Objective: To explore how persons who have returned to work perceive their work situation and work ability one year after stroke.

Design: Cross-sectional design.

Subjects: A total of 88 persons of working age (mean age 52 (standard deviation; SD 8) years, 36% women), with mild to moderate disabilities following stroke, who had returned to work within one year after stroke participated in the study.

Methods: A survey including a questionnaire regarding psychological and social factors at work (QPS Nordic) and 4 questions from the Work Ability Index (WAI) was posted to the participants.

Results: According to the QPS Nordic survey, 69- 94% of respondents perceived their work duties as well defined, and were content with their work performance. Most participants had good social support at work and at home. Between 51% and 64% of respondents reported that they seldom felt stressed at work, seldom had to work overtime, or that work demands seldom interfered with family life. According to the WAI ≥75% of respondents perceived their work ability as sufficient, and they were rather sure that they would still be working 2 years ahead.

Conclusion: Persons who have returned to work within one year after stroke appear to be content with their work situation and work ability. Appreciation at work, well-defined and meaningful work duties and support seem to be important for a sustainable work situation.

Purpose

To explore work related and personal facilitators and barriers for return to work (RTW) and stay at work after stroke.

Materials and methods

Twenty individuals post-stroke (median age 52 years; seven women) were interviewed in focus groups. Data were analyzed by using qualitative content analysis.

Results

An overall theme “Work conditions, support and changed personal priorities influenced RTW and stay at work after stroke” emerged and covered three categories: “Adjustments and flexibility at the work place facilitated RTW and a sustainable work situation”, “Psychosocial support and knowledge about stroke consequences facilitated work and reduced stress”, and “Changed view of work and other personal priorities”. Physical adjustments at the work place and flexibility in the work schedule were perceived facilitators. Support from family and colleagues were important, whereas lack of knowledge of stroke disabilities at the work place was perceived a barrier. Also changed personal priorities in relation to the work and the current life situation influenced RTW in various ways.

Conclusions

The individual’s opportunities to influence the work situation is a key factor for RTW and the ability to stay at work after stroke. Adjustments, flexibility, support, knowledge of stroke, and receptivity to a changed view of work are important for a sustainable work situation.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to develop a vocabulary targeting communication of health-terms ofmovement quality, establishing professional knowledge of a movement terminology usefull withinrehabilitation.

Methods: A phenomenological study design was chosen, inviting movement experts working inrehabilitation to describe movement observations when a change into more functional, health relatedways of moving appeared in the rehabilitation processes. 15 physiotherapy experts were recruited,five from the field of neurology, primary health care and psychiatry. The informants had between12-38 years of clinical practice, treating patients of all ages with a wide specter of diagnoses. Datacollection followed a qualitative study design, of individual, in-depth interviews, based on a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were taped, transcribed and sent to the informants forvalidation. Data analysis followed recommendation of Giorgi, modified by Malterud. Ethical considera-tions were followed.

Results: Data revealed a vocabulary, clustered in five themes, Biomechanical, Physiological, Psycho-socio-cultural, Existential and Overarching perspective, 16 underlying categories and 122 descriptive health-terms of movement quality.

Conclusion: The study demonstrated a multi-perspective movement vocabulary of 122 health characteris-tic terms, developed to facilitate movement communication within the broad field of rehabilitation. Theresult calls for further research concerning a movement vocabulary.

Background: Clinical reasoning is the ability to integrate and apply different types of knowledge, weigh evidence critically and reflect upon the process to arrive at a diagnosis. Body awareness is an approach directed toward an awareness of how the body is used in terms of body function, behaviour, and interaction with self and others.

Methods: In the present study, 36 physiotherapists (PTs) from 13 countries working with body awareness methods, mainly Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) in mental health were interviewed in six focus groups. Content analysis was used to analyse how the informants’ reasoned around the concept of body awareness therapy, and how they use it in their clinical work with patients.

Result: Body awareness was conceived as being in contact with sensations and emotions, to be able to control symptoms, such as pain, to find a balance and to develop one’s identity by relating to oneself and others. BBAT was used as a whole body treatment, to promote balance and stability, to teach about body, movements, and coping strategies, to interact in a therapeutic approach and to be integrated with other methods and professionals.

Conclusion: The present results can be used to improve the PTs clinical reasoning.

Introduction

Body awareness is a movement therapy used in Physical Therapy in Mental Health especially in Scandinavia. The method Basic Body Awareness Therapy has been scientifically investigated in particular for patients with Depression, Schizophrenia and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).

Methods

Thirty-four Physical Therapists from 13 countries working with the Basic Body Awareness Therapy method in Mental Health Care were interviewed in six focus groups about what effects they have experienced in their work with patients. The Physical Therapists worked within the whole Mental Health spectra. Content analysis was used to analyze the informants’ experiences of the clinical effects of body awareness.

