The South A fric a n J o u r n a l o f PHYSIOTHERAPY D ie S u id -A frik a a n se T y d sk rif FISIOTERAPIE FEBRUARY 1986 E D IT O R : Miss L. M. Davids VOLUME 42 NO. 1 E D IT O R IA L B O A R D : Mrs. J. A. C. Gilder Mr. P. Gounden Miss S. H. Irwin-Carruthers Miss T. H. A. Kolobe In d e x e d in BLDOC Mrs. A. Stewart Mrs. P. Versfeld CONTENTS In fo rm atio n S o u rc e s in ■ P h y s io th e ra p y S. F. R o s s o u w ............................... 5 P re s en tin g R e s e a rc h in a S c ie n tific A rtic le — Jo. M . B a rn e s ................................. 1 0 S a m p lin g B ias in P h y s io th e ra p y R e s e a rc h — J. A. H e n d r y ...................................... 1 6 H e a d lo a d in g in A fric a : P re lim in a ry Findings on th e L o c o m o to r Effects of O c c u p a tio n a l H e a d lo a d C a rria g e — J. C h a rte ris , P. A. S c o tt, J. C. W all .......................................................... 19 E d u catio n a n d R e s e a rc h .............. 2 5 News of Courses and Congresses . . . 24 Correspondence ................................ ...27 Professional A d ve rtise m e n ts............. ...28 Book R e v ie w s ...................................... ...30 ^Official organ o f th e South A frican Society o f P hysiotherapy. Published quarterly by the Publications D ivisio n o f th e Medical A ssociation o f South A frica on behalf o f th e SA SP A ll correspondence to be addressed to the Editor, SA Journal o f P hysiotherapy, Private Bag X I , Pinelands 7430 T he S .A .S .P . does n o t assum e any responsibility fo r statem ents m ade in the J o u rn a l, n o r are th e views expressed in co rrespondence p u b lis h e d n e c e s s a ril y th o s e o f th e S .A .S .P . EDITORIAL M o st o f this issue is d e v o te d to th e su b ject o f research. T h e S h o rte r O x fo rd D ic tio n a ry defines research as “an in v e stig a tio n d ire c te d to th e disco v ery o f som e fa c t by carefu l stu d y o f a su bject; a co u rse o f critic a l o r scientific in q u iry ”. 1 T h e large m a jo rity o f clinical p h y sio th e ra p ists regard them selves as “d o e r s ”. R e se a rc h is n o t re g a rd e d as a p a rt o f th e ir w o rk — it is d o n e by th e academ ics in the u n iv ersity d e p a rtm e n ts . T h e tre a tm e n t o f p a tie n ts is o f p rim e im p o rta n c e . T h e u n d e rg ra d u a te p ro je c t is th e first an d usu ally la st c o n ta c t th ey m ak e w ith “ re s e a rc h ”. A fter all one is p aid to tre a t patien ts! In h o sp ita l p ractice, th e p h y sio th e ra p ist is classified as a tec h n ic ia n . I f y o u are only a “d o e r ”, this is ex actly w h at y o u are. T h e fa c t th a t y o u ac c e p t re sp o n sib ility fo r the p a tie n ts ’ tre a tm e n t, is beside th e p o in t. P h y sio th e ra p ists m u st th in k as well as do. R e se a rc h is “ a co u rse o f critica l o r scie n tific in q u iry ”. A re y o u c ritic a l o f a c c ep ted tre a tm e n ts? D o they really w o rk ? I f so, why? I f n o t, w hy n o t? W h a t c a n be d o n e to im p ro v e th e effectiveness o f a te c h n iq u e ? Y ou have a tre m e n d o u s a d v a n ta g e over m o st o f th e acad em ic sta ff because y o u see so m a n y p a tie n ts. Y o u c an see w h eth er a tre a tm e n t regim en is effective o r n o t. R u n a clinical trial to p ro v e th e v a lid ity o f w h a t y o u are d o in g . T his will increase y o u r c o m m itm en t to the w o rk as well as im proving th e sta tu s o f th e pro fessio n . T h e articles in this issue sh o u ld give som e assistance to an y o n e w a n tin g to s ta r t a re se a rc h p ro je c t. D r. R o s s o u w ’s a rticle o n in fo rm a tio n sources in ab so lu te ly b asic to any a tte m p t a t research. Y ou m u st be a u f a i t w ith th e m o st re c e n t w o rk in y o u r field. D u p lic a tio n o f w o rk is a w aste o f tim e. O th e r p e o p le ’s ideas m ay stim u la te y o u to fu rth e r stu d y o r to go o ff in a n a lto g e th e r d iffe re n t d irectio n . T h e a rtic le o n “ b ia s ” gives y o u so m e id e