Physiospot - Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy in the Spotlight » Rheumatology

Excitement Grows for Next International Meeting of Physiotherapists and Physical Therapists in Musculoskeletal and Orthopaedic Care, Manual Therapy and Private Practice.

Rachael Lowe — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:16:39 +0000

The International Private Practice Association (IPPA) has partnered with the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) for the upcoming 2012 Conference to be held in Quebec City, Canada from September 30^th to October 5^th, 2012. Don’t miss out, get your early bird ticket before June 4th!

This World Congress of Manual/Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy is held only once every 4 years and will be the next international gathering of physiotherapists and physical therapists in 2012. IFOMPT is the largest recognized sub-group of the World Confederation of Physical Therapists (WCPT) and after the huge success of World Physical Therapy in Amsterdam last year this will be your next opportunity to join a large international gathering from the physiotherapy and physical therapy profession. Keynote speakers including David Butler, Gray Cook, Gwendolen Jull, Karim Khan, Prof. Peter O’Sullivan, Annelies Pool, Shirley A. Sahrmann, Joy MacDermid, and Dr Stuart Gowland will join invited speakers and symposium presenters in a packed program that brings you the very latest in research and clinical practice. In addition to this, the conference itself is sandwiched between a plethora of courses from renowned international teachers including David Butler, Dianne Lee, Duncan Reid, Peter O’Sullivan and many more.

The IFOMPT Conference this year is being hosted in Québec City, Eastern Canada. Condé Nast Traveler readers have listed Québec City amongst the top 10 favorite tourist destinations around the world and first in Canada! European flavour, cobblestone streets, sidewalk cafés, museums and several other attractions are among the treasures waiting for you to discover in beautiful Québec City. Declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1985, Québec City is the only city in North America to have preserved its original fortifications. The province of Québec’s capital is known to be one of the safest urban districts of the world ans is a bilingual (French/English) destination.

Registration for this conference is now open. To get your early bird ticket make sure you register before June 4th! Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to meet colleagues from all over the world who share your interests and enthusiasm for our profession. We look forward to seeing you there!

Anxiety and Depression Should be Adressed in Individuals with Arthritis.

Rachael Lowe — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:54:55 +0000

Are you doing enough to alleviate the fears of your patients with arthritis? A recent study published in Arthritis Care and Research found that anxiety is more common than depression among US adults with arthritis. The study sample comprised US adults aged ≥ 45 years with doctor-diagnosed arthritis (n=1,793) from Arthritis Condition and Health Effects Survey (a cross-sectional, population based, random digit dialed telephone interview survey). Anxiety and depression were measured using separate and validated subscales of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales. The results showed that anxiety was more common than depression (31% and 18% respectively); overall, a third of respondents reported at least one of the two conditions and most (84%) of those with depression also had anxiety.

Despite the clinical focus on depression among people with arthritis, anxiety was found to be almost twice as common as depression. Given their high prevalence, profound impact on quality of life, and range of effective treatments available, health care providers should be encouraged to screen all people with arthritis for both anxiety and depression.

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New low back pain guidelines from the APTA.

Rachael Lowe — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:39:06 +0000

The Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has an ongoing effort to create evidence-based practice guidelines for orthopaedic physical therapy management of patients with musculoskeletal impairments described in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). The purpose of these low back pain clinical practice guidelines, in particular, is to describe the peer-reviewed literature and make recommendations related to (1) treatment matched to low back pain subgroup responder categories, (2) treatments that have evidence to prevent recurrence of low back pain, and (3) treatments that have evidence to influence the progression from acute to chronic low back pain and disability.

Anthony Delitto, Steven Z. George, Linda R. Van Dillen, Julie M. Whitman, Gwendolyn Sowa, Paul Shekelle, Thomas R. Denninger, Joseph J. Godges. Low Back Pain: Clinical Practice Guidelines Linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health from the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. 2011J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2012;42(4):A1-A57.

We’ve added these to our Clinical Guidelines Resource in Physiopedia where you can see all the clinical guidelines that are available internationally for a variety of conditions. Do you know of any more that we can add to this list?

