MD · DNB
50 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Thesis Topics
Academic session 2026-2027 · 50 topics
This page lists 50 physical medicine and rehabilitation thesis topics for MD and DNB candidates in India for the 2026-2027 academic session. Rehabilitation is one of the few specialties where the outcome measure is the discipline itself: function, independence and participation are what the department treats, and validated instruments exist to measure all three.
The physical medicine and rehabilitation thesis topics below are built around those instruments applied at defined intervals. Coverage includes stroke rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, amputation and prosthetics, cerebral palsy and paediatric rehabilitation, musculoskeletal and low back pain, osteoarthritis, orthotics, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, disability assessment and caregiver burden.
Click any topic to open it in the protocol generator with the title already filled in.
- A cross-sectional study of the functional status of patients admitted for stroke rehabilitationGet protocol
- An observational study of functional recovery following stroke assessed by a validated independence measure at three monthsGet protocol
- A study of the determinants of functional outcome in patients undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitationGet protocol
- A comparative study of upper limb function between patients receiving two rehabilitation approaches after strokeGet protocol
- An observational study of shoulder pain and its determinants in patients with hemiplegiaGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of spasticity and its association with functional limitation after strokeGet protocol
- A study of swallowing difficulty and its assessment among patients admitted following strokeGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the demographic and injury profile of patients with spinal cord injuryGet protocol
- An observational study of functional outcome following rehabilitation in patients with spinal cord injuryGet protocol
- A study of pressure ulcer occurrence and its determinants among patients with spinal cord injuryGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of neurogenic bladder management and complications in spinal cord injuryGet protocol
- An observational study of quality of life among patients with spinal cord injury assessed by a validated instrumentGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the causes and level of limb amputation among patients attending a rehabilitation unitGet protocol
- An observational study of prosthetic fitting and functional outcome following lower limb amputationGet protocol
- A study of phantom limb pain and its determinants among patients following amputationGet protocol
- A comparative study of gait parameters between prosthetic users with different amputation levelsGet protocol
- An observational study of prosthesis abandonment and its reasons among amputeesGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the functional classification and associated impairments in children with cerebral palsyGet protocol
- An observational study of the outcome of a structured therapy programme in children with cerebral palsyGet protocol
- A study of caregiver burden among parents of children with cerebral palsyGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the developmental and functional profile of children attending a rehabilitation unitGet protocol
- An observational study of orthotic use and compliance among children with neuromuscular disordersGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the clinical profile and disability in patients presenting with low back painGet protocol
- An observational study of functional improvement following a structured exercise programme in chronic low back painGet protocol
- A comparative study of two conservative treatment approaches for chronic mechanical low back painGet protocol
- A study of the association between imaging findings and disability in patients with low back painGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of neck pain and its functional impact among adults attending a rehabilitation clinicGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of pain and functional limitation in patients with osteoarthritis of the kneeGet protocol
- An observational study of functional improvement following a supervised exercise programme in knee osteoarthritisGet protocol
- A comparative study of two knee orthoses on pain and function in osteoarthritisGet protocol
- A study of the clinical profile and functional status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis attending rehabilitationGet protocol
- An observational study of hand function and its determinants in patients with inflammatory arthritisGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the clinical profile of patients presenting with peripheral nerve injuryGet protocol
- An observational study of functional recovery following peripheral nerve injury over a defined periodGet protocol
- A study of electrodiagnostic findings and their correlation with clinical severity in entrapment neuropathyGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of shoulder pain and disability among patients attending a rehabilitation clinicGet protocol
- An observational study of the outcome of therapy in patients with adhesive capsulitisGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of exercise capacity in patients enrolled in a pulmonary rehabilitation programmeGet protocol
- An observational study of functional improvement following cardiac rehabilitation assessed by a walk testGet protocol
- A study of quality of life before and after a structured pulmonary rehabilitation programmeGet protocol
- A comparative study of exercise tolerance between patients with and without a supervised rehabilitation programmeGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the pattern of disability among patients attending a disability certification clinicGet protocol
- An observational study of the concordance between two disability assessment methodsGet protocol
- A study of the vocational status and return to work among patients following rehabilitationGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of accessibility barriers reported by persons with locomotor disabilityGet protocol
- An observational study of assistive device use and its determinants among persons with disabilityGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of caregiver burden among family members of patients undergoing rehabilitationGet protocol
- An observational study of psychological distress among patients with acquired physical disabilityGet protocol
- A study of adherence to home exercise programmes and its determinants following dischargeGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of quality of life among patients with chronic disability assessed by a validated instrumentGet protocol
Choosing a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation thesis topic
Which outcome measures are used in rehabilitation research?
Validated functional scales applied at fixed time points. The Functional Independence Measure and Barthel Index for independence, the Modified Rankin Scale for stroke, the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale for spinal cord injury, the Oswestry Disability Index for low back pain, and the Western Ontario and McMaster index for osteoarthritis are all standard. Specify the exact assessment intervals, because inconsistent timing makes rehabilitation data unusable.
How long should follow-up be in a rehabilitation thesis?
Three months captures most of the functional gain after stroke and after amputation fitting, and is realistically achievable. Six months gives a more complete picture but attrition rises steeply, particularly where patients travel from a distance or transfer to home-based care. Studies of chronic conditions such as low back pain or osteoarthritis can use shorter intervals of six to twelve weeks around a defined intervention.
Can a rehabilitation thesis evaluate a therapy programme?
Yes, and comparison between two accepted therapy protocols raises little ethical difficulty since both arms receive treatment. The practical risks are adherence and contamination: participants may not complete a home programme, and those in different arms may share exercises. The protocol should describe how adherence will be recorded and how the two groups will be kept separate during therapy sessions.
Thesis and protocol questions
How is a thesis topic different from a thesis protocol?
The topic is the title — the question a study sets out to answer, together with the population and the design. The protocol is the full document built around it: background, review of literature, aims and objectives, inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample size calculation, methodology, statistical plan, ethics considerations, consent documents and references. A topic is agreed with a guide first; the protocol is written afterwards and submitted to the institutional ethics committee.
When does a postgraduate thesis have to be submitted?
For most Indian postgraduate programmes the protocol is submitted within the first six months of joining, and the completed thesis is submitted at least six months before the final examination. Exact deadlines are set by the university, so the departmental circular for the current session takes precedence over any general timeline.
How is sample size decided for a postgraduate thesis?
Sample size follows from the primary objective, not the other way round. A prevalence study is powered from an expected proportion and an acceptable margin of error; a comparative study is powered from the expected difference between groups, the standard deviation, alpha and desired power. The figure should then be checked against the institution's actual case load for the study period, because a statistically ideal sample that cannot be recruited in the time available is not a workable plan.
Does a thesis topic need ethics committee approval?
Yes. Every postgraduate thesis involving human participants, human data or human samples requires clearance from the institutional ethics committee before data collection begins. Approval is granted on the protocol rather than on the title, and the submission usually includes the protocol, the participant information sheet and the consent form in English and in the local language.
What makes a topic realistic for a three-year postgraduate programme?
A workable topic can be completed at a single centre, with equipment and investigations that are already available in routine practice, within roughly eighteen months of data collection. Topics that depend on external funding, specialised assays, multicentre coordination or long follow-up tend to stall. Choosing a condition the department already sees in volume matters more than choosing a novel one.
Can a thesis be published as a research paper afterwards?
Yes, and it is generally expected. A thesis is usually condensed into a paper of around three to four thousand words, restructured into the standard introduction, methods, results and discussion format, with the review of literature shortened considerably. Journals differ in their requirements, and the ethics approval number from the original thesis is normally cited in the methods section.