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Objective.To determine the test-retest reliability of the 6-minute walk test in people with fibromyalgia. Methods. Twenty-six subjects (27-59 years of age) performed 3 walk tests over consecutive days before and after a 4-week treatment program. Reliability was determined using a one-way repeated measures analysis of variance and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC 2,1 ).Results. Reliability of the 6-minute walk test was excellent both at program intake (ICC 2,1 ϭ 0.91) and program completion (ICC 2,1 ϭ 0.98). On program intake, significant differences (P Ͻ 0.01) were found between test 1 (478 Ϯ 61 m) and test 2 (492 Ϯ 57 m), and between test 1 and test 3 (495 Ϯ 60 m). On program completion, there were no significant differences across the 3 replicate tests (507 m, 505 m, and 509 m).Conclusions. The 6-minute walk test is a reliable measure in people with fibromyalgia. In this study, two trials were required to achieve a stable walk performance before a treatment program. This learning effect was not present following the intervention.

Purpose: Immobility and pain are modifiable risk factors for development of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary morbidity after major abdominal surgery (MAS). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of abdominal incision support with an elasticized abdominal binder on postoperative walk performance (mobility), perceived distress, pain, and pulmonary function in patients following MAS. Methods: Seventy-five patients scheduled to undergo MAS via laparotomy were randomized to experimental (binder) or control (no binder) groups. Sixty (33 male, 27 female; mean age 58 e 14.9 years) completed the study. Preoperative measurements of 6-minute walk test (6MWT) distance, perceived distress, pain, and pulmonary function were repeated 1, 3, and 5 days after surgery. Results: Surgery was associated with marked postoperative reductions (p < 0.001) in walk distance (P75-78%, day 3) and forced vital capacity (35%, all days) for both groups. Improved 6MWT distance by day 5 was greater (p < 0.05) for patients wearing a binder (80%) than for the control group (48%). Pain and symptom-associated distress remained unchanged following surgery with binder usage, increasing significantly (p < 0.05) only in the no binder group. Conclusion: Elasticized abdominal binders provide a non-invasive intervention for enhancing recovery of walk performance, controlling pain and distress, and improving patients' experience following MAS.Key Words: abdominal binder, abdominal surgery, Adapted Symptom Distress Scale, pain, 6-minute walk test RÉ SUMÉObjectif : L'immobilité et la douleur sont des facteurs de risque modifiables dans le dé veloppement de thrombo-embolie veineuse et de morbidité pulmonaire à la suite d'une intervention chirurgicale abdominale majeure. L'objectif de cette é tude é tait d'investiguer les effets d'un soutien de l'incision abdominale à l'aide d'une bande abdominale é lastique sur la marche (mobilité ) postopé ratoire, sur la douleur perç ue, la douleur et la fonction pulmonaire des patients à la suite d'une telle intervention. Mé thode : 75 sujets appelé s à subir une chirurgie abdominale majeure par laparotomie ont é té choisis de fac¸on alé atoire pour faire partie du groupe expé rimental (avec bande abdominale) et d'un groupe de contrô le (sans bande abdominale). De ce nombre, 60 (33 hommes et 27 femmes dont la moyenne d'â ge é tait de 58 e 14,9 ans) ont participé à l'é tude jusqu'à la fin. Les mesures pré opé ratoires comprenaient un test de marche de 6 minutes (TM6), une mesure du degré de douleur perç u, de la douleur et de la fonction pulmonaire; ces mesures ont aussi é té prises aux jours 1, 3 et 5 suivant l'intervention. Ré sultats : L'intervention chirurgicale a é té associé e à des diminutions postopé ratoires marqué es (p < 0.001) dans la distance de marche (P75-78 %, au jour 3) la capacité pulmonaire forcé e (35 %, tous les jours), et ce, pour les deux groupes. L'amé lioration du TM6 au jour 5 a toutefois é té plus importante (p < 0,05) chez les sujets portant une bande abdominale (80 %)...

Purpose: To understand the professional socialization of physical therapy (PT) students. Method: Forty-two students enrolled in our newly developed master's degree programme wrote three-page reflective journals on a critical learning incident after each of three selected clinical experiences. The journals were coded and analyzed, and major themes were identified and described. A separate cohort of 44 students participated in focus groups after the same three clinical experiences to check the trustworthiness of the results. Results: Following the first placement, the main themes coded were emotions, self-confidence, professionalism in the real world, communication, and learning by doing. After the intermediate placement, major themes were idealism versus realism, depth of communication with clients, and breadth of communication with family members and colleagues. Aspects of clinical learning were variable, and self-confidence remained an issue. After the final placement, most students were deeply engaged with their clients and self-confidence had developed to the point of self-efficacy. Tensions increased between the concept of ideal practice and the pragmatics of actual practice, and the concept of self as proté gé (rather than as object of the supervisor's evaluation) emerged. The themes were subsequently assembled in a booklet with representative quotations. Conclusion: These results contribute to foundational knowledge required by PT educators, including clinical instructors, by explicitly describing the professional socialization of PT students.Key Words: physical therapy students, professional socialization, qualitative investigation RÉ SUMÉObjectif : Comprendre la socialisation professionnelle des é tudiants en physiothé rapie. Me´thodologie : Quarante-deux é tudiants inscrits à notre nouveau programme de maîtrise ont é crit un journal de ré flexion de trois pages sur un incident d'apprentissage critique aprè s chacune de trois expé riences cliniques choisies. Les journaux ont é té codé s et analysé s et des thè mes principaux ont é té identifié s et dé crits. Afin de vé rifier la fiabilité des ré sultats, une cohorte distincte de 44 é tudiants a participé à des groupes de discussion aprè s les trois mê mes expé riences cliniques. Re´sultats : Aprè s le premier stage, les thè mes principaux portaient sur les é motions, confiance en soi, le professionnalisme dans le monde ré el, la communication et l'apprentissage par la pratique. Aprè s le stage intermé diaire, les thè mes principaux é taient l'idé alisme par rapport au ré alisme, la profondeur de la communication avec les clients et l'é tendue de la communication avec les membres de la famille et les collè gues. Les aspects de l'apprentissage clinique é taient variables et la confiance en soi demeurait un problè me. Aprè s le stage final, la plupart des é tudiants avaient dé veloppé un engagement profond avec leurs clients et leur confiance en soi s'est vue dé veloppé au point d'auto-efficacité . Des tensions ont augmenté entre le concept d'exerc...