Alison Rushton qualified with a Graduate Diploma in Physiotherapy from the Middlesex Hospital School of Physiotherapy in 1987. She went on to specialise in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, and then to undertake further study to commence teaching full time in 1993. In support of her educational and manipulative physiotherapy focus, Alison completed an MSc in Manipulative Physiotherapy in 1997 and a Doctorate in Education in 2004. Alison has worked here at the University of Birmingham since 2001.

Alison's involvement in teaching, learning and supervision encompasses the subject areas of musculoskeletal physiotherapy, manipulative therapy, evidence based healthcare, clinical reasoning and education. Her involvement is focused to the postgraduate programmes, particularly teaching on the MSc Advanced Manipulative Physiotherapy programme and supervising doctoral research students.

Alison's background clinically is within the speciality of manipulative therapy. This has been developed throughout her time within education both through a masters degree and private practice. This aspect of Alison's work has been reflected in her previous involvement within the Manipulation Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (MACP) where she chaired the Committee for Education and Approval and was Vice Chair of the Executive Committee. She is now actively involved within the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) internationally as Chair of the Standards Committee.

Alison’s background in research reflects activity in two areas: musculoskeletal (particularly low back pain, spinal surgery and Whiplash Associated Disorder), and professional development in manipulative physiotherapy.

Alison has been awarded a fellowship of the MACP and Honorary membership of the OMT Espana Terapia Manual Ortopedica for her national and international contribution to the development of manipulative physiotherapy.

Teaching Programmes

• GEC 1
• BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
• Advanced Manipulative Physiotherapy MSc/PG Dip
• Advancing Practice MSc/PG Dip

Alison is interested in supervising doctoral research students in the following areas:

Musculoskeletal physiotherapy, particularly low back pain, lumbar spinal surgery, and Whiplash Associated Disorder

Professional development for musculoskeletal physiotherapists

Current PhD supervisions include:

Nerve characteristics in patients post whiplash injury

The effect of cervical manipulation on eye coordination

The effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on pain and function of patients with chronic low back pain

The effect of work-based facilitation in clinical reasoning on outcome in musculoskeletal physiotherapy (External Advisor)

If you are interesting in studying any of these subject areas please contact Alison on the contact details above, or for any general doctoral research enquiries, please email: dr@contacts.bham.ac.uk or call +44 (0)121 414 5005.

For a full list of available Doctoral Research opportunities, please visit our Doctoral Research programme listings.   

RESEARCH THEMES

Outcomes Research
Rehabilitation

RESEARCH ACTIVITY

Musculoskeletal focused research activity

Physiotherapy management post lumbar discectomy (PI): survey of current practice, systematic review and meta-analysis, and pilot work to inform multicentre RCT.

Systematic review of outcomes measures post lumbar discectomy / post lumbar fusion / post Whiplash Associated Disorder II (Co-Investigator).

Systematic review and meta-analysis of physiotherapy rehabilitation post lumbar fusion (PI).

Systematic review and meta-analysis of physiotherapy management of acute / chronic whiplash associated disorder II (PI).

Ultrasonography of nerve movement characteristics post Whiplash Associated Disorder II - series of student projects and PhD studentship at dissemination stage.

Professional Development focused research activity

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Research Priorities Project (Co-Investigator)

Lead author ‘international standard for screening the cervical region prior to orthopaedic manual therapy intervention’ (collaborators: Lisa Carlesso/Tim Flynn/Roger Kerry/Darren Rivett/Wayne Hing (international)).

• Chair of the Standards Committee of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT), responsible for maintaining international standards in manipulative physiotherapy
• Editorial Board, Manual Therapy journal
• Member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Research and Development Committee
• Reviewer of articles submitted for publication to the following journals: Physiotherapy, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, Medical Teacher, Medical Education
• Reviewer of research proposals submitted to the Manipulation Association of Chartered Physiotherapists, National Council for Osteopathic Research, NIHR HTA, RfPB, and EME programme proposals
• Reviewer of papers submitted for presentation at WCPT and IFOMPT conferences

Recent publications:

Rushton A, Eveleigh G, Petherick EJ, Heneghan N, Bennett R, James G, Wright C (2012). Physiotherapy rehabilitation following lumbar spinal fusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials, BMJ Open, 2:4 e000829 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-000829.