a o f th e pitfalls o f se ttin g up a clinical tria l. A n d o f c o u rse th e w o rk m u st ev en tu ally be w ritten up . M rs. B a rn e s’ article is a very R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. ) 4 F is io te ra p ie , F e b ru a rie 1 9 8 6 , d e e l 4 2 n o 1 clear e x p o sitio n o f how to w rite a b o u t y o u r project. D o n o t be in tim id a te d by th e very th o u g h t o f “re se a rc h ”. M o st o f th e m o v em en t tech n iq u es in use to d a y are the resu lt o f the p h y sio th e ra p ist ask in g h erself w hat she was d o in g and w hy it w orked. Be critical o f w h at you do. Very few p h y sio th e ra p y techniques have had th e ir effective ness a d e q u a te ly tested. Alw ays be read y to q uery the facts. Y ou have an in terestin g tim e ah ead o f you. L. M. D avids References I. Onions CT. ed. The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, ]973. SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY OF PHYSIOTHERAPY P.O. Box 47238, Parklands, Johannesburg 2121 Telephone 646-5098 President M R S. K. M. LEVY Honorary Life President P R O F . J. J. C R A IG Honorary Vice-Presidents D R . J. DE BEER P R O F . J. C. DE V IL LIER S P R O F . J. G EA R P R O F . G. J. P IS T O R IU S P R O F . H. P. W A S SE R M A N Honorary Life Vice-Presidents M ISS LOIS DYER M ISS JE A N BLA IR M R . A. R O T H B E R G Chairman P R O F . J. C. B E E N H A K K E R Immediate Past Chairman M R S. A. M A T H IA S Vice-Chairman M ISS S. H. IR W 1N -C A R R U T H E R S M RS. J. M O R TO N General Secretary: Miss E. M. Botting, P.O. Box 47238, Parklands, Johannesburg 2121. General Treasurer: Mrs. B. J. Victor Journal Editor: Miss L. M. Davids, c /o Publications Division, MASA, Private Bag X I, Pinelands, 7430. National Executive Committee: Mrs. R. Bernstein, Mrs. M. J. L. Butler, Mrs. F. M. G lauber, Mrs. J. A. C. G ilder, Mrs. S. D. H ansen, Mrs. M. E. Klemp, Ms. T. H. A. Kolobe. Appointments Information Secretary: Miss P. Blake, South A frican Society of Physiotherapy, P.O. Box 47238, P ark lands, Johannesburg 2121 SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 1986 A. M E M B E R S All categories of members: Enquiries: Gen. Secretary, P.O. Box 47238 P a ftla n d s 2121. B. N O N -M E M B E R S Surface m ail R20,00 p.a. A irm ail rates on request Enquiries: C irculation M anager, S.A .S.P. Journal, Private Bag X I, Pinelands 7430. C. SIN G L E C O P IE S — R5,50 Enquiries: C irculation M anager, S.A .S.P. Journal, Private Bag X I, Pinelands 7430. (The above am ounts include tax) SO U T H A F R IC A N SOCIETY OF P H Y SIO T H E R A P Y SP E C IA L IN T E R E ST G R O U P S SE C R E T A R IE S Lecturer’s Group: M s L. K ra u s, P h y sio th e ra p y D e p a rt m en t, U n iv ersity o f the O .F .S ., P .O . B ox 339, B lo em fo n tein 9300. M anipulative T herapists’ Group: M s T. M a c n a ir, P.O . B ox 93059, Y eoville 2143 Jo h a n n e s b u rg . N ational H osp ital Group: M s P. D u k e , P h y sio th e ra p y D e p a rtm e n t, J o h a n n e s b u rg H o sp ita l, P riv a te B ag X39, J o h a n n e s b u rg 2000. Obstetric A ssociation: M rs L. H ack , 519 L u k as S treet, L u k a sra n d , P r e to r ia 0181. Private Practitioners Association: Miss D. Fischer, P.O. Box 3777, K em pton P ark 1620. BRANCH SECRETARIES Border: Mrs. P. M orar, P.O. Box 1419, East L ondon 5200. Eastern Province: Mrs. M. J. L. Butler, 6 Ju tla n d Crescent, Park Drive, Port Elizabeth 6001. Goldfields: Mrs. M. L. Bagley, P.O. Box 1515, Welkom 9460. Natal Coastal: Miss C. Cole, P.O. Box 4543. Durban 4000. Natal Midlands: Mrs. J. G ush, 25 Fettes R oad, Pieterm aritz burg 3201. Northern Cape: Mrs. E. D. Olivier, 10 Vermaas Ave., Linde, Kimberley 8301. Northern Transvaal: Miss D. A. Serfontein, P.O. Box 27804, Sunnyside, Pretoria 0132. S.O.F.S.: Mrs. T. van Rooijen, 20 van der Linde Ave., Fichardt Park, Bloemfontein 9322. ' Southern Transvaal: Mrs. H. M. Jo u g h in , 14 Kerry R oad, Parkview, Johannesburg 2193. Western Province: Mrs. D. Basson, 14 L ondon R oad, O bservatory 7925. R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )