Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
17
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
ACTIVATE: physical activity assessment, prescription and promotion in clinical practice by healthcare professionals – a consensus study initiated by the International Federation of Sports Physical Therapy Alessio Bricca, Mette Aadahl, Søren T Skou, Jane S Thornton, Thomas Bandholm, et al. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2026 The ACTIVATE consensus aimed to develop recommendations for assessing, prescribing and promoting physical activity when healthcare professionals consult patients with non-communicable diseases in clinical practice. We developed the consensus through a comprehensive, multistep approach including 27 experts with professionally diverse backgrounds from 13 different countries, including three patient representatives. Initially, we conducted a survey at the World Congress for Sport Physical Therapy in 2022 to document the need for a consensus, which was followed up by development of a conceptual framework with guiding principles and research questions at a stakeholder meeting. We subsequently conducted three rapid umbrella reviews, covering the existing scientific literature to inform the statements for a Delphi survey. The Delphi survey involved two voting rounds (email survey) and one face-to-face (online) round. Finally, we identified recommendations on how to assess, prescribe and promote physical activity through consensus. We recommend routine physical activity assessments using quick and easy tools, documenting physical activity levels and providing tailored prescriptions for patients not meeting WHO guidelines for physical activity. Furthermore, the ACTIVATE consensus highlights the necessity for regular follow-ups to facilitate patients’ integration of physical activity into their daily routines, to enhance overall well-being and quality of life.
Contextual Factors-Enriched Standard Care on mechanical neck pain (ContextualizAR trial): Protocol for a randomised controlled trial Mauro Federico Andreu, Santiago Soliño, Federico Villalba, Pablo Oscar Policastro, María Lourdes Laurens, et al. Musculoskeletal Care, 2024 BackgroundUnderstanding the influence of contextual factors (CFs) on interventions for mechanical neck pain (MNP) is essential for evidence‐based practice in physical therapy. However, the specific effects and synergies of combining different CFs remain unclear.ObjectiveThe primary purpose of this study will be to determine if a CFs‐Enriched Standard Care (SC) approach is an effective treatment for MNP in terms of reducing pain and improving function.MethodsThis will be an assessor‐blinded, 2‐group (1:1) randomised clinical trial (RCT) aiming to enrol 94 participants with neck pain persisting for more than 4 weeks. Both groups will undergo 4 weeks of SC twice weekly, following established clinical practice guidelines. In the intervention group, CFs will be enhanced, encompassing the physical, psychological, and social elements inherent in the clinical encounter, based on existing evidence. The primary outcomes will encompass changes in pain and disability after 4 weeks of treatment, with a follow‐up reassessment at week 12 post‐treatment. Secondary outcomes will include changes in Active Range of Motion, Global Rating of Change, and Satisfaction with treatment. The change between groups after treatment and at the 12‐week follow‐up will be reported for all outcomes, considering the difference from scores recorded at baseline.ResultsWe hypothesise that a 4‐week CFs‐Enriched SC approach will be superior to SC alone in terms of patient‐reported disability and pain, with measurements conducted using the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire and the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, respectively.ConclusionThis RCT rigorously assesses the effect of purposeful manipulation of CFs during MNP treatment. By elucidating the role of these factors, our findings have the potential to significantly refine clinical practice in managing MNP, thereby enhancing patient care, and advancing the fields of physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Injury Surveillance and Training Load Methods Used by Health Professionals in Tennis: An Online Multinational Survey Diego H. Méndez, Pablo O. Policastro, Danilo De Oliveira Silva Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 2023 Context: Injury surveillance and training load monitoring are both essential for the development of preventative strategies for gradual-onset musculoskeletal injuries in elite sport. Our aim was to survey health professionals working with elite tennis players on whether and how they monitor injuries and training load. Design: A cross-sectional multinational online open-survey. Methods: The survey was developed and advertised in English, Spanish, and Portuguese languages on social media channels, a tennis academic journal, professional tennis associations, and clinical networks of the research team, from December 2020 to April 2021. Results: 72 health professionals from 27 different countries working with elite tennis players responded to the survey. Injury surveillance is performed by 94% (68/72) of the survey respondents, with only 10% (7/68) using the consensus-recommended Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center questionnaire. Most common barriers identified by health professionals to injury surveillance are time constraints (66%), lack of knowledge (43%), and technology (31%). Training load monitoring is performed by 50% (36/72) of the health professionals working with elite tennis players. Main metrics monitored are weekly differences in training load (72%) and acute:chronic workload ratio (58%). Most common reasons for training load monitoring are injury prevention (94%), training planning (81%), and player feedback (53%). Conclusions: Despite a high percentage of health professionals implementing injury surveillance metrics, most of them do not use any validated method. Only half of health professionals working with elite tennis players monitor training load. Lack of knowledge and technology were the main barriers reported for adequately monitoring injuries.
