BACKGROUND: Neck pain is considered the fourth leading cause of disability, with an annual prevalence rate of 15 to 30%. Using evidence-based practice in neck pain examination is a vital part of the rehabilitation process as it serves as a basis for determining the best treatment. The objective of the study is to determine the usage of recommended examination tool for neck pain among the physical therapists in selected hospitals and clinics in Metro Manila. METHODS: The study has three distinct phases wherein phase 1 was the development and validation of a data extraction sheet, phase 2 was the assessment of interrater reliability among the investigators who will perform the chart review, and phase 3 was the chart review process. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. RESULTS: In phase 1, the contents of the data extraction sheet were found to be valid. In phase 2, the inter-rater reliability was 96.7% percent. In phase 3, the visual analogue scale was the most commonly used examination tool, yielding a 54% usage. This was followed by cervical range of motion & cervical manual muscle testing (22%), palpation (15%), sensory testing (7%), postural assessment (6%), special test (4%), ocular inspection (2%), functional assessment (1%), Functional Index Measure (1%) and functional muscle testing (1%). Neck Disability Index, which was one of the literature-recommended examination tools, was not used CONCLUSION Visual analogue scale was the most commonly used examination tool in conditions with neck pain in selected hospitals and clinics in Metro Manila. Further investigation can be done in order to know the reasons for the use or nonuse of examination tools.
Neck Pain

BACKGROUND: With the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for social distancing presents an apparent barrier to in-clinic consultation. Therefore, the adoption of telerehabilitation has rapidly increased to improve access and minimize cross-infection risk to patients. Nevertheless, Filipino pediatric physical therapists must ensure that they conduct evidence-based procedures for specific tests and measures to determine patient outcomes. The utilization of outcome measurement tools (OMTs) enhances the quality of assessment in clinical decision-making and provides a credible and reliable justification for treatment on an individual patient level. However, a lack of information on utilizing OMTs in telerehabilitation by pediatric physical therapists internationally and locally is evident OBJECTIVE: To determine the most common pediatric OMTs used in telerehabilitation by Filipino pediatric physical therapists catering to 0 to 21-year-olds in the Philippines. METHODS: The study will use an adapted questionnaire to gather data on common OMTs used during pediatric telerehabilitation. Phase I will include the validation of the 15-item adapted questionnaire by determining the content validity index. In Phase II, participants will be recruited through email and social media. Descriptive statistics will be used to report participants' responses EXPECTED RESULTS In Phase I, the expected result is a valid and reliable questionnaire to investigate the common OMTs used in pediatric telerehabilitation for Phase II. The results will be synthesized to inform other researchers and clinicians and encourage nonusers to utilize OMTs despite the challenge of the pandemic. The study can give insights to stakeholders on what OMTs optimize pediatric telerehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: With the COVID-19 pandemic and sudden transition to online learning, students experience academic difficulties, which are correlated to physical and mental health. The need for implementation of an online wellbeing intervention program for students may lead to better health and improved academic performance. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a six-week online educational wellbeing program for University of Santo Tomas College of Rehabilitation Sciences (UST-CRS) students on their physical and mental health. METHOD: This will utilize a quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design, with purposive sampling of at least 40 participants with no physical and/or mental condition. Participants’ eligibility will be screened using the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire and Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms. Wix platform will be used to assess participants’ well-being, which encompasses psychological and physical activities including physical activity tracking, virtual group exercises, Positive Psychological Intervention, walking, motivational interviewing, mindfulness exercises, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire and World Health Organization-Five WellBeing Index will be used as pre and post-tests. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize data and inferential statistics for Paired t-tests or Wilcoxon. EXPECTED RESULTS The findings will include the participants’ responses on the feasibility of the physical and mental wellbeing components of the proposed online program. Results are expected to be beneficial to students and university personnel for promoting a conducive learning environment and may be recommended for college-wide online program implementation.
online ; feasibility