The Development and Social Acknowledgment of Rehabilitation Medicine in Japan…Kyozo YONEMOTO 763

The History of Education and Research of Rehabilitation Medicine in Japan : A Message from Dr. Frank Krusen…Naoichi CHINO 768

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A Survey of the Backgrounds of Physiatrists in Japan: An Outline…Satoru SAEKI 774

Analysis I: Working Conditions of Physiatrists…Motohiko TAKAHASHI 776

Analysis II: Relationship with different Specialist and their Effect on Physiatrists…Yasuyuki MATSUSHIMA 778

Prediction of Supply and Demand of Physiatrists in Japan…Izumi KONDO, Satoru SAEKI 781

Backgrounds of Female Physiatrists…Miki OOGUSHI, Toyoko ASAMI, Junko FUJITANI, Kazuyo OGUCHI, Takayo CHUMA, Shiho TOYOOKA 785

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Objective : To demonstrate the importance of physical motor function using the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) and three-dimensional motion analysis in Parkinson's disease rehabilitation strategies. Participants : Seventeen inpatients with Parkinson's disease. Intervention : Physical training to improve joint mobility, muscle strength and muscle stretch to increase physical capacity was conducted for about four weeks. Results: The mean total scores of UPDRS significantly decreased from 37.9±13.2 (before training) to 27.3±11.2 (after training). The ADL scores of the UPDRS decreased from 12.4±6.9 (before training) to 9.5±6.3 (after training). The motor scores decreased from 22.5±7.5 to 15.3±6.5. Furthermore, muscle rigidity and akinesia, two key Parkinson symptoms, were improved as shown by assessment of the UPDRS motor scores. And physical function of the trunk, and upper and lower extremities was also improved. Finally, the increment of stride length and walking velocity and range of motion (ROM) at the hip and pelvic joints were observed by assessment of three-dimensional motion analysis. Conclusion : This study suggests that improvement of Parkinson symptoms and increment of ROM at the pelvic and lower limbs by physical training may improve stride length and walking velocity.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of gastrointestinal complications and intestinal stasis after a videofluoroscopic examination of swallowing. Of 121 inpatients who underwent videofluoroscopic examinations from October 2008 to March 2009 and September to October 2009, we analyzed 33 patients who underwent abdominal X-ray four days after their videofluoroscopic examination. Six of 33 patients (18.2%) suffered gastrointestinal symptoms. Three patients had diarrhea, two had vomiting, and one had abdominal distention. The incidence of gastrointestinal complications after videofluoroscopic examination was estimated to be two of 33 patients (6.1%) because we assumed that two of the six patients' condition was related to their videofluoroscopic examination and that the other four were related to other factors. One of two patients with a poor general condition developed pneumonia after vomiting. There was no relationship between the incidence of gastrointestinal complications and the patient's background. Intestinal stasis as detected by X-ray was identified in 25 of 33 patients (75.8%). There was more barium sulfate intake in the patients who had intestinal stasis than the patients who had no intestinal stasis. There was no relationship between intestinal stasis and the incidence of gastrointestinal complications. Our findings suggest that the risk of gastrointestinal complications after videofluoroscopic examination is low except in patients with a poor general condition.

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