Lancaster O

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh are developing a machine learning algorithm that enables an exoskeleton to learn how to customize its movement for each individual. In the article on Inverse, Kirby Witte, a mechanical engineer and a Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon, explained “they can be really awesome like having someone jump real high or kick down a door, or really significant like helping someone walk after a stroke.” Witte goes on to say that she expect

A new study says yoga may work as well or better than physical therapy for chronic lower back pain. Adults with an average age of 46 with severe to moderate lower chronic back pain were studied. Of the 320 study subjects, almost two-thirds of them took pain medication. According to the article in The Washington Post, "all were randomly assigned to participate in 12 weeks of physical therapy (15 one-hour sessions plus home exercises) or 12 weeks of yoga (a dozen 75-minute cla

On September 21, 2011, Justin Moore, APTA vice president, Government and Payment Advocacy testified before Congress on the effect that the Medicare cap for physical, occupational and speech therapy services has on patients and providers. Moore was joined by witnesses from the American Hospital Association, American Ambulance Association, and American Medical Association. Because the baby boomer generation is getting older, the demand for knee and hip replacements is expected

Planetrehab user and clinic owner, Julie Tanka, wrote an article for Physical Therapy Products Magazine about the challenges she faced when opening her California clinics, Pine Mountain Therapy and Therapy for Life. Julie discusses how the Planetrehab Physical Therapy software and billing service helped her navigate the problems and pitfalls that she faced when opening her clinics and how Planetrehab helped her succeed. In the article, Julie lists the what she finds invaluabl

A great article by Samuel S. Sprague touching on the affect Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) will have on physical therapy practices. ACOs will provide a tangible benefit for physical therapy providers by improving the quality of care and lower the cost of the care. However, there are some concerns that freestanding physical therapy clinics will be squeezed out of the market by large ACOs, but provisions have been created by the Department of Justice to combat anti-trust

What are the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing for physical therapy clinics? Cloud computing has been in use for quite some time. Everyone who accesses their email online (webmail) is using a form of cloud computing. In the coming years, there will be an even greater use of cloud computing. Google Apps and MSOffice 365 are poised to centralize word processing and spreadsheet functions. Online backups, such as Mozy, Carbonite and Jungle Disk are becoming the stan

Planetrehab's Director of Sales and Markeing Ricky Gomez was quoted extensively in this article on cloud computing and physical therapy software. The article, by Judy O'Rourke, appears in the May/June edition of Physical Therapy Products magazine and online. Gomez discussed some of the misconceptions and pitfalls that plague cloud computing for physical and occupational therapy companies. It should be noted that Planetrehab offers installed, web (cloud) and hybrid versions of

1. Quicker Reimbursements and Reduced Number of Denied Claims. Unless you are experienced at billing physical and occupational therapy claims, it can be difficult knowing what information needs to be submitted to get paid for the claim. Using a reputable and experience physical and occupational therapy billing company can drastically reduce the number of non-pays due to submitting incorrect and/or incomplete claims. And when claims are submitted electronically they are entere

Playing two Wii Fit video games-Step and Hula-can provide adequate exercise to improve health and physical fitness, reports a study in the March issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. These Wii Fit games "can be used as an effective mode of physical activity to improve health in adult women," according to the study by honors students Jennifer R. Worley and Sharon N. Rogers, a

In their study, Northeastern professors measured the degree to which participants had irregular knee alignments. Osteoarthritis (OA), caused by the breakdown of joint cartilage, leaves more than 20 million people in the United States suffering from recurring pain and frustrated over their limitations in movement. But physical therapy and mechanical and industrial engineering researchers at Northeastern University have broken new ground with an interdisciplinary study of facto

Personal motivation may be the biggest factor in determining the length of time it takes for a patient to return to work following a total knee replacement, according to new research published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). "Although the physical demands of a patient's job certainly have some influence on their ability to return to work following a primary total knee replacement, the patient's characteristics, particularly motivation, play a more important r

Experimental treatment targets both sides of the brain; shows promising results when coupled with regimen of physical and occupational therapy A noninvasive electric stimulation technique administered to both sides of the brain can help stroke patients who have lost motor skills in their hands and arms, according to a new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). Described in today’s Online Issue of the journal Neurology, the findings showed th

Baseball pitchers aren't the only ones at risk for rotator cuff injuries of the shoulder. According to the November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, adults older than age 60 experience more rotator cuff injuries than any other age group. The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles and tendons that run between the bones of the upper arm and shoulder blade. They facilitate shoulder movement and help support the ball and socket joint connecting the upper arm and shoulder. Inj