Browsing by Person "Pitman, D."

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Distribution of in-shoe dynamic plantar foot pressures in professional football players
(Elsevier, 2001-03) Santos, Derek; Carline, Tom; Flynn, Lynne; Pitman, D.; Feeney, D.; Patterson, C.; Westland, E.
At two football venues, 35 professional football players, aged 17 to 30, took part in a study. The aim was to compare in-shoe dynamic plantar foot pressures between football boots and trainers by investigating relationships between area, force and pressure. The study showed a decreased plantar foot area of 9.3% in the left football boot when compared to the trainer and 7.2% in the right. Maximum pressure was 35% higher in football boots when compared to trainers. Similarly, mean pressure was 27.6% higher in football boots. The study suggests that a reduced football boot surface area may be responsible for the increased forces and pressures within football boots when compared to trainers.
Does treadmill training improve walking after stroke - the long-term follow-up from a phase II randomised controlled trial.
(Wiley, 2009) Baer, Gill; Dennis, M.; Pitman, D.; Salisbury, Lisa; Smith, M.
Introduction: A recent Cochrane review has indicated that current evidence for the effectiveness of Treadmill Training (TT) following stroke is inconclusive. This paper reports the 6 month follow up of mobility outcomes from a phase II feasibility randomised-controlled trial investigating an eight week TT programme with ambulant and non-ambulant people with sub-acute stroke. Method: Sub-acute stroke patients within 3 months of stroke onset were recruited from four stroke rehabilitation units. Randomisation based on side of lesion and initial independence or dependence in walking allocated participants to receive either an eight week programme of ''usual physiotherapy'' (control) or physiotherapy including TT (experimental). Mobility outcomes taken at baseline and 6 months after randomisation included: the Modified Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI); Functional Ambulation Classification (FAC); Timed Up and Go (TUG); 10 min walk test (10 mwt); and the 6 min walk test (6 mwt). Results: Seventy-seven participants were recruited, 39 were randomised to control, and 38 to experimental. At 6 months post randomisation, while both groups had improved their mobility scores, Mann-Whitney U-tests showed no significant differences between the groups for RMI (U=481.5; p=0.421); FAC (U=488; p=0.457); TUG (U=204; p=0.678); 10 mwt (U=262; p=0.956) or 6 mwt (U=194.5; p=0.892). Conclusion: The results indicated that while both groups improved their mobility scores from baseline measures, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups at 6 months. The amount and content of ''usual physiotherapy'' and TT is being analysed to determine whether this may be one of the influencing factors.
How feasible is the delivery of treadmill training early after stroke within the NHS: Findings of a Phase II randomised controlled trial
(Wiley, 2009) Smith, M.; Baer, Gill; Dennis, M.; Pitman, D.; Salisbury, Lisa
Introduction: RCP Stroke Guidelines advocate treadmill training (TT) for gait rehabilitation post-stroke. The protocols described in previous studies were intensive, short-term and may not be feasible to deliver within a UK clinical setting. One aim of this Phase II study was to explore key elements of delivering TT in a clinical setting within the NHS. Method: As part of a randomised controlled trial over 8 weeks, participants with stroke were allocated to a control or experimental group. The protocol demanded that all participants received a minimum of three therapy sessions per week of which at least two were on the treadmill for experimental participants. A treadmill system with unweighing harness was used. The content of treadmill sessions was decided by the treating therapists and all parameters were recorded. Results: Seventy-seven participants were recruited with 39 randomised to the experimental group. Experimental participants received a median of two treadmill sessions per week, with an average total walking time on the treadmill of between 8 and 16 min/week, at a median speed of 0.6m/s. Use of a support harness by participants reduced from 49% in week 1 to 23% in week 8. Conclusion: Only the minimum number of treadmill interventions were delivered. Clinical staff cited staffing levels, number of staff required for safety and time required for harness application as some of the reasons for the limited TT. These findings suggest that it may not be feasible to deliver sufficient doses of TT within the current NHS clinical environment.