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A manual therapy and mobilisations toolbox for the hip and knee – 14/15 April – Blandford, UK

Rachael Lowe — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:57:54 +0000

Aims: The aims of this workshop are to provide delegates with the understanding, knowledge, ability and expertise to apply safe and effective manual therapy and mobilisation techniques to the joints of the hip & knee complexes. The workshop is predominately practical with sessions devoted to problem solving and treatment/technique practice. Common clinical presentations, as well as the key elements of examination and assessment techniques for each of the anatomical areas described, will be included.

Tutor: Professor Graham N Smith FCSP GradDipPhys DipTP CertED

Date: Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th April 2012

Duration: Two days

Cost: £222.00 inclusive of lunch & refreshments

Venue: Blandford Community Hospital

Location: Blandford Dorset

Contact Name: Sue Dukelow

Contact Phone: 01375 893 820

Contact Email: sd@welbeing-cpd.co.uk

Web Link to Course: www:welbeing-cpd.co.uk

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Mediterranea creates new physiotherapy service in Ghana.

Rachael Lowe — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:19:17 +0000

Today a meeting was held in the UIB (Balearic Islands University) with the team running the UIB-At the beginning of May Alicia Moratiel, Physiotherapist and Member of Mediterranea, a humanitarian aid NGO based in Mallorca, opened her email and saw the following communication from the College of Physiotherapists in the Baleares: ‘The NGO Mediterranea is developing a project in Ghana. Part of this project is to start a physiotherapy dept in a small hospital in the East of the country just where the Volta enters the sea. We need volunteers to help get things started and train the future local team.’ Alicia immediately started to gather more information. She discovered that the hospital Dangme East in Ada Foah was organised by one doctor, Dr Philip Narth, who works 24 hours a day all days of the year and has 30 nurses for a population of 186000. The ratio of nurses per inhabitant in Spain is 531 per 100000 and of doctors 445 per 100000. In this region of Africa there is 1 for 186000! It seemed to her to be completely disproportionate. At the level of physiotherapy it seemed clear, a hospital that cares for a high percentage of cardiovascular and traffic accidents needs to have physiotherapy. Also to rehabilitate post traumatic injuries, to assist the recovery of patients who have been operated, to reduce recovery time, to assist in the regeneration of epithelial tissue, burns, ulcers…these and others are the functions that Alicia thought they could develop. Alicia also discovered that Mediterranea had fulfilled a number of other projects at the hospital, including setting up a laboratory for the hospital and building a residence for mothers visiting the hospital with their children. She was also surprised and happy to read in the Mediterranea blog that, thanks to the generosity of some British members, the physiotherapy project already had a substantial amount of equipment in Ghana waiting to be used.

From that point onwards things moved quickly. At the end of May at the first meeting volunteers were able to learn more about Mediterranea, it’s ideas and philosophy, see some photos of the hospital and region, they covered some logistic themes like vaccines and first aid and learnt about all the documentation that was needed. At the meeting they organised an administrative nucleus of physios to coordinate the physiotherapy side of the project. They followed this meeting with another some days later and had a number of lecturers from the UIB (University of Baleares) attend. They established minimum and maximum stays for the volunteers in Ghana and agreed to group together the trips of volunteers to minimise the disruption to Dr Narth’s team in Ghana since the airport is 200+ km from the hospital. They also allocated the different tasks amongst themselves. As Alicia was not able to attend the first meeting and as someone completely new to this type of project she was hypnotised by the energy and enthusiasm of the other physios at this meeting and their desire to develop our profession into regions where it’s needed. She also appreciated the big effort that would be required to coordinate the trips and handovers of not only our Spanish physios but also British physios who had responded with enthusiasm to a small communication from Mediterranea distributed through the Institute of Physiotherapists in the UK.

A couple of weeks later a third meeting was held to clarify some details and to go deeper into the second part of the project which is the training that will be provided to the locals in Ghana. The first part of the project is immediate. To get the physiotherapy dept up and running and they shall achieve this by maintaining a flow of volunteers to the hospital. The second part will be a little more complex and will involve some communication between the University of Ghana’s physiotherapy dept based in Accra and the UIB, in order to launch an official training course for physios in that part of the country.

