Professor Herbert’s research examines the mechanisms of contracture in human muscles using novel biomechanical methods. He also conducts epidemiological studies to quantify the prevalence and incidence of contracture, predict people who are most likely to develop contracture, and we conduct clinical trials to investigate the effectiveness of interventions designed to […]
“New study reveals the average height of Australian adults is 100 cm… …when measured with a metre stick.” While the flaw in this fictitious study is easy to address, selecting an appropriate measurement tool to capture something as complex as motor impairment is not so easy. Many health conditions […]
The personal health and economic burden of physical inactivity is receiving justifiably growing recognition. This burden may be greatest for the elderly where the gap between recommended levels of physical activity and actual activity is most pronounced. This gap was recently highlighted in a national analysis of Australian health (Australia’s […]
The case for ‘personalized medicine’ is promulgated more and more, but one difficulty is that what the term means is often unclear. To some it means no more than a personal appraisal by your local medical practitioner but to others it means the sequencing of your genome in whole or […]
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a disabling condition that causes motor impairment. It is common after wrist fracture. Little is known about the epidemiology of CRPS and there has been very little research into prevention and treatment of CRPS. We sought to (a) determine the incidence of CRPS, and […]
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are generally less active than the general population which may lead to deconditioning that further reduces functional abilities. Regular exercise is beneficial for managing many MS symptoms and reversing deconditioning due to inactivity (Dalgas U, Stenager E, Ingemann-Hansen 2008). However, persons with advanced MS may […]
Musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis, lower back pain and fibromyalgia are the most common causes for utilizing healthcare resources, and are amongst the world’s leading causes of chronic pain, disability and reduced health-related quality of life (Escorpizo et al, 2009). These conditions also account for approximately 7% of total disability […]
Inputs from specialised cutaneous and muscle afferents are crucial for tactile manipulation and accurate movement and postural control. Both sets of afferents project to the cerebral cortex and contribute to proprioceptive senses (e.g. Proske & Gandevia, 2012). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare the cortical activation produced by cutaneous […]
When we are touched on the skin, sensory receptors in that location fire and send a signal via nerves to the brain, but this is not enough to let us know where on our body the touch occurred. To decipher where the touch is on the body, the brain needs […]
People with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) often report fatigue and reduced capacity for walking as some of their most disabling symptoms (1-3). Indeed, fatigue is often reported after relatively short bouts of walking. However, the functional consequences of this fatigue are not well known. We were interested in how walking might […]
