OT’s – Strategies for Patients with TBI

 

People experiencing sensory issues can benefit from coping techniques

 

 

 

We would like to share this article from Advance Magazine

http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Features/Articles/Strategies-for-Patients-with-TBI.aspx

“Patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) face many obstacles on their road to recovery. Dealing with sensory issues is just one of many issues, but it’s a big hurdle to overcome. Having sensory issues means a patient could have various problems, from not being able to tweeze their eyebrows or put on makeup to not being able to tolerate a grocery store trip, dining at a restaurant, or sitting in a crowded waiting room”.

Education Resources CEU Course:

Vestibular and Balance Rehabilitation In Post Concussion Syndrome

Gaye Cronin

February 22-23, 2014 – New Brunswick, NJ
September 27-28, 2014 – TBA
November 21-22, 2014 – White Plains, NY

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Making the Case for Respiratory Muscle Training in Routine Physical Therapy Practice

 

The reported clinical benefits of respiratory muscle training include improved pressure generation by the respiratory muscles, reduced dyspnea, increased functional activity and endurance, and heightened athletic performance. However, respiratory muscle training has not yet been widely adopted into routine physical therapy practice.  Many patients have disuse atrophy from a variety of causes such as COPD, MS, peripheral nerve injuries, SCI, prolonged bed rest, or being on prolonged mechanical ventilation.

How do we determine which patients may benefit from respiratory muscle training, and how do we characterize the essential components of an exercise prescription designed to improve the performance of the inspiratory and expiratory muscles?

We do know that reversing respiratory muscle weakness and fatigue can improve patient outcomes, function and subsequent quality of life.

On the one hand, do we have evidence for this type of physical therapy? On the other hand, why would strengthening these muscles be any different from the other muscle strengthening and endurance training we do? 

Clinicians: What types of exercise and at what frequency is best? What clinical signs do you monitor when performing your therapy? Does strength come back along with endurance to reduce the perception of dyspnea or do you see one before the other? How do you gauge progress?

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Physical Therapist is Seeking your Thoughts and Experiences on Intervention for Acute Concussions

DEAR ERI COMMUNITY

Pamela Posts:

Hi
My clinic has been hearing that doctors are referring patients with concussions for physical therapy. Is anyone out there doing rehab for concussions that is not just following a return to play per impact? I know PTs work with patients who develop post concussion syndrome but what is being done by PTs to rehabilitate concussions in the acute stages?
Thanks!

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PTA's, are you looking for a CEU course?

Ellen Hillegass[/caption]

Mobilizing the Medically Complex ICU and Acute Care Patient
with Ellen Hillegass 

Therapists are often challenged when presented with complex acute care patients who may have cardiovascular and/or pulmonary dysfunction or complications in addition to other medical conditions. Mobilizing these complex patients safely requires integration of the implications of lab values, diagnostic test results, patient history, medications and equipment. Signs of patient instability and when and how to modify or terminate treatment will be discussed. This course provides therapists with the knowledge, problem solving skills, and all the red flags for assessing mobility as well as the tools to develop safe and appropriate intervention programs for patients in acute care no matter their diagnosis.

This course is designed for PT’s OT’s SLPs and Assistants working with acute care patients in all practice settings

January 17-18, 2014 – San Antonio, TX
May 3-4, 2014 – Staten Island, NY
September 12-13, 2014 – Portsmouth, NH

Please click here for course details, a brochure or to register

“Instructor is a real teacher and a clinician, not just a presentor or speaker.” – Physical Therapist

“Ellen is very informative and easy to listen to. Thank you!” – Physical Therapist Assistant

“Presentor was great and easy to approach. Spends one-on-one time with participants.” – Occupational Therapist

“Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! What a wonderful course for the acute care therapist! This course covers so many of the areas in which I or other therapists in my department have had questions. I would recommend this course for all acute care therapists no matter the number of years of experience!” – Physical Therapis

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Obtaining Physician Orders for PT services in School Systems?

Distinguished ERI Faculty Member, Debra Dickson asks a question of school therapists:

DEAR ERI COMMUNITY: We have a question regarding physician orders for PT services for children in school systems. Here in CT we are able to do 8 visits and then are required to obtain a script. We have 2 questions:
1. Is the same required when seeing a child in a school setting? Are school guidelines different? We have been unsuccessful in getting an answer from the State Board.
2. We have always gotten them, however, lately we have been servicing a school where parents do not show up for meetings and we have been unable to obtain a script or even a release of information so we can obtain a script ourselves. Has anyone else had this difficulty and do you stop seeing a child when the school team has recommended services? It seems we are in a legal dilemma as the IEP document is a legal document that must be fulfilled yet legally we are required to have the paperwork from the physician to fulfill those services. How have others handled this?

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