Course Description:

Recently the opioid epidemic was declared a public health emergency. This has set off a ripple effect throughout all of healthcare as all disciplines are being challenged to adopt a better approach to pain management. One implication of these developments is an emphasis on a more holistic, multi-disciplinary approach and a new emphasis on non-pharmacological means of managing pain. This course looks at evidence-based interventions and best practices for...

Course Description:

Orthopedic issues are a common problem in the geriatric population and orthopedic diagnoses are frequently seen in home care patients. Outcome Assessment and Information Set (OASIS) scoring and episode management related to Patient Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) are unique to the home care environment and relevant to the goals we set and how we treat  patients with orthopedic issues. This course looks at common orthopedic problems encountered in the...

Course Description:

About two-thirds of vertebral compression fractures are never diagnosed as many patients and families believe that back pain is just an inevitable sign of aging and arthritis. Vertebral compression fractures can permanently alter the strength and shape of the spine, resulting in lost height because the spine is shorter or a stooped posture. Even more alarming, if left untreated, these fractures can cause depression from living in constant pain,...

Course Description:

Back pain is a common problem in older adults with as many as 70% of the geriatric population suffering from this malady. Lumbar spinal stenosis is the most frequent cause of this pain. This course looks at age-related changes to the lumbar spine and how these changes create stenosis symptoms. Typical signs and symptoms for lumbar stenosis are outlined as are treatment approaches, including manual techniques, stretching and strengthening...

Course Description:

There is strong evidence to support the use of physical agent modalities during physical and occupational therapy for patients with neurological disorders. This course will look at four conditions that are common with neurological disorders: spasticity, weakness, pain, and contractures. After summarizing the evidence to support their use, we will outline the use of TENS to minimize spasticity, NMES to address weakness, TENS for central neuropathic pain, and deep...

Course Description:

As physical and occupational therapists, one of the unique tools of our trade(s) is the use of physical agent modalities. When used effectively, these modalities can be used to facilitate accomplishment of a variety of patient goals.

 This course focuses on the use of physical agent modalities for the management of pain and the recent evidence supporting their use.  We will look at how and when to...

Course Description:

When evaluating head and neck pain in physical therapy, we must recognize that many conditions share similar signs and symptoms. This course presents information to help the evaluating clinician determine when a client’s symptoms may be the result of systemic or viscerogenic causes and when referral to another healthcare provider is indicated. In addition, this course presents a framework for differentiating and assigning the appropriate diagnosis for neuromuscular and/or...

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to improve the knowledge and skills of clinicians in the differential diagnosis of shoulder and upper extremity pain/conditions. Identification of red flag findings and systemic sources of upper extremity symptoms is outlined, and relevant clinical findings for the differential diagnosis of upper extremity conditions are presented. 

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to improve the knowledge and skills of physical therapists in differential diagnosis of thoracic and lumbar conditions. This course will outline possible sources of thoracic and lumbar spinal conditions as well as review red and yellow flags for therapists to consider. Therapists will understand important subjective and objective findings to consider to accurately diagnosis thoracic and spinal conditions.

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to delineate possible systemic and viscerogenic conditions that can refer pain to the hip and lower extremity with an emphasis on red and yellow flag warning. Important findings to consider when accurately diagnosing hip and lower extremity conditions is presented.  

Course Description:

Evaluating and treating running injuries can pose a challenge for therapists. Running is a highly repetitive activity, and even minor biomechanical differences and musculoskeletal imbalances can be relevant. This course will look at analysis of running mechanics and outline important biomechanical considerations when evaluating and diagnosing runners. In addition, common running injuries will be outlined including symptoms, examination, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment.   

Course Description:

About two-thirds of vertebral compression fractures are never diagnosed as many patients and families believe that back pain is just an inevitable sign of aging and arthritis. Vertebral compression fractures can permanently alter the strength and shape of the spine, resulting in lost height because the spine is shorter or a stooped posture. Even more alarming, if left untreated, these fractures can cause depression from living in constant pain,...

Course Description:

There is strong evidence to support the use of physical agent modalities during physical and occupational therapy for patients with neurological disorders. This course will look at four conditions that are common with neurological disorders: spasticity, weakness, pain, and contractures. After summarizing the evidence to support their use, we will outline the use of TENS to minimize spasticity, NMES to address weakness, TENS for central neuropathic pain, and deep...

Course Overview

Back pain is a common problem in older adults with as many as 70% of the geriatric population suffering from this malady. Lumbar spinal stenosis is the most frequent cause of this pain. This course looks at age-related changes to the lumbar spine and how these changes create stenosis symptoms. Typical signs and symptoms for lumbar stenosis are outlined as are treatment approaches, including manual techniques, stretching and strengthening...