Results

Five categories emerged: To be in contact, Refocus and coping, Sense of Self, Relations to others and Daily life activities. The results are discussed in relation to previous research, existing theories of body awareness and cognitive neuroscience and findings of experimental psychology.

Conclusion

The informants experienced that Basic Body Awareness Therapy worked mainly by helping the patients to be in better contact with their “bodily self.” Stability, balance, improved grounding and the ability to relax were understood as the basis to establish an improved sense of self and leading to improved acceptance of oneself and one’s ability to relate to others.

Physiotherapists are facing complex health challenges in the treatment of persons suffering from long-lasting musculoskeletal disorders and mental health problems. Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) is a physiotherapy approach within the movement awareness domain developed to bridge physical, mental, and relational health challenges. The purpose of this study was to reach a consensus on core phenomena and statements describing BBAT. A consensus-building process was conducted using the nominal group technique (NGT). Twenty-one BBAT experts from 10 European countries participated in a concentrated weekend workshop of 20 hours. All participants signed informed consent. Participants reached a consensus on 138 core phenomena, clustered in three overarching categories: clinical core, historical roots, and research and evaluation phenomena. Of the 106 clinical core phenomena, the participants agreed on three categories of phenomena: movement quality, movement awareness practice, and movement awareness therapy and pedagogy. Furthermore, the participants reached 100 percent consensus on 16 of 30 statements describing BBAT. This study provides a consensus on core phenomena and statements describing BBAT. The data reveal phenomena implemented when promoting movement quality through movement awareness. Data provide clarity in some aspects of the vocabulary as fundamental theory. Further reearch will be developed.

It is important to find criteria for preventive measures and appropriate assistive devices to reduce pedestrian injuries and increase walking in winter. Reducing the rate of falls on icy surfaces and improving people’s ability to safely cross a street in winter conditions by achieving an adequate walking speed, for example, need to be considered. This study explores pedestrian perceptions of fall risk, balance, and footfall transitions while using different designs for anti-slip devices on ice and snow-covered ice and relates these to measures of gait speed and friction. Trials were performed with nine pedestrians testing 19 anti-slip devices on ice and ice covered with snow. Laboratory tests of the dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) on plain ice were also performed. The findings suggest that there was conformity in the participants’ perceptions of good balance and low fall risk for one-fifth of the devices (three whole-foot designs and one design with built-in spikes). We also found that gait speed on icy pedestrian crossings is related to perceived fall-risk and balance control, but not to DCOF of the anti-slip devices.

Objective: To explore stroke survivors’ experiences of healthcare-related facilitators and barriers concerning return to work after stroke.Design: A qualitative study.Setting: Outpatient stroke rehabilitation unit at a University Hospital in southern Sweden.Participants: A convenient sample of 20 persons admitted to Skåne University Hospital for acute stroke care (median age 52 years), in employment of at least 10 h per week at stroke onset and having been referred to stroke rehabilitation within 180 days.Methods: The interviews were performed by focus groups, and the data were analysed by contentanalysis.Results: Facilitating factors were a tailored rehabilitation content with relevant treatments, adequate timing and a structured stepwise return-to-work process. A lack of sufficient early healthcare information, rehabilitation planning and coordination were perceived as barriers. An early rehabilitation plan, a contact person, and improved communication between rehabilitation actors were requested, as well as help with work transport, home care, children and psychosocial support for families.Conclusion: Tailored rehabilitation content and a structured stepwise return-to-work process facilitated return to work. Insufficient structure within the healthcare system and lack of support in daily life were perceived barriers to return to work, and need to be improved. These aspects should be considered in the return-to-work process after stroke.

Objective: To explore strategies that persons with persistent shoulder pain after stroke use to manage their pain in daily life. Design: A qualitative study using semi-structured face-to-face interviews, analysed by content analysis. Setting: A university hospital. Subjects: Thirteen community-dwelling persons (six women; median age: 65 years; range 57-77) with shoulder pain after stroke were interviewed median two years after the pain onset. Results: An overall theme 'Managing shoulder pain by adopting various practical and cognitive strategies' emerged from the analysis. Three categories were identified: (1) practical modifications to solve daily life problems; (2) changed movement patterns and specific actions to mitigate the pain, by non-painful movements, avoidance of pain-provoking activities and various pain distracting activities and (3) learned how to deal with the pain mentally. Several strategies were used simultaneously and they were experienced successful to various degrees. Conclusion: The findings in the present study indicate that persons with persistent shoulder pain after stroke use both practical and cognitive strategies to manage their pain.