Luedtke K, Rushton A, Wright C, Geiss B, Juergens T, May A (2012). Transcranial direct current stimulation for the reduction of clinical and experimentally induced pain - a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Journal of Pain, 28(5):452-61. JIF 3.005.

Goldsmith R, Wright C, Bell SF, Rushton A (2012). Cold hyperalgesia as a prognostic  factor in Whiplash Associated Disorders: a systematic review, Manual Therapy, 17(5):402-10. JIF  1.686.

Rankin G, Rushton A, Olver P, Moore A (2012). Chartered Society of Physiotherapy’s identification of national research priorities for physiotherapy using a modified Delphi technique. Physiotherapy, 98(3):260–272. doi:10.1016/j.physio.2012.03.002. JIF 0.641.

Savva C, Rushton A, Karagiannis C (2012). Test-retest reliability of grip strength measurement in full  elbow extension to evaluate maximum grip strength. Journal of Hand Surgery: European Volume, Jun 19. [Epub ahead of print]. JIF 0.868.

Kyte D, Eveleigh G, Rushton A (2012). Myofascial Pain Referral: Pattern Recognition in the Upper Quadrant, International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 19(3): 144 – 152.

Bent N, Rushton A, Wright C, Batt M (2012). Distance Reached in the Anteromedial Reach Test as a Function of Learning and Leg Length, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 83(2):188-195. JIF 1.2.

Rushton A, Calvert M, Wright C, Freemantle N (2011). Physiotherapy trials for the 21^st century – time to raise the bar?  Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 104: 437-441. JIF 1.402.

Rushton A, Wright C, Goodwin P, Calvert M, Freemantle N (2011). Physiotherapy rehabilitation post first lumbar discectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Spine 36(14):E961-72. JIF 2.793.

Rushton A, Wright C, Heneghan N, Eveleigh G, Calvert M, Freemantle N (2011). Physiotherapy rehabilitation for Whiplash Associated Disorder II: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ Open 1:e000265.

Rushton A, Spencer S (2011). The Effects of Soft Tissue Mobilisation Techniques on Flexibility and Passive Resistance in the Hamstring Muscle-Tendon Unit: a pilot investigation. Manual Therapy. 16:161-166. JIF 1.686.

Burgess RM, Rushton A, Wright C, Daborn C (2011). The Validity and Accuracy of Clinical Diagnostic Tests Used to Detect Labral Pathology of the Hip: A Systematic Review. Manual Therapy 16(4):318-26. JIF 1.686.

Luedtke K, Rushton A, Wright C, Jeurgens TP, Mueller G, May A (2011). Effectiveness of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with chronic low back pain: protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal 12:290 doi:10.1186/1471-2474-12-290. JIF 1.94.

O’Conaire E, Rushton A, Wright C (2011). Assessment of vibration sense in a healthy population: a study to assess the inter-rater reliability and validity of the tuning fork, Manual Therapy 16(3):296-300. JIF 1.686.

Oliver G, Rushton A (2011). A study to explore the reliability and precision of intra and inter-rater measures of ULNT1 on an asymptomatic population, Manual Therapy. 16:203-206. JIF 1.686.

Rushton A (2011). An Exploration of the Construct of Masters Level Clinical Practice, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, Germany. ISBN 978-3-8443-1173-0.

Rushton A, Lindsay G (2010). Defining the construct of masters level clinical practice in manipulative physiotherapy, Manual Therapy, 15: 93-99. JIF 2.319.

Rushton A, Moore A (2010). International identification of research priorities for postgraduate theses in musculoskeletal physiotherapy using a modified Delphi technique, Manual Therapy, 15:142-148. JIF 2.319.