California-based occupational and physical therapist Dr. Grace Walker Gray is currently an Holistic Health Care Practitioner and President of Physical Restoration,Natural Health Solutions. She is currently writing her new book: Bye,Bye Back Pain, 9 Holistic solutions for Long Term Relief from Sciatica,Lumbago,Slipped Disc and Backache. As the past director of Walker Physical Therapy & Pain Center. Dr. Grace Walker Gray is committed to remaining apprised of developments in her field,active membership with several organizations, including the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
APTA presents members with new research on a regular basis. One study highlighted by the organization in January 2019 examined how exercise interventions during hospital stays affected functional decline. Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the study examined 370 patients over the age of 75 who were hospitalized between 2015 and 2017.
Over the course of two years, these patients received either twice-daily exercise interventions or standard physiotherapy care. In the control group that received standard physiotherapy care, subjects engaged in walking exercises to restore functionality. Meanwhile, the second group received a mix of walking, balance, and resistance exercises as part of its treatment. Both groups subsequently took several tests, including the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Barthel Index of independence. They also completed quality of life (QoL) reports.
Based on these results and scores, the exercise group registered better scores on both the Barthel index and SPPB than the control group. Further, the exercise group had better QoL, depression, and cognitive function scores than the control group. These improvements suggest that a multicomponent exercise approach to treating patients during hospitalization improves their overall functionality.
