Biomedical subjects
P G Bjørholt
Publications and source records attributed to P G Bjørholt.
[Physical functional level and chronic back pain. Methods for an objective assessment as a part of diagnosis and treatment].
Low back pain is a benign situation which affects 50 to 80% of all people in the course of their lives. Usually it heals within some weeks. The few who do not get better within some months are in serious danger of ending up in a human, social and medical impasse. In this respect, ordinary clinical examination methods are of limited value. Functional examination is a very important tool both clinically and from the aspect of health insurance. Work physiological function measurements give possibilities of comparing the information on patients with normative data. They also establish a basis for quality control after treatment. The purpose of this article is to describe measurement methods to assess the level of physical function of persons with chronic back pain. The criteria for choosing the methods of examination are also discussed.
[Special teachers of physical exercise. A professional group with sufficient competence in rehabilitation].
This article presents a group of professionals outside the traditional health profession field; special teachers in physical education. Their background and education are described, and their potential contributions to medical rehabilitation are discussed. The authors conclude that these teachers possess competence that is needed at many levels of rehabilitation.
Complications that may occur in those with spinal cord injuries who participate in sport.
The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of developing complications in paraplegics taking part in sport. It is a retrospective study of patients with complete spinal cord injury at the spinal level of C7--cauda equina/conus injury, and consists of 61 patients admitted to the Beitostølen Healthsportcenter, Norway. All of them had achieved satisfactory bladder/bowel function. The wheelchair dependents were all skilled in the use of the wheelchair. They participated in a training programme with an average duration of 25 days. Different activities were tried, such as weight-lifting, pulking, swimming, volleyball, calisthenics in a group, horseback-riding, archery, tabletennis, canoeing, totalling 11 955 training hours. During the training period the following complications were observed: urinary tract infections, pressure sores, and sprains and strains. There were 30 complications, most of them only of minor type. The incidence of complications, expressed as number of complications/1000 training-hours was, for urinary tract infections--0,50, pressure sores 0,42, sprains/strains 1,33, others 0,25: in all 2,51. Sprains and strains were the most common complications, accounting for about 55 per cent of the total, all of which were successfully treated before discharge. Sport activities are an important part of the rehabilitation of the spinal cord injured and the risk of serious complications appears to be low.
[Beitostølen health sports center].
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Physical activity in the treatment of inflammatory rheumatic disorders.
A search of the literature in this area shows that there is little national or international documentation available on the effect of physical activity on the development of disease in inflammatory rheumatic disorders. Low capacity for physical work has been demonstrated and is based on poor circulation and reduced muscle strength in rheumatism: several studies from Norway and elsewhere have documented the value of physical training, especially in improving the rheumatic patient's physical condition (1--2, 8). No investigations have been able to document any arrest of progress of the disease, but physical training seems to be able to maintain existing joint function and also to some extent prevent progressive deterioration in condition. There is therefore no disagreement about the significance of physiotherapy, but the intensity and duration of training are more controversial.
[Physical activity in the treatment of inflammatory rheumatic diseases].
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[Physical training after myocardial infarction].
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[Physical training in Bechterew's disease].
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Leisure time habits and physical fitness in adults with epilepsy.
By means of a questionnaire, we analyzed leisure time habits of 44 adult in-patients with active epilepsy (i.e., at least one seizure a month for the last year). Twelve patients had a generalized epilepsy and 32 a partial epilepsy. All received antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and none had additional handicaps. Despite good facilities in their surroundings for participation in social, cultural, and physical activities, most patients lived a sedentary life. Social contact was limited, and they were only half as active physically as the average Norwegian population of comparable age and sex. Work capacity was tested as maximum oxygen uptake, using the bicycle ergometer test. Maximum oxygen uptake was considerably lower (75-80%), and the decrease observed in aerobic capacity with increasing age was more pronounced than that of the average Norwegian population. In comprehensive care of patients with epilepsy, we believe that prescription of adapted physical activity is an important means of improving quality of life.
Effect of physical training on aerobic capacity, seizure occurrence, and serum level of antiepileptic drugs in adults with epilepsy.
Twenty-one adult in-patients (11 women, 10 men, aged 18-39 years) with uncontrolled epilepsy participated in a 4-week intensive physical training program, exercising for at least 45 min three times a day, 6 days a week, at an intensity of minimum 60% of maximum oxygen uptake (maximum VO2). The program induced a considerable increase in maximum VO2 (mean 19%). Beneficial psychological and social effects were also recorded. The average seizure frequency during the 4-week exercise period was compared with 2 preexercise and 2 postexercise weeks. There was no significant difference, but there was considerable variation among patients. Only six patients had seizures during exercise. The occurrence had no relation to seizure type, mode of activity, or pulse rate. We conclude that physical activity does not represent an important seizure-inducing factor in general, and that in most people with epilepsy physical training appears to have a favorable influence. The exact mechanism behind this influence is not known, but physiologic as well as psychological and social effects may be of importance. Physical training did not change the serum levels of the antiepileptic drugs to a clinically important degree.