SPECIALISED COURSES IN ORTHOTICS AND PROSTHETICS - BLENDED LEARNING
ORTHOTIC MANAGEMENT OF NEURO-MUSCULAR PATHOLOGIES
Looking for a way to update or develop your expertise in the orthotic management of neuro-muscular diseases?
This specialized course in the management of neuro-muscular diseases applies techniques of Dynamic Ankle Foot Orthotics – DAFO (based on Nancy Hilton approach)
The course will equip participants with the theoretical and practical knowledge and skills needed to provide best-practice orthotic management for patients with neuro-muscular pathologies.
Duration: The course features 5 weeks of online theoretical training, followed by 5 days onsite practical workshop where participants will design, fabricate, fit and evaluate a number of patients with DAFO orthoses. After the onsite workshop, expert trainers will work with participants for 3 months during the online follow-up period to support and monitor the implementation of the learned knowledge and application to daily clinical practice.
Within the theoretical part of the course essential concepts of therapy are conveyed through a set of multi-media lessons. The aim is to explain the effect of dynamic foot orthoses on the control of forces and movement, balance, stability and tonus reduction. The course provides an understanding of the functional anatomy of the lower limb and the specific requirements of individual pathologies with a focus on Cerebral Palsy and spasticity. Furthermore, the effects of different forms of paralysis on gait are explained and concrete possibilities of gait improvement through orthotic designs are presented.
The theoretical content covers:
- Anatomy and Physiology: including bones, muscles and joints (below knee)
- Pathology and Prescription: including treatment concepts of Cerebral Palsy, Flat Foot, Club Foot, hidden Pes Equinus, Calcaneus Valgus;
- Biomechanics: including movement of the foot, subtalar and ankle joint during the gait; interaction of muscle impairments and pathologic gait;
- Professional practice: Practical techniques for assessment, casting, rectification and design of DAFO, fitting, troubleshooting and outcome measures
The subsequent practical hands-on workshop is focused on the clinical application of the acquired theoretical knowledge. Participants are trained through hands-on experience on patient assessment, the full manufacturing process, fitting, follow up and outcome measures.
The practical seminar addresses:
- Patient Anamnesis
- Measurements and casting techniques
- Cast rectification and modelling techniques
- Production process
- Fitting / testing of the orthoses and application of necessary corrections
- Analysis and outcome measures
During the clinical hands-on workshop participants will learn techniques on measurement and casting, model rectification and the production process of the different orthotic concepts.
Fitting and testing the devices, gait analysis and outcome measures will conclude the workshop.
Interesting: This course is also appropriate for physiotherapists who are interested in advancing their knowledge on the role of orthotic devices in treatment of patients with neuro-muscular pathologies. Physiotherapists can join the course in the theoretical online part and in those parts of the practical training that are relevant to their profession. Physiotherapists do not participate in the hands-on production process, but observe it.
AOPA CPD credits: This course is AOPA accredited for 38 CPD Points
Fees: $3500 Inc. GST
*(travel and accommodation to onsite workshop not included)
Places: Strictly limited to 12
Dates: Rolling assignment ongoing.
We will be accepting expressions of interest and launching a class when the requisite numbers have enrolled into the course.
Locations:
Online – activities are hosted by SCOPe learning platform
Onsite – clinical workshops will be organized at one mayor clinical facility in AU and will be specified by the start of the course