Volume 28, Issue 3, Fall

In the latest Pediatric Physical Therapy podcast: Vertigo was identified and cured in two children through the use of infrared goggles and a physical therapy maneuver. Jennifer Fay, author of a new report on benign positional vertigo, talks about her approach to investigation and treatment of this disabling condition. Elise Townsend discusses her group’s research on the benefit of supporting standing among some—but not all—children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Treadmill training in a group can benefit children with neurodevelopmental impairment according to Katrin Mattern-Baxter, author of a report which found that children enjoy a group approach to gym-workouts just as some adults do.   External trunk support can benefit children with physical disability, says Victor Santamaria who found that best improvement in motor performance is achieved when the external assistance is matched to the child’s intrinsic level of trunk control. Evidence-based recommendations about intervening with stretching exercises have emerged from a review published by Jason Craig who found stretch interventions work better in some situations than others. An exoskeleton has been helping an infant to reach and play with toys.  Lead author Michele Lobo tells the podcast how. Car seats were found to affect the way children move their legs in an investigation conducted by Jiang, de Armendi and Smith. Beth Smith says this needs to be further investigated to assess the impact of restraint devices in typical development and in children considered at risk of developmental delay.