Editorial: Medline success complements research dissemination and reach

Article Outline

• References
• Copyright

I am pleased to announce that Physical Therapy in Sport has now been accepted by the National Library of Medicine for indexing in Medline. This marks a significant point in time for any journal's development and adds to the dissemination and reach of published papers. A specific point to be celebrated in this success is that Physical Therapy in Sport becomes one of the very few journals that focuses on sports physical therapy to be accepted by Medline.

Whilst electronic publishing has transformed the availability of published papers, having papers available through targeted indexing services ensures that the insights, evidence, and discoveries that stem from research reach the audience who can best use it. Whilst any journal takes the time to celebrate such developmental milestones, we need to also view our recent Medline success as complementary to the already significant reach of Physical Therapy in Sport. The journal is indexed, abstracted, and/or published online in a range of media including EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, CINAHL, PEDro, SMART, SIRC Sport Discus, Thomson Scientific SciSearch^©, Thomson Scientific Focus on Sport Science & Medicine^©, Science Citation Index Expanded, CSA Physical Education Index, CISTI, AMED, EMCare, and of course ScienceDirect and Scopus.

It is noteworthy to look at changes prompted by an online access environment. In 2008, more than 7000 full-text articles from Physical Therapy in Sport were downloaded from ScienceDirect each month. With this reflecting a 72% increase from 2006, it is likely that article downloads in 2009 and beyond will also rise steeply. I would like to highlight the journal's top 5 downloads:

These top downloads reflect the breadth of material that the journal has been publishing in its first nine volumes. What stands out is a very strong practical and clinical focus of these papers, which is reflective of the readership of the journal. With the ability for such clinically important papers to now be further disseminated through the addition of Medline indexing the physical therapy profession can only benefit.

This issue of Physical Therapy in Sport includes a range of original research papers and a letter to the editor and author reply. The issue leads with a paper by Kathleen Pantano from Cleveland State University in the US. This paper reports on research presented at the 2007 International WCPT Congress and investigates the strategies used by physical therapists for the treatment and prevention of the female athlete triad. A strong case is made for the role of physical therapists in detecting, managing, and preventing this increasingly common condition. Sae Young Lee and colleagues from the University of Virginia and University of Kentucky in the US report on a meta-analysis of the use of orthoses to improve pain and function in plantar fasciitis. Whilst very few studies have addressed this topic, there does appear to be benefit from the use of foot orthoses in this condition. In the next paper, Dominic Micklewright from the University of Essex in the UK examined the effect of soft tissue release on delayed onset muscle soreness. It was concluded that the intervention did not improve rate of recovery from delayed onset muscle soreness over the first 48h. In another paper from the UK, Carron Manning and Zoë Hudson compared hip joint range of motion in footballers and matched controls with a predominant focus of early joint degenerative changes. In the last of our original research papers, Andrew Miller and Robin Callister from the University of Newcastle in Australia demonstrated the reliability of some musculoskeletal screening tests for the lower limb. Once again, a comprehensive collection of papers with a strong clinical focus is presented for our readers.

As I celebrate our Medline indexing success, I admit to a tinge of personal sadness in writing my last Editorial for Physical Therapy in Sport. After nearly 10 years of involvement with the journal, and as we enter out 10th volume, I have now stepped down from the Co-Editor's role, and leave the journal in the highly competent hands of Dr Zoë Hudson. I have thoroughly enjoyed developing the journal over the years and working with many authors, reviewers, editorial committee members, and international advisory board members from around the world. It is this large group of people that have made the journal the success that it is today.

Back to Article Outline

References 

1. Cochrane DJ. Alternating hot and cold water immersion for athlete recovery: a review. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2004;5:26–32
   • View In Article
2. Herrington L, McCulloch R. The role of eccentric training in the management of Achilles tendinopathy: a pilot study. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2007;8:191–196
   • View In Article
3. Nee RJ, Butler D. Management of peripheral neuropathic pain: integrating neurobiology, neurodynamics, and clinical evidence. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2006;7:36–49
   • View In Article
4. Risberg MA, Lewek M, Snyder-Mackler L. A systematic review of evidence for anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation: how much and what type. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2004;5:125–145
   • View In Article
5. Roig Pull M, Ranson C. Eccentric muscle actions: implications for injury prevention and rehabilitation. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2007;8:88–97
   • View In Article