Last year Mediterranea officially launched the Physiotherapy Dept in Dangme East Hospital, Ghana.

Since July last year the UIB and the team running the UIB-Mediterranea NGO Physiotherapy program have sent 7 Physiotherapists to the Dangme East hospital in Ada Ghana where they have treated people and where they have introduced physiotherapy as yet another service the hospital can offer to the population it looks after. In the near future a team of 3 or 4 staff from the university will travel to Ghana to put in to effect a training program in conjunction with the Physiotherapy faculty in Accra.

Physiopedia is proud to acknowledge the efforts of the people involved in this project. It is a great example of what a few people and small partnerships can achieve to selflessly help those in need, spreading physiotherapy knowledge around the world to improve global health.

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International Shoulder Symposium: The Challenge of the Rotator Cuff – 6th Oct 2012 – London

Rachael Lowe — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:42:48 +0000

Course Summary:
This one day International Shoulder Symposium ”The Challenge of the Rotator Cuff”, is brought to you by EUSSER. The European Society for Shoulder & Elbow Rehabilitation is the only Europe wide society that connects healthcare professionals with an interest in shoulder and elbow dysfunction. The objective of the society is to provide the highest standard of information and education to enhance patient care. The society is supported by other organisations such as SECEC/ESSSE (European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and Elbow) and ESSKA (European Society of Sports Traumatology knee surgery and arthroscopy).

Aim: The Challenge of the Rotator Cuff
Shoulder pain is now the third highest musculoskeletal complaint in the UK and set to rise given the increasing needs of a growing elderly population. Current treatment concepts range from exercise therapy through to surgery, but lack common evaluation criteria. This symposium invites internationally renowned speakers to discuss the aetiology and management of rotator cuff disease.
The day will cover key areas including; epidemiology, clinical assessment, injection/therapy and surgical management. The afternoon session will include discussion of clinical cases studies utilising the expertise of the faculty.
The day is applicable to all clinicians; physiotherapists and doctors including GPs and surgeons.

Tutors: Mr Ian Bayley BSc, FRCS (UK),Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Professor Ann Cools PT, PhD (Belgium) Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Ghent University Belgium Professor Lennard Funk BSc MBBCh MSc FRCS(Tr&Orth)FFSEM(UK) Shoulder Surgeon, Wrightington Hospital,Professor of Orthopaedics & Sports Science, Salford University Jo Gibson MCSP – Clinical Physiotherapy Specialist (UK) Associate Professor Karen Ginn, PhD MHPEd GDManipTher (Australia)Head, Discipline of Biomedical Science, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney Karin Hekman, MSc MT (The Netherlands) Clinical Physiotherapy, manual therapist, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam Anju Jaggi, MSc MCSP (UK) Clinical Physiotherapy Specialist, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Trust Mr Simon Lambert BSc, FRCS, FRCS Ed Orth (UK),Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Clinical Lead, Shoulder and Elbow Service, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Trust, Stanmore, Honorary Senior Lecturer, Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, UCL Annelies Maenhout, PT, PhD student (Belgium), Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Ghent University Belgium

Date: Saturday 6th October 2012

Duration: One day Symposium

Cost: £90.00 – EUSSER Members – £120.00 non EUSSER Members – £150 attend Conference and EUSSER Membership

Venue: The British Library Conference Centre

Location: London Euston

Contact Name: Irene or Sue

Contact Phone: 01375 893 820

Contact Email: iw@welbeing-cpd.co.uk

Web Link to Course: www:welbeing-cpd.co.uk

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Online physiotherapy glossary from the WCPT

Rachael Lowe — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:23:07 +0000

Supporting the Confederation’s policies and guidelines, the WCPT has launched an online glossary. It has been developed for the profession to aid international interpretation and promote a global consistency in terminology. Citing the importance of having an international glossary WCPT’s President, Marilyn Moffat, says “WCPT’s glossary is the first A-Z covering professional and educational issues, rather than practