The Rise of Shop Floor Ergonomics: A Personal Perspective.

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS Based on a 45-year career as a practitioner in industrial ergonomics, I offer in this paper a personal memoir on how ergonomics came to the shop floor in North America, involving ordinary workers in an early effort to prevent what was at the time an unknown problem - work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders. The actions included the beginning of a low-tech, practical improvement process that is still effective today. In total, the experience can provide encouragement to everybody to be confident in their ability when trying new endeavors and to remember that small initial steps can eventually lead to major change.

Advancing kinesiology through improved peer review.

Peer review of scholarship is essential to journal quality, evidence, knowledge advancement, and application of that knowledge in any field. This commentary summarizes recent literature on issues related to peer-review quality and current review practice in kinesiology and provides recommendations to improve peer review in kinesiology journals. We reviewed the literature on the characteristics of peer review in scientific journals and describe the status of peer review in kinesiology journals. Although the majority of scholars and editors strongly support the peer-review process, systematic research in several disciplines has shown somewhat positive but mixed results for the efficacy of peer review in evaluating the quality of and improving research reports. Past recommendations for improvement have focused on agreement between reviewers, standards for evaluating quality, and clarification of the editorial team roles. Research on interventions, however, indicates that improving reviewer performance is difficult. The specific research on peer review in kinesiology is limited. Six recommendations to improve peer review are proposed: publishing clear evaluation standards, establishing collaborative evaluation procedures and editorial team roles, utilizing online submission data to help improve reviewer comments, creating author appeals procedures, protecting reviewer time commitments, and improving reviewer recognition. There is considerable variation in peer-review criteria and procedures in kinesiology, and implementing several reasonable improvements may advance knowledge development and the field of kinesiology.

Internal social processes of discipline formation: the case of kinanthropometry.

In 1972, the term 'kinanthropometry', derived from the Greek words 'kinein' (to move), 'anthropos' (human) and 'metrein' (to measure), was launched in the international, Francophone journal Kinanthropologie by the Canadian William Ross and the Belgians, Marcel Hebbelinck, Bart Van Gheluwe and Marie-Louise Lemmens. The authors defined this neologism as 'the scientific discipline for the study of the size, shape, proportion, scope and composition of the human being and its gross motor functions'. Presenting a theoretical framework for the analysis of the internal social processes of discipline formation - derived from the social history-of-science tradition - this article critically examines whether kinanthropometry was indeed promoted and developed by its community members as a scientific discipline. Therefore, the focus will be on its conceptualisation and positioning within the field of kinanthropology/kinesiology and on its development by a scholarly association, i.e. the International Working Group on Kinanthropometry (IWGK). The strong emphasis of the kinanthropometry community on the standardisation of measurement techniques and its practical and professional application hampered its disciplinary development. Findings of this study could serve as a basis for future 'fundamental' investigations addressing questions of disciplinary development within the field(s) of physical education, kinesiology and sport science(s).

Kinesiological research: the use of surface electromyography for assessing the effects of spinal manipulation.

Decreasing an elevated muscle tone is an often cited benefit of spinal manipulation. Spinal manipulation is theorized to disrupt an assumed pain-spasm-pain cycle that sufferers of low back pain may be experiencing. The current research has mostly investigated the short term influence of a single spinal manipulation on paraspinal muscle activity either at rest (e.g. standing or prone) or during simple movements (e.g. forward bend). The higher quality experiments to date have typically reported both reductions in muscle activity during lying prone or during the fully flexed position of forward bend. The only study measuring the long term influence of spinal manipulation has failed to document any change in muscle activity as measured with surface electromyography. Both manually delivered manipulations and manipulations delivered via a mechanical adjusting device have been associated with changes in muscle activation. Changes in muscle activity at muscles distant from the spinal joints manipulated (e.g. muscles in the upper limbs) have been documented following a single spinal manipulation however rather than the typical reduction in muscle activity an increase in resting activation has been reported. The state of muscle dysfunction (e.g. palpably tender or subjectively taut) may be a factor in achieving a myoelectric response to spinal manipulation. Currently, the clinical significance of short term changes in electromyographic amplitude following manipulation is unknown.

Revisión bibliográfica de la efectividad del kinesiotaping / Bibliographic review of the effectiveness of kinesio taping

Objetivo. El objetivo principal de este trabajo, es revisar los efectos logrados por el kinesiotaping (KT) en los estudios científicos publicados en la última década y determinar su calidad metodológica. Estrategia de búsqueda. Búsqueda exhaustiva en las principales bases de datos científicas utilizando como palabras clave Kinesio taping, Kinesio tape, Kinesiotaping, Musculoskeletal tape, Medical taping concept, athletic tape. Análisis de las citas bibliográficas de los artículos seleccionados y de los documentos científicos publicados en la web de la Asociación Española de Vendaje Neuromuscular. Criterios de inclusión. Estudios experimentales, cuasiexperimentales, ensayos clínicos o estudios de caso publicados entre 2000 y 2010, donde se analizara, como objetivo principal, el efecto del KT, y aportaran resultados concluyentes. Resultados. De 84 artículos analizados, han cumplido los criterios de inclusión 37 artículos científicos. Existen estudios que analizan el efecto del KT en el dolor, la flexibilidad y movilidad articular, en la propiocepción, la fuerza, sobre la circulación linfática y venosa, la mejora de la capacidad vital y los beneficios en alteraciones neurológicas. Conclusiones. El KT puede ser una técnica complementaria que empíricamente aporta beneficios, pero aún se precisan estudios de mejor calidad metodológica que evidencien los efectos que se le atribuyen(AU)

