Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults

In choosing to read this book, you have taken the first step on a journey toward greater strength and vitality. Growing Stronger was written for you—the older adult who wants to grow stronger, healthier, more active, and more independent. You may be inactive or only mildly active at the moment. You may know that regular exercise is important for your health and well-being and want to get started on a program of physical activity. But you may feel that you don’t have the necessary information. Perhaps you are concerned that because of your age or health problems physical activity may not be safe for you. Or perhaps you have had trouble finding or staying with a suitable program. This book gives you a safe, simple, and highly effective exercise program based on the principles of strength training. Studies at laboratories around the world have shown that strength training benefits women and men of all ages and all levels of fitness. According to Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (1996), experts agree that aerobic activities should be supplemented with strength-developing exercises at least twice per week

Examining the difference between 10- and 20-min of immersive virtual reality on symptoms, affect, and central sensitization in people with chronic back pain

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is increasingly used as a treatment for chronic pain. In this crossover randomized pilot study, we examined the effect of 10- and 20-min dosages on back pain intensity, affect, and measures of pain sensitization in people with chronic back pain (CBP). Twenty-one people with CBP were seen for two visits of IVR. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 10- or 20-min of IVR in Visit 1 and the other dosage in Visit 2. Our primary analyses were effect sizes and simple inferential comparisons for pain intensity, affect, fatigue, and measures of pain sensitization assessed using quantitative sensory testing. Overall, IVR had a moderate, significant effect in reducing back pain intensity, negative affect, and painful aftersensations. When dosage was examined, 20-min had a moderate, significant effect on pain while 10-min had a small, non-significant effect, although the between-dosage difference was non-significant. Interestingly, effects were much larger in Visit 1, particularly for 20-min, but this diminished in Visit 2, and both dosages had a smaller effect in Visit 2. We interpret these results to indicate that pain modulation may be associated with novelty and engagement that can attenuate over time if the IVR encounter is not sufficiently engaging. Moreover, that if participants are engaged in a single session, 20-min may be necessary to obtain sufficient competency with IVR, while in subsequent sessions, 10-min of IVR may be sufficient to affect pain

Short-term Progressive Resistance Training Increases Strength and Lean Body Mass in Adults Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

To assess the efficacy of progressive resistance training (PRT) in increasing strength and lean body mass (LBM) in HIV-infected adults

Musculoskeletal education for medical students

Musculoskleletal conditions comprise the second most common reason for physician visits and have the greatest negative impact on health-related quality of life in the industrialized world. Therefore, all medical schools should provide education for their students in these disorders. Physiatrists play a unique role in musculoskeletal care and hence, should play a leading role in medical student education. The Association of Academic Physiatrists formed a task force in 2007 to make recommendations as to how physiatrists could contribute to musculoskeletal education for medical students. This report contains those recommendations

Table1_Examining the difference between 10- and 20-min of immersive virtual reality on symptoms, affect, and central sensitization in people with chronic back pain.docx

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is increasingly used as a treatment for chronic pain. In this crossover randomized pilot study, we examined the effect of 10- and 20-min dosages on back pain intensity, affect, and measures of pain sensitization in people with chronic back pain (CBP). Twenty-one people with CBP were seen for two visits of IVR. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 10- or 20-min of IVR in Visit 1 and the other dosage in Visit 2. Our primary analyses were effect sizes and simple inferential comparisons for pain intensity, affect, fatigue, and measures of pain sensitization assessed using quantitative sensory testing. Overall, IVR had a moderate, significant effect in reducing back pain intensity, negative affect, and painful aftersensations. When dosage was examined, 20-min had a moderate, significant effect on pain while 10-min had a small, non-significant effect, although the between-dosage difference was non-significant. Interestingly, effects were much larger in Visit 1, particularly for 20-min, but this diminished in Visit 2, and both dosages had a smaller effect in Visit 2. We interpret these results to indicate that pain modulation may be associated with novelty and engagement that can attenuate over time if the IVR encounter is not sufficiently engaging. Moreover, that if participants are engaged in a single session, 20-min may be necessary to obtain sufficient competency with IVR, while in subsequent sessions, 10-min of IVR may be sufficient to affect pain.</p