Impairment-Based Stroke Intervention
Stroke is the leading cause of disability in America. Therapists play a vital role in reducing, or even eliminating, disability resulting from stroke. However, therapists are increasingly pressured to produce better outcomes in a shorter period of time, often with less staff support. The results are generic treatment plans, traditional supine therapeutic exercise prescription, and range of motion or seated group activities. All of these fail to address the impairments keeping the patient from having success in functional life activities. To reduce disability, therapists must be able to improve functional mobility in activities such as transferring, walking, dressing, and bathing through better assessment and treatment planning. For maximal recovery in stroke patients, you must be able to accurately determine each patient's specific impairments that are limiting function. From this, you can develop precise, customized treatment plans that prioritize the impairments and reduce disability quickly and effectively.

In this one-day seminar, you will expand your intervention "toolbox" by learning to create effective treatments that directly reduce functional limitations for any level of stroke patient, from acute care to community re-entry. This is accomplished without expensive equipment, time-consuming protocols, or labor-intensive techniques. Normal movement requirements are reviewed, which better equip you to efficiently and accurately identify the impairments that are causing dysfunction. Treatment interventions are developed based on motor control and learning principles aimed at integrating cognition, motor ability, and the environment for maximal carryover to functional task performance. An extensive review of treatments to reduce commonly seen impairments is accomplished through lab work, demonstration, and video analysis, and provided in written form for take-home use. Those with the largest "toolbox" of treatment interventions are best equipped to meet the needs of the patient and can do so independent of time restraints, staffing demands, and equipment limitations. Expand your treatment toolbox in this fun, stimulating one-day course.

Course Content

FRAMEWORK FOR CLINICAL DECISION MAKING

u          Nagi model of disablement

u          Importance of impairments

u          Differences between single and multi-system impairment

u          Hypothesize, test, and prioritize potential impairments limiting function

NORMAL MOVEMENT—WITH LAB

u          Commonly impaired functional tasks

            -           transfers

            -           gait

            -           ADLs

u          Range of motion requirements for normal movement

u          Strength and motor control requirements for normal movement

COMMON IMPAIRMENTS/DYSFUNCTION FOLLOWING STROKE (WITH VIDEO ANALYSIS)

u          Lateral weight shifts

u          Limited quadriceps recruitment/sustained contractions

u          Limited glutegluteus maximus/medius recruitment/sustained contractions

u          Poor anterior weight translations in closed chain tasks

u          Limited scapular stabilization

u          Limited postural control

MOTOR CONTROL, MOTOR LEARNING PRINCIPLES, AND TREATMENT APPLICATION

u          Performance vs. learning

u          Impact of feedback on learning

u          Setting up practice sessions for maximal learning

DEVELOPING TREATMENT INTERVENTIONS FROM IDENTIFIED IMPAIRMENTS—LAB

u          Creating interventions based on commonly seen impairments

u          Progressing interventions for continued benefits

u          Creating effective home exercise programs