Objective. The aim of this paper is to review the effects achieved by the kinesio taping (KT) in scientific studies published in the last decade and their methodological quality. Search strategy. An exhaustive search in the main scientific databases using keywords such as KinesioTaping, Kinesio tape, Kinesiotaping, Musculoskeletal tape, taping medical concept, athletic tape was carried out. Citations of selected articles and scientific papers published on the website of the Spanish Association of Neuromuscular Bandage were analyzed. Inclusion criteria. Experimental, quasi-experimental, clinical trials or case studies published between 2000-2010, in which the main objective was to analyze the effect of KT, and provide conclusive results, were used. Results. Of the 84 articles analyzed, 37 scientific articles have met the inclusion criteria. There are studies that examine the effect of KT on pain, flexibility and joint mobility, in proprioception, strength, on the venous and lymphatic circulation, on the improvement of capacity, and neurological benefits. Conclusions. The KT can be a complementary technique that empirically provides benefits. However, better methodological quality studies demonstrating the effects attributed to him are still needed(AU)

Fiabilidad interobservador del test de movilidad pasiva accesoria intervertebral lumbar y su correlación con la galvanopalpación en sujetos sanos / Inter-observer reliability of the passive accessory intervertebral motion test and its correlation with the galvanic palpation in healthy subjects

Introducción El diagnóstico de fisioterapia de las disfunciones vertebrales es fundamental para clasificar las alteraciones musculoesqueléticas. La evaluación pasiva de la cantidad y la calidad del movimiento en los diferentes segmentos vertebrales guía la toma de decisiones en relación con el tratamiento de fisioterapia. Los objetivos del presente estudio son determinar la fiabilidad interobservador del test de movilidad pasiva accesoria posteroanterior intervertebral unilateral lumbar como test indicado para identificar sujetos con disfunción articular y analizar la corriente galvánica como herramienta diagnóstica en la identificación de disfunción articular en la columna lumbar con dicho test ortopédico. Material y método Dos fisioterapeutas expertos en fisioterapia manual realizaron el test en una muestra de 30 sujetos asintomáticos en los niveles L1-L5 (lado derecho e izquierdo), realizándose un total de 300 pruebas. Se determinó que un nivel lumbar estaba en disfunción basándose en una sensación final anormal, la calidad de la resistencia anormal y la posible aparición de dolor asociado al movimiento. Para determinar la utilidad diagnóstica de la corriente galvánica, otros dos fisioterapeutas realizaron galvanopalpación consecutivamente al test de movilidad en las articulaciones interapofisarias lumbares de los mismos sujetos asintomáticos. Resultados En el test de movilidad, el porcentaje de acuerdo fue del 86,3%. El índice kappa (k) mostró un acuerdo moderado (k=0,5). El test fue más fiable en los niveles lumbares L3-L4 y L4-L5. En la galvanopalpación el porcentaje de acuerdo fue del 83%. El k mostró un acuerdo moderado en la identificación de disfunción articular (k=0,41). La sensibilidad fue alta en el nivel lumbar L3-L4 y L4-L5 y baja en L1-L2; la especificidad fue elevada (82,7–96,3%) en toda la columna lumbar. Conclusiones La fiabilidad interobservador del test de movilidad es moderada (k=0,5). La galvanopalpación identifica disfunciones articulares, pero en la columna lumbar alta la sensibilidad es baja (AU)

Introduction The physical therapy diagnosis of a vertebral dysfunction is essential in order to classify musculoskeletal diseases. Passive assessment of quantity and quality of movement on the different vertebral segments guides the decision-making process relative to manual therapy treatment. The aims of this present study have been to determine the interobserver reliability of passive accessory intervertebral postero-anterior unilateral lumbar motion test as a test to identify subjects with joint dysfunction, and to analyze galvanic current as a diagnostic tool to identify joint dysfunction in the lumbar spine with the motion test. Material and methods Two physiotherapists, experts in manual therapy, carried out the test in 30 asymptomatic subjects at L1 to L5 levels (right and left sides), performing a total of 300 tests. To determine the diagnostic value of galvanic current, two other physiotherapists performed galvanic palpation consecutively to the motion test in lumbar zygapophysial joints in the same asymptomatic subjects. Results Percentage agreement was 86.3% for the motion test. The Kappa index showed substantial agreement (according to Landis and Koch, 1977) (k=0.5). PA accessory motion test was more reliable to identify symptomatic spinal L4-L5 and L5-S1 level. Regarding galvanic palpation, the agreement percentage was 83%. Kappa coefficient (k) showed moderate agreement for identification of joint dysfunction (k=0.41). Sensitivity was high in the lumbar level L3-L4 and L4-L5 and was low in L1-L2 level; specificity was high (82.7–96.3%) throughout the lumbar spine. Conclusions Interobserver reliability of the passive motion test is moderate (k=0.5). Galvanic palpation identifies joint dysfunction, however sensitivity is low in the upper lumbar spine (AU)

[New therapeutic trends in nursing--natural therapies--assistance programs]. / Novas tendências terapêuticas de enfermagem--terapias naturais--programa de atendimento.

The present study reports the experience lived by the nurses in the Nursing Clinic of the Campus Universitário do Grande ABC (UniABC), using natural therapies: applied kinesiology, acupuncture and reflexology as therapeutic actions of nursing. At last, the study emphasizes the relevance of the technical-specific application in the development of nursing activities and the consequent effect in the nursing care.