- Letter to Editor on "Efficacy of Active Exercises to Improve Range of Motion in Knee Joint After Total Knee Arthroplasty. A Randomized Controlled Trial". [Letter]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70283.PR
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- Energy Cost of Walking in Relation to Impairment and Functional Independence After Stroke: The Role of Walking Speed. [Journal Article]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70287.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: Cw was associated with both impairment severity and independence in ADL, but these relationships were largely explained by walking speed. These findings suggest that gait velocity is a central factor linking walking energetics to clinical and functional outcomes after stroke. Limitations include the relatively mild impairment level and the cross-sectional design.
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- 'It Felt Safe'. Experiences With an Early Cognitive Behavioural Approach After Lumbar Spinal Surgery: A Qualitative Study of Participants' Perspectives. [Randomized Controlled Trial]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70282.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: Overall, GAPE supported participants' early recovery after lumbar spinal fusion by combining personalised goals, trusting therapeutic relationships, and home-based, graded activity, thereby enhancing bodily confidence and making rehabilitation manageable and meaningful. Strengths of the study include participant diversity and a reflexive, multidisciplinary research team, which strengthened data richness and transparency. However, the overrepresentation of highly educated participants and researcher involvement in intervention development may limit generalisability and introduce potential bias.
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- Acute Modulation of Lumbar Motor Unit Behavior During Experimentally Induced Low Back Pain: A Motor Unit Decomposition Analysis. [Journal Article]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70278.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: Acute low back pain induces a dynamic and lateralized modulation of motor unit recruitment, suggesting a compensatory redistribution of neural drive that may help preserve functional stability despite altered motor coordination. These findings provide novel insights into the neuromuscular adaptations underlying acute low back pain and have potential implications for physiotherapy assessment and intervention.
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- Methodological Considerations in Evaluating Preoperative Physiotherapy for Lumbar Spine Surgery. [Letter]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70261.PR
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- Ultrasound-Assessed Rotator Interval Vascularity Is Associated With the Immediate Response to Corticosteroid Injection Combined With Radial Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Therapy in Adhesive Capsulitis: A Single-Group Quasi-Experimental Preliminary Study. [Journal Article]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70285.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: Greater RI vascularity assessed using PD-US was associated with larger immediate ΔER following combined corticosteroid injection and r-ESWT in patients with adhesive capsulitis. These exploratory findings suggest that PD-US-based vascular assessment may provide clinically relevant information regarding stage-related biological activity and short-term physiological responsiveness and warrant further investigation in larger controlled studies.
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- Individualized Physiotherapy Improves Quality of Life and Symptom Burden in Advanced Cancer: A Quasi-Experimental Study. [Journal Article]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70280.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: Individualized physiotherapy was associated with clinically meaningful improvements in quality of life, functional outcomes, and symptom burden in hospitalized patients with advanced cancer. These findings support the integration of physiotherapy within interdisciplinary palliative care teams. However, interpretation should consider the nonrandomized design and the short follow-up period, which may limit causal inference and long-term generalizability.
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- Prevalence, Patterns, Treatment Outcomes and Costs of Physiotherapy-Managed Musculoskeletal Disorders in Nigeria. [Journal Article]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70279.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: MSDs are highly prevalent among socio-economically disadvantaged groups in Nigeria, with LBP being the most common and least costly condition, and osteoarthritis the costliest; physiotherapy interventions are widely used, with strengthening exercises being the most frequently applied and effective intervention, though they also incur the highest treatment costs. Overall, physiotherapy interventions demonstrated significant pain reduction, with cost variations reflecting the type of condition and the modality used.
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- Effects of a Telerehabilitation-Based Motor Imagery and Exercise Program on Postural Kyphosis in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. [Randomized Controlled Trial]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70268.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: Integration of MI into the telerehabilitation-delivered home-based exercise program showed significant improvements in postural alignment, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in young adults with postural kyphosis, compared with exercise alone. However, no difference was found in terms of pain reduction and postural stability. These findings suggest that MI may enhance neuromotor control and psychosocial outcomes when integrated into telerehabilitation-based exercise programs.
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- Regional Disparities in Functional and Socioeconomic Impacts of Long COVID in Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study. [Multicenter Study]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70251.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: Long COVID was associated with heterogeneous functional and socioeconomic impairments across the evaluated centers; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously, as regional comparisons were substantially confounded by the unequal distribution of acute disease severity.
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- Efficacy and Modulating Factors of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Motor Function in Parkinson's Disease: A Meta-Analysis. [Review]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70256.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: The pooled evidence supports the short-term and long-term efficacy of rTMS in improving motor performance among Parkinson's patients. Based on current evidence, an rTMS protocol involving daily consecutive stimulation may yield therapeutic benefits.
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- Test-Retest Reliability of Postural Sway Measures Using a Portable Low-Cost Force Plate in Healthy Adults. [Journal Article]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70270.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: In healthy young adults, single-leg stance provides more reliable CoP measures than bipedal quiet stance when using a portable low-cost force plate. Displacement- and velocity-based outcomes during single-leg stance appear most suitable for repeated assessments and monitoring. MDC95 values should be interpreted strictly as measurement-error thresholds and not as indicators of clinical responsiveness or meaningful clinical change because responsiveness was not evaluated.
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- Physical Activity in Women With Obesity: Fatigue, Knee Symptoms, and Functional Capacity. [Journal Article]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70272.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity participation in women with obesity may not be fully captured by measured functional capacity alone and appears to be related to perceived fatigue and knee symptom burden. Physiotherapy practice may benefit from integrating fatigue management, knee symptom screening, progressive load management, and individualised pacing strategies alongside functional capacity training.
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- Anti-Compensatory Saccades Changes After Visuo-Vestibular Physical Therapy in People With Acute Unilateral Vestibulopathy: A Prospective Observational Study. [Journal Article]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70274.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: A significant increase in AcS amplitude was observed after an 8-week VVPT program in people with AUVP, despite only limited improvement in VOR gain. These findings suggest that AcS may provide clinically relevant information on vestibulo-saccadic adaptation during recovery after unilateral vestibular loss and may complement traditional VOR gain and patient-reported outcome measures. However, given the study design, the observed changes should be interpreted with caution.
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- Employing a Coaching Model of Supervision During Physiotherapy Placements: A Qualitative Study of the Practice Educator Experience. [Journal Article]Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jul; 31(3):e70275.PR
- CONCLUSIONS: Participants found that C-PAL offered a promising alternative to traditional physiotherapy placement supervision, potentially addressing educational capacity challenges while promoting greater learner autonomy and interdisciplinary skills. They also highlighted complex challenges emerging from managing multiple learners across locations and coordinating with colleagues. Preliminary findings suggest that C-PAL approaches may offer potential for expanding placement capacity while maintaining educational quality, though this warrants investigation across a wider range of clinical contexts. Sufficient preparation time, clear role delineation, and educator development focused on facilitation skills are likely to be important enabling conditions.
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