Kerstin Palombaro

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor (Associate) at Widener University

Purpose: Joint hypermobility is a condition in which synovial joints move beyond normal limits. Approximately 10-25% of children and 5-25% of adults experience hypermobility syndrome. One such hypermobility syndrome is an inherited connective tissue disorder known as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Typically, a score of 4-5 out of 9 on the Beighton s...

Purpose: The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) defines expected professional behaviors beyond legal and ethical expectations in the Core Values document. Civic mindedness may be related to core values. Civic-minded professionals have strong ethics and work cooperatively to promote the general welfare of others. Doctor of Physical Therapy...

Background: Lateral ankle sprains are a common musculoskeletal injury. Ankle braces are frequently used to prevent ankle injuries. Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the anterior translation of the talocrural joint of 2 ankle braces relative to a control. Methods: Ankle mobility was assessed with the Mobil-Aider arthrometer in 3 con...

Background Lateral ankle sprains are a common musculoskeletal injury across a variety of activities. Researchers have sought to identify a method to objectively assess joint laxity with a device that is simple to use and affordable. Aim The purpose of this study was to assess the use of an ankle arthrometer on individuals with ankle sprains. Meth...

Background and Purpose: Burnout, compassion fatigue, stress, and management of pain-related health conditions are common concerns for the novice physical therapist. To date, there is a paucity of research on interventions that promote resiliency in this population. The aim of this study was to determine if training novice Doctor of Physical Therapy...

: One in 5 adults in the United States live with a mental illness, and many more struggle with stress-related chronic illnesses. Physical therapists often see the physical effects that stress has on the body, but there is an underutilization of evidence-based stress management strategies with patients and clients. Mindfulness-and-acceptance-based...

Purpose: The offering of pro bono services has been a historical practice in a number of professions including law and medicine. Medical literature suggests pro bono services provide a vital safety net for individuals who are underinsured or uninsured. Medical students commonly participate in pro bono services, however, little is known about doctor...

Purpose: Academic physical therapy programs strive to foster student readiness for full-time clinical education experiences in a variety of ways. This research looks at one program who has students participate in a student-run pro bono clinic for at least 60 hours prior to the first full-time clinic experience. The purpose of the study is to explor...

Introduction Clinicians with compassion fatigue (CF) experience behavioral, cognitive, and emotional changes due to repeated exposure to second-hand trauma from the clients with whom they are working. A civic-minded professional possesses the core value of social responsibility. Physical therapy (PT) education programs must balance a focus on devel...

Introduction Health science graduate students take high stakes examinations and experience stress and burnout, which can negatively influence performance in clinical courses. The intent of this study was to pilot a curriculum in mindful practice for graduate health science students under high levels of perceived stress. The purpose of this study wa...

Background Empathy is critical to patient-centered care and thus is a valued trait in graduate health-care students. The relationship between empathy and civic-mindedness in health professions has not previously been explored. Objectives (a) To determine whether significant differences occurred on the Jefferson Scale for Empathy–Health Professions...

Background and purpose: Sit-to-stand tests measure a clinically relevant function and are widely used in older adult populations. The modified 30-second sit-to-stand test (m30STS) overcomes the floor effect of other sit-to-stand tests observed in physically challenged older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine interrater and test-retes...

Introduction and Background Colleges and universities have an obligation to educate graduate students who demonstrate civic literacy and who can engage in civic inquiry and action. Service-learning and community engagement courses are highly effective in developing civic-mindedness. Graduate professional programs may have additional reasons for foc...

Background and Purpose. Grand Rounds is a teaching methodology that has existed in various forms in medical education for centuries. When a student-run pro bono clinic identified a growing challenge of providing continuity of care for clients and a lack of preparedness in students, they implemented a Grand Rounds model of case presentation within t...

This commentary will discuss the literature concerning factors that are associated with bicycle helmet use in children. The use of bicycle helmets by children is a well-established strategy to prevent severe and disabling injuries. The overwhelming evidence which suggests that helmets reduce the severity of injury and levels of disability post inju...

Purpose: Physical therapist education programs strive to prepare their students for full-time clinical experiences in a variety of ways. Experiential and service learning in authentic contexts reportedly help students make connections between the classroom and the clinic. The purpose of this study was to explore the influences that service in a phy...

The link between cultural competence and effective physical therapy encounters is established. Physical therapist educational programs face the challenge of fostering the cultural competence of students in effective and meaningful ways within the curriculum. They also face the challenge of measuring the development of cultural competence to establi...

Dry needling is a therapeutic intervention that has been growing in popularity. It is primarily used with patients that have pain of myofascial origin. This review provides background about dry needling, myofascial pain, and craniofacial pain. We summarize the evidence regarding the effectiveness of dry needling. For patients with upper quarter myo...

ABSTRACT Background: Axillary cording or axillary web syndrome (AWS) is a condition that may manifest after surgical interference in the axillary lymph nodes. AWS can cause significant impairments and has been treated with physical and occupational therapy. Little is known about the pathophysiology of AWS or about the therapeutic interventions that...

Purpose: Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death in bicycle crashes. The factors associated with bicycle helmet use in young children with diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to helmet use in young children in an urban elementary school. Design: Qualita...

Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Background: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is associated with hyperalgesic zones in muscle called myofascial trigger points. When palpated, active myofascial trigger points cause local or referred symptoms, including pain. Dry needling involves inserting an acupuncture-like needle into a myofasc...

highlights the findings and application of Cochrane reviews and other evidence pertinent to the practice of physical therapy. The Cochrane Library is a respected source of reliable evidence related to health care. Cochrane systematic reviews explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of interventions-medications, sur...

Background: Antepartum bed rest is prescribed to minimize the risk of preterm delivery, but can lead to muscle weakness, deconditioning, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and depression, depending on the duration of bed rest. Study Design: The purpose of this case report is to identify the physical therapist's role in treating a pregnant woman with co...

The ankle brachial index (ABI) is a valid and reliable measurement of lower extremity circulation and can be used as a screening tool for peripheral arterial disease (PAD), but the usage pattern in physical therapy practice is virtually unknown. This study was performed to describe the phenomenon of using the ABI in outpatient physical therapy prac...

Background: The physical therapy profession has called for the provision of pro bono services. Little is known about the impact on students involved in sustainable pro bono leadership. One physical therapy program established a pro bono physical therapy clinic under the direct leadership of a board of students. Objective: The purpose of this stu...

: The model provided by the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) was created to describe, classify, and measure function in both health care practice and research. This model has not been applied to management of many physical therapy cases, limiting its implementation conceptually in...

The Chester Community Physical Therapy Clinic (clinic) is a student-led pro bono clinic that provides physical therapy services to uninsured and underinsured community members. The purposes of this administrative case report are to describe the creation and implementation of a student-led pro bono clinic model designed to meet student and community...

Service-learning projects present the opportunity to combine academic skill practice and peer mentorship with meaningful community service. Implicit learning outcomes include an enhanced understanding of social responsibility and professional development-concepts difficult to teach in the classroom. The purpose of this educational case report is to...

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of ischemic pressure on myofascial trigger point (MTrP) sensitivity. Randomized, controlled study with the researcher assessing MTrP sensitivity blinded to the intervention. Twenty-eight people with two MTrPs in the upper back musculature. The sensitivity of two MTrPs in the upper back was a...

The Institute for Physical Therapy Education at Widener University has made a concerted effort to grow its community engagement initiatives over the last five years. This chapter will describe the evolution of the initiatives including the creation and launch of The Chester Community Physical Therapy Clinic, a student-led clinic at Widener Universi...

Background: The American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) recommends health related quality of life (HRQL) measurement with all cardiovascular and pulmonary patients. The current pattern of use of HRQL measurement among cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapists is unknown. Objective: The purpose of this...

To compare the effectiveness of a short-term leg-strengthening exercise program with that of attentional control on improving strength, walking abilities, and function 1 year after hip fracture. Randomized controlled pilot study. Patients' homes. Community-dwelling older adults (n=26) 6 months after hip fracture at baseline. Exercise and control pa...

Women in early postmenopause and with low bone mineral density (BMD) may exhibit early markers for physical frailty as a result of sarcopenia and osteopenia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether women in early postmenopause and with low BMD exhibit decreased physical performance and differences in gait variability and fall and fractur...

The majority of older people who survive a hip fracture have residual mobility disabilities. Any attempt to systematically reduce mobility disabilities after hip fracture, however, requires knowledge of the adequacy of current management practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to begin to understand the nature of physical therapy home c...

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Older subjects after hip fracture walk more slowly than age-matched peers. The extent to which they walk more slowly is difficult to define because the standard error of the measure (SEM), sensitivity to change, and clinically important change have not been reported for gait speed. The purposes of this study were to quantify the SEM for habitual an...

Background and Purpose. Older subjects after hip fracture walk more slowly than age-matched peers. The extent to which they walk more slowly is difficult to define because the standard error of the measure (SEM), sensitivity to change, and clinically important change have not been reported for gait speed. The purposes of this study were to quantify...

Achtergrond en doel. De meeste mensen die een heupfractuur oplopen, zijn een jaar na de operatie niet terug op hun functionele niveau van voor de fractuur. De literatuur die de interventies beschrijft maakt echter geen gewag van het gebruik van klassieke overload- en specificiteitsprincipes. Het doel van dit casusrapport is het beschrijven van de t...

Osteoporosis, a common disease in postmenopausal women and the elderly, is associated with decreases in bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures. As weight-bearing activity such as walking has the potential to maintain or increase BMD, I sought in this meta-analysis to mathematically consolidate research on the effects of walking interventions on B...

The majority of patients after a hip fracture do not return to prefracture functional status. Depression has been shown to affect recovery. Although exercise can reduce impairments, access issues limit elderly people from participating in facility-based programs. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effects and feasibility of a ho...

Most patients with hip fracture do not return to prefracture functional status 1 year after surgery. The literature describing interventions, however, does not use classic overload and specificity principles. The purpose of this case report is to describe the use of resistance training to improve functional outcomes in a patient following hip fract...

Thesis (M.S. Physical therapy)--Columbia University, 1996. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-83).