Schenkman et al. (2001) focus on the relationship between the spinal range of motion (ROM) and the kinematics of forwarding standing reaching in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Authors try to answer whether ROM and spinal position differ in age, body mass, and sex; whether body excursions are more acute in patients with PD than those without PD, among other questions.
The paper’s intended audience is physical therapists, doctors, physicians, and individuals with PD. The researchers employed a goniometer, functional axial rotation test, and 3-dimensional motion analysis in terms of methods. Using a retrospective study design, the authors incorporated cross-sectional data to analyze the outcomes in 120 adult patients with no pathology aged between 20 and 79 years. Authors conclude that both spinal and extremity ROM is reduced early in PD.
Moreover, they have found that lateral trunk flexion while forward standing reach contributes to the reaching distance regardless of the individual’s disease state. Although the article’s strength lies in examining an underexplored topic, its small sample size and negligence of other physiological variables undermine its credibility and reliability. Overall, this work can serve as a starting point for future research that will encompass a larger sample size.
References
Schenkman ML, Clark K, Xie T, Kuchibhatla M, Shinberg M, Ray L. Spinal movement and performance of a standing reach task in participants with and without Parkinson’s disease. Physical Therapy. 2001;81(8):1400-1411. Web.