To say that 2020 was a challenging year is of course a gross understatement. It has been a turbulent year with a raging pandemic and political unrest wreaking havoc with our personal and professional lives. Tough times made us reach deep into our reserves to complete everyday responsibilities as well as accomplishing some monumental tasks we could not have imagined.
We are now faced with the job of making sense out of the ashes. The challenge is to reflect on changes made to withstand the pandemic and use what we have learned to forge ahead in a positive way.
I was surprised to hear people contradict instructions from public health experts to employ basic procedures to limit the spread of infection. I was shocked that people could misinterpret infection minimization precautions with restraint on personal freedom. I have learned that I live in a bubble. I am surrounded by like-minded people who trust that science seeks truth by means of a continuous cycle of regeneration integrating new evidence with existing tenets. No one whom I routinely interact with doubts the need for masks, physical distancing, and hand hygiene in a pandemic. The advice of public health experts is adopted in recognition that we are being given the best available, scientifically based information.
As clinicians we are practicing scientists. We synthesize scientifically grounded information with our clinical knowledge, experience, and judgment in the context of each client's individual circumstances and needs. We build trust as we work in partnership with our clients to improve physical and emotional health. Here is an important opportunity to help our clients recognize the difference between scientifically based knowledge and questionably sourced information.
Patient education has always been an integral part of physical therapy. We can take the lead in helping people understand that though research is not perfect, it is self-correcting. Studies are designed with rigorous controls to eliminate bias and then thoroughly scrutinized in the review process. The result is impartial evidence, not opinion.
Physical therapists are experts at promoting compliance. We motivate individuals to change habits, move in new ways, and provide clients with a better understanding of how their body works. We can use these same skills to gently coach our clients to accept public health advice. As I write this, it is Thanksgiving; when you read this, it will be a new year. Quite possibly, we will be experiencing a vaccine rollout affording us with another opportunity to educate our clients about how science works in their best interest. Happy teaching new year!
-Cynthia M. Chiarello, PT, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
Highlights in This Issue:
I am pleased to announce that the JWHPT team is growing. We welcome 2 outstanding scholars to our editorial advisory board, Susan C. Clinton, PT, DScPT, and Linda McLean, PhD, MScE, BSc(PT). Dr Clinton is on faculty at Andrews University in the Doctor of Science in PT program, co-owner of Embody Physiotherapy and Wellness, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in both Orthopedics and Women's Health, a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Therapy, and a board certified health and wellness coach. Dr McLean is a full professor and chair in Women's Health Research in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa, Canada, where she teaches in the MSc Physiotherapy program and is Director of the Motor Function Measurement Lab.
This issue presents evidence for practice from original research and some interesting and important case reports. Kasitinon and colleagues present a novel case series in which pelvic pain with pudendal neuropathies is linked to repetitive or weighted squatting exercise. In a randomized controlled trial, Stone and colleagues found that a 6-week individualized physical therapy program could improve pain, patient satisfaction, and self-rated exercise ability in women recovering from a cesarean delivery. In a prospective descriptive study of NCAA Division III athletes, Tremback-Ball and colleagues examined the impact of their menstrual cycle on athletic performance. Interestingly, they found no difference between follicular and luteal phases. Divine and McVey present a case report describing physical therapy intervention for an adult with a history of uncomplicated recurrent urinary tract infection with pelvic pain, urinary urgency/frequency, and urinary incontinence. Fischer and colleagues illustrate the importance in recognizing that systemic disease can present as pregnancy-related musculoskeletal dysfunction. This case report on a woman with seemingly routine back pain during pregnancy is required reading for all clinicians working with this population. Please remember that this issue continues online with the platform and poster abstracts from the Academy of Pelvic Health for CSM 2021.