Although social support has been recognized as an important coping resource in the psychological adjustment to injury and illness, the possible benefits of social support in recovery from sport injury have received minimal attention. The present study, therefore, set out to investigate the role of social support in recovery from sport injury. In open-ended interview sessions, 12 current and former members of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team, who had sustained serious injuries, discussed their perceptions of the social support received during recovery and its effect on coping with injury. Inductive analyses of interview transcripts revealed that the experience of sport injury was a process which spanned three phases: the occurrence of injury, treatment and rehabilitation, and the return to sport. The presence of social support during each of the stages contributed to enhanced coping manifested through increased motivation, better treatment adherence and a more positive outlook toward the injury and recovery. Support needs included emotional support, information support and tangible support and were met by various members of the athletes' social support network. Identified as important sources of social support were: family and friends, medical personnel, current and former ski team members, coaches, and the team management. In addition to highlighting the breadth of the impact of social support and the number of potential support providers, the present findings suggest that increasing social support during recovery can be an effective psychosocial strategy in the treatment of sport injuries. The identification of support needs during specific periods in the sport injury process represents an important step in the development of such interventions. The current findings support the transactional view of social support and indicate the further investigation of this process can also be beneficial to the development of rehabilitation interventions.

Abstract not available.

Abstract not available.

Clinically, Functional Hallux Limitus (FHL) has been identified as a contributor to the disruption of proper progression of the inverted pendulum through the sagittal plane. The Kinetic Wedge Custom Foot Orthotic (CFO) modification has been used by the podiatric community to facilitate proper first metatarsal-phalangeal (MTP) joint function and improve gait posture. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Kinetic Wedge custom foot orthosis (CFO) modification to improve gait, posture, centre of pressure velocity, plantar pressures of the foot, and perceived pain. Fifteen healthy subjects (9 women, 6 men) 22 to 53 years of age diagnosed with moderate to severe FHL volunteered for the study. Kinematic and plantar pressure data were collected without Kinetic Wedge (NKW) and with Kinetic Wedge(KW). There was a significant reduction of plantar pressure under the first MTP, however, there were no significant changes in plantar pressures under the hallux and fifth metatarsal. There was no significant difference in centre of pressure velocities. In addition, there were no significant increases in trunk, hip, knee, and ankle range of motion. Furthermore, self perceived pain did not significantly reduce 2 months after testing.

The purpose of this project was to study proprioceptive deficits and corticomotor adaptations in following ACL injuries. Methods. Ten participants with chronic ACL injuries and eight controls participated. Subjective function (KOS-ADLS) and quadriceps strength (MVC) were measured. Proprioceptive acuity was assessed with a weight discrimination task. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to assess four indices of cortico-motor excitability and the quadriceps H-reflex was measured. Results. On the injured side in the ACL group, KOS-ADLS, WC (p < 0.018) and proprioceptive acuity (p < 0.01) were reduced. RMT were lower on the injured side ( p = 0.019). H-reflex amplitude was smaller on the injured side (n = 5). The extent of quadriceps motor representation (input-output curve) was correlated (r2 = 0.523) with MVC values on the injured side. Discussion. Reduced proprioception may reflect an impaired capacity to process force signals centrally, whilst increased corticomotor excitability may reflect a greater voluntary control to ensure joint stability.

Exercise has been considered important in the management of functional balance problems although there are limited data supporting effectiveness after traumatic brain injury (TBI). This thesis compared two functional balance retraining programs: a virtual reality (VR) generated program and an activity-based (AB) program. Participants (n = 33, age 18--66) had sustained a moderate or severe TBI (initial Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] <12) 6 months or more before the start of the study. Participants were quasi-randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group that received no intervention. Groups were matched on initial Berg Balance Scale scores (BBS), years since TBI, and age. Static standing balance (using a force plate), functional balance (using the Community Balance and Mobility Scale [CB&M]) and perceptions of balance and function (using the Activity-specific Balance Confidence Scale [ABC] and the Lower Extremity Functional Scale [LEFS]) were measured at baseline, after six weeks of intervention, and 3 months later. BBS and CB&M scores improved for the exercise groups after six weeks. Some of the improvements were still present at three months. Functional balance improvements were supported by increased scores on the ABC, the LEFS, and by participant focus group comments. The focus groups also indicated the multidimensional benefits of both types of exercise. While not statistically significant, the VR group reported higher scores of functional balance and mobility, balance confidence, and more positive comments from participants than the AB group. This supports the use of VR as a potentially effective method of delivering exercise.

Approximately 26% of Canadians who are not working due to disability report physical limitations caused by coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD accounts for 17% of all lost productivity in Canada. This is true despite the finding that cardiac treatment restores adequate functional capacity in a majority of patients. Two interventions were compared in their ability to increase the RTW rates of cardiac patients. The experimental condition involved the setting of weekly, specific, challenging and self-relevant goals. The comparison condition involved the viewing of four video-tapes focusing on RTW-related issues. Subjects were randomly assigned to goal-setting (N = 22) and video-tape (N = 24) groups. The first hypothesis was that goal-setting would lead to higher rates of RTW and to a higher percentage of eligible weeks worked at follow-up, compared to the video tape group. No significant treatment group differences were found. A related question was whether subject characteristics (i.e., risk of not returning to work, self-determination to participate in the intervention, depression, and anxiety) and implementation characteristics (i.e., group size, number of sessions attended, and duration of follow-up period) would interact with treatment group to affect rate of RTW and percentage of eligible weeks worked at follow-up. Risk of not returning to work predicted RTW and percentage of eligible weeks returned to work. Number of sessions attended also interacted with treatment group to predict percentage of eligible weeks worked. The second hypothesis was that there were group differences life satisfaction and job satisfaction (for subjects who returned to work) at follow-up, as well as satisfaction with treatment at post-treatment. No significant treatment group differences were found. A related question was whether subject characteristics and implementation characteristics interacted with treatment to affect life satisfaction, job satisfaction and satisfaction with treatment. There was a stronger positive correlation between life satisfaction at pre-treatment and life satisfaction at follow-up in the goal-setting group, than in the video-tape group. The third hypothesis was that the goal-setting group would show greater improvements over time in self-efficacy, self-determination, commitment to work, life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety, compared to the video-tape group. Self-efficacy and depression improved in both groups.

This study investigated the effect of endogenous and exogenous heating on body core cooling rate, afterdrop and re-warming rate in humans during subsequent cold-water immersion. On three separate days, following 30 min baseline resting at an ambient temperature of 25°C, seven subjects were either: (1) seated upright for 15 min rest (Control); (2) exercised 15 min on a cycle ergometer at 70% VO2 max (Exercise); or, (3) immersed 16.8 +/- 6.2 min in warm water (40°C) (Warm-water immersion) to an esophageal temperature (TES) similar to that of end of exercise. Subjects were then cooled in water (7°C) to a TES of 34.5°C and rewarmed by spontaneous shivering (shivering thermogenesis) in air. There was a 1.3-fold increase in the overall body core cooling rate during Exercise as compared to Control (P < 0.01). Warm-water immersion demonstrated the largest difference in overall cooling rate above Exercise and Control with a 2.5- and 3.3-fold increase, respectively (P < 0.01). The greatest difference between trials occurred within the initial 15 min (i.e., a 2.0- and 4.9-fold increase above Control for Exercise and Warm-water immersion, respectively). There was no significant difference in the TES afterdrop (∼0.5°C) nor afterdrop duration (∼15 min). Similarly, rewarming rates were almost identical under all conditions (∼3.1°C·h-1). These data show that pre-warming can have a detrimental effect on survival time during a subsequent cold-water immersion.

No description available.

No description available.