Man Ther. 2000 Nov; 5(4): 234-42.

A newly developed spinal simulator.

Chester R, Watson MJ.

School of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. r.chester@uea.ac.uk

A number of studies indicate poor intra-therapist and inter-therapist reliability in the performance of graded, passive oscillatory movements to the lumbar spine. However, it has been suggested that therapists can be trained to be more consistent in their performance of these techniques if given reliable quantitative feedback. The intention of this study was to develop equipment, analogous to the lumbar spine that could be used for both teaching and research purposes. Equipment has been updated and connected to a personal IBM compatible computer. Custom designed software allows concurrent and accurate feedback to students on their performance and in a form suitable for advanced data analysis using statistical packages. The uses and implications of this equipment are discussed.Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.