The article by Wadsworth, Krishnan, Sear, Harrold, and Nielsen discusses the role of interrater reliability of manual and dynamic muscle testing1. The main purpose of the identified study is to determine the reliability of muscle testing techniques such as dynamic and manual measuring. Tests and measures used by the authors include a test-retest design and the direct application of the mentioned testing types.
The research was done to assists physicians in selecting the most appropriate means of testing muscle strength in their patients who experience problems with muscle activity. The measurements used in the study focused on determining the impact of the interventions based on a minimum of Fair strength of muscles. The scale from 0 to 11 was used to collect data and analyze findings. The authors discovered that both of the examined testing methods are reliable in specifying the strength of muscles.
This research is essential for PTA in clinical settings since physicians often do not have the choice to evaluate muscle strength in their patients. Taking into account that both dynamic and manual measuring proved to be relevant, physicians may ensure that they would properly diagnose and accurately treat their patients. The strength of the given article lies in its consideration of an important topic and its comparative nature. At the same time, its weakness is associated with the relatively small sample size, which makes it impossible to generalize the results to a larger extent. It would be better if the authors included more respondents and covered several clinics.
Reference List
Wadsworth, CT, Krishnan, R, Sear, M, Harrold, J, Nielsen, DH. Intrarater reliability of manual muscle testing and hand-held dynametric muscle testing. Physical Therapy, 1987; 67(9):1342-1347.