Category Archives: November
Wearing textured insoles in walking shoes improves ballet dancers’ balance: Benefits accrue despite injury history
Textured insoles worn in walking shoes can improve the dynamic postural balance of young ballet dancers both with and without previous injury, according to study data from Canberra, Australia, which also suggested textured insoles can be useful as a routine intervention.
By Katie Bell
Posted in 2017, November, Pediatric Clinical News
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Preteen tennis players prefer roomier footwear than adults: Widest shoes rated most comfortable
Young male tennis players prefer a wider shoe with more interior volume, while upper stiffness matters less, according to a new study from France that correlated the players’ perceptions of comfort with measurements taken with innovative textile pressure sensors.
By Hank Black
Posted in November, Pediatric Clinical News, 2017
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Cutting edge: Treatment for kids goes high tech
From a skateboard-like motion-sensing device that helps infants with CP learn to crawl to powered exoskeletons that sync with muscles to new advanced-imaging views of motor and sensory processing, technology for pediatric care is on the move. Here are some of the highlights.
By Hank Black
Posted in Pediatric Feature, November, 2017
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Firm foundation: Better balance for young patients
Children with neurological conditions often have balance issues, and healthy kids can struggle, too. Interventions should be tailored to their short attention spans and need for feedback, and include devices that improve alignment and stability and training to enhance strength and equilibrium.
By P.K. Daniel
Posted in Pediatric Feature, November, 2017
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Early motor skills training in ASD improves locomotion, socialization
Intense therapy creates quick gains – Intense motor skills interventions in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can significantly improve locomotor and other lower extremity skills in addition to socialization behaviors, according to a recent pilot study.
By Peaches Scribner
Posted in November, 2016, Pediatric Clinical News
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AFO effects on gastrocnemius underscore heterogeneity of CP
Variations call for adjustable devices – Outfitting pediatric cerebral palsy (CP) patients with two types of ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) elicited various effects, as the medial gastrocnemius operating length in some—but not all—participants was consequently stretched while walking, according to a recent study.
By Greg Gargiulo
Posted in November, 2016, Pediatric Clinical News
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Home-based ACL injury prevention program fails the compliance test
Oversight, feedback may up buy-in – The idea of injury prevention training in the comfort of one’s own home is appealing on many levels, and researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are taking steps toward making that type of training feasible and effective for young athletes.
By Chris Klingenberg
Posted in November, 2016, Pediatric Clinical News
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Therapeutic play plus O&P care is a win-win for kids
O&P practitioners are working with recreational therapists to open doors to leisure activities for kids with lower extremity issues and other disabilities. By expanding their playtime experiences and skills, kids can boost their physical activity, mobility, self-confidence, and social connections.
By Brigid Elsken Galloway
Posted in November, 2016, Pediatric Feature
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Path of least resistance: Sequencing orthotic care
The higher profile the device, the more it perturbs movement, and sometimes kids reject such orthoses because of discomfort or unwieldiness. Starting with the least restrictive device and responding to subtle changes in children’s orthotic needs may improve outcomes and compliance.
By Hank Black
Posted in Pediatric Feature, November, 2016
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O&P teams treat limb loss, deformity in developing world
Donating parts, funds aids efforts – Each year, Dino Scanio, CO, LO, and his five-member team of pediatric O&P specialists arrive in Guatemala City to perform a challenging task. In just four days in their most recent clinic in August, for example, they fit nearly 50 young patients with custom devices and…
By Brigid Galloway
Posted in November, 2015, Pediatric Clinical News
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