Physicourses Neurology

Vestibular Rehab & Balance Training

Karen Hogan-Curran, PT, DPT

According to the Vestibular Disorders Association, over 90 million Americans age 17 and older, have experienced a dizziness or balance problem at some point in their lives. Almost 8 million people in the US have a problem with balance that has lasted over 3 months and 2.5 million report a chronic dizziness problem. With the large amount of baby boomers entering "retirement age", there is increased concern about falling. Most people over the age of 70 report some problem with dizziness and balance and balance-related falls account for more than one-half of the accidental deaths in the elderly. In addition, individuals with a diagnosed vestibular problem who also exhibit symptoms have an incidence of falling that is 12 times that of the general population. Overall, the cost of medical care for patients with balance disorders exceeds $1 billion per year in the US. Getting effective treatment is frequently complicated by the challenge of diagnosing the specific source of the problem and finding clinicians with the knowledge and experience to treat these problems.This interactive workshop will cover the anatomy, physiology and function of the vestibular system and the vestibular system's important role in balance and mobility. It is designed to give therapists and clinicians basic essential information needed to assess and treat uncomplicated vestibular dysfunction as well as incidence, diagnosis and treatment of balance related disorders. Attendees will learn the various types of...

Symptom-Based Evaluation & Management of Concussion

Join us in the discussion about management of concussion with a focus on assessment, treatment, and return to play, using a symptom-based model evaluating musculoskeletal, vestibulo-ocular, autonomic, cognitive and psychological systems. Learn how to identify factors that may predispose individuals to prolonged recovery and how to mitigate those risks in your patients.

Orthopedic Core Curriculum - Neurological Screen: Upper and Lower Quarter

This course is part of the Orthopedic Core Curriculum for rehabilitation professionals. The focus of this module is neurological screening for upper and lower quarter. You will learn: critical thinking during subjective examination of the patient; planning an effective objective examination; identification, assessment and risk factors for various body regions; reg flags and when medical referral to a physician is needed; differential diagnosis creation; development of a plan of care using a case-based approach; creation of collaborative goals that are achievable and meaningful to the patient.

Return to School and Sport Considerations for Concussion Rehabilitation

Lenore Herget, DPT, SCS, MEd, CSCS

Too often, a patient is seen after sustaining a concussion and given little to no guidance with regards to how to effectively and safely return to school and sport without excessive symptom provocation. These patients frequently show symptoms well beyond the typical timeline, as they have missed out on proper rehabilitation opportunities and potentially have developed secondary signs and symptoms related to prolonged removal from school and sport, such as psychosocial dysfunction and deconditioning. Rehabilitative clinicians now are involved with these patient's care from diagnosis to full recovery. This course will briefly address the multi-system involvement, not limited to oculomotor, vestibular, orthopaedic and cardiovascular, in the assessment and rehabilitation of the concussed athlete. The complexity of how each of these systems contributes to impairments and functional limitations will be reviewed. The most up to date research on evidence-based assessment tools will be presented as well as best practice tools for rehabilitation. This workshop will arm the clinician with tips to minimize symptoms in each domain to allow the student to return to school related activities earlier and minimize days lost from school. Additionally, the clinician will understand the importance of and instruction of a step wise progression of exercises from each individual system involved, to functional progressions of exercises, to eventual sport specific and non-contact sport related skills...

Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders

Catherine Lewan, PT, DPT

Historically, hypermobility has been underdiagnosed in children and adults, resulting in decreased efficacy of treatment, functional limitation and disability that can be frustrating for both patients and clinicians who do not have the specific tools necessary for identification and management of hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD.) It is estimated that 20% or more of the population is hypermobile, which is associated with musculoskeletal injury, proprioceptive deficits, and persistent pain; neurological anomalies and neuroimmune upregulation; visceral and cardiovascular dysfunction; gastrointestinal distress and decreased quality of life and functional capacity. Rehab specialists who take this intermediate-level workshop will be able to identify hypermobility spectrum disorders and associated comorbidities and initiate treatment strategies critical to improving functional outcomes. Participants will benefit from didactic learning as well as case studies and practicum that will be immediately applicable to a variety of patient populations and settings.Highlights Current terminology and diagnostic criteria for hypermobility spectrum disorders based on the 2017International Consortium Classification Effective strategies for improving functional outcomes in hypermobile patients

Differential Diagnosis of Headaches Post Concussion

Cristin Beazley, PT, DPT, CBIS

Concussion is a common injury that is often poorly identified and poorly managed. It can occur with a variety of mechanisms and affects all ages. These injuries can recover on their own but often (10-30%) of individuals will have persistent symptoms. There are a variety of symptoms that can be present after a concussive injury and often headache is one of the most common. Research has shown that individualized treatment results in the best outcomes secondary to the multiple systems that are impacted after these injuries.1 A challenge to concussion management is that none of the symptoms that are often reported are unique to the injury itself. It is essential that clinicians who work with client's post-concussion have a clear understanding of the variety of possible contributing factors to the symptom presentation so that they can create a targeted plan of intervention. This individualized plan and understanding will ensure optimal patient outcomes.This course will highlight the variety of physiological impairments and systems that can contribute to headache presentation. We will review differential diagnosis as well as targeted interventions to achieve optimal outcomes and patient recovery. The course will present a variety of strategies as well as case studies to help support differential diagnosis strategy. There will also be objective measures including questionnaires, assessments of the cervical spine, vestibular/oculomotor systems, and evaluation of the autonomic nervous...

Peripheral Nerve Entrapments

Paul Frizelle PT DPT, MS, OCS, MTC, AIB-VR, CSCS, PES, CES

The rehabilitation professional is the best positioned individual in the healthcare system to conservatively manage patients with entrapment neuropathies. This course will examine the potential for peripheral nerve entrapments to present in the rehabilitation setting. It will review the anatomy behind the peripheral nerve entrapment, how to identify them in the evaluation process, and how to effectively treat them for full return of function. Entrapment neuropathies are commonly encountered by rehabilitation professionals and are often overlooked as sources of pain and functional limitations. This course will improve your understanding of how to evaluate and identify common patterns for the clinical presentation of an entrapment neuropathy. Participants will learn how to immediately apply these strategies to improve their diagnostic and treatment skills for peripheral entrapment neuropathies. Attendees will be able to immediately take this information and apply it in their existing rehabilitation programs to improve the outcomes for their patients.Highlights Improve your ability to identify common peripheral nerve entrapments in the upper and lower extremity Entrapment neuropathies, manual therapy, and neural mobilization treatment strategies

Stroke Rehab in the Home and Outpatient Settings

Mary Vanesko MOT, OTR/L, CIMI, CPY and Katie O'Shea, PT, DPT, MBA, GCS, CDP

According to the CDC, stroke causes 1 of every 20 deaths in the United States, killing nearly 130,000 Americans each year. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in theUnited States. Despite the increase in technology, physical and occupational therapists are frequently called upon to collaboratively plan for post-acute care services. This course will focus on discipline-specific interventions in the inpatient home and outpatient setting as well as collaborative interdisciplinary approach to care, while minimizing duplication services. This course is aimed to provide a systematic approach to understanding the home and outpatient examination and implementation of plan of care for the patient who has suffered from a stroke. The attendees will take home specific strategies to provide comprehensive evaluations and focus on functional outcomes. Through interdisciplinary discussion and real-life case studies, attendees will make insightful and accurate recommendations for the next level of care.Highlights Implement an effective evaluation and treatment for the stroke patient in the home or out-patient setting Safely apply individualized interdisciplinary assessment and intervention in the home and outpatient setting with patients who have suffered from a strokeEffective recommendations for discharge plans from the home and outpatient settings, and referral to community services

Stroke Rehab in the Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting

Mary Vanesko, MOT, OTR/L, CIMI, CPY`s Katie O'Shea, PT, DPT, MBA, GCS, CDP

According to the CDC, stroke causes 1 of every 20 deaths in the United States, killing nearly 130,000 Americans each year. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in theUnited States. Despite the in-crease in technology, physical and occupational therapists are frequently called upon to collaboratively plan for post-acute care services. This course will focus on discipline-specific interventions in the inpatient rehab setting as well as collaborative interdisciplinary approaches to care, while minimizing duplication services. The goal for this course is to provide a systematic approach to understanding the inpatient rehab examination and implementation of POC for the patient who has suffered from a stroke. Attendees will take home specific strategies to provide comprehensive evaluations and focus on functional outcomes. Through interdisciplinary discussion and real-life case studies, attendees will make insightful and accurate recommendations for the next level of care.Highlights Implementing an effective evaluation and treatment for the patient by fully understanding the impact of stroke pathology in the rehab setting Safely apply individualized interdisciplinary assessment and intervention in the rehab setting with patients who have suffered from a stroke Promote safe and effective disposition recommendations and discharge plans from the post-acute setting in complicated cases

Stroke Rehab in the Acute Care Setting

According to the CDC, stroke causes 1 of every 20 deaths in the United States, killing nearly 130,000 Americans each year. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in theUnited States. Despite the increase in technology, physical and occupational therapists are frequently called upon to collaboratively plan for post-acute care services. This course will focus on discipline-specific interventions in the acute caresetting as well as collaborative interdisciplinary approach to care, while minimizing duplication of services. This course is aimed to provide a systematic approach to understanding the acute care examination and implementation of POC for the patient who has suffered from a stroke. The attendees will take home specific strategies to provide comprehensive evaluations and focus on functional outcomes. Through interdisciplinary discussion and real-life case studies, attendees will make insightful and accurate recommendations for the next level of care.Highlights Pathology of different types of strokes to implement an effective evaluation and treatment for the patientSafely apply individualized interdisciplinary assessment and intervention in the acute care setting with patients who have suffered from a stroke Promote safe and effective disposition recommendations and discharge plans from the acute care setting in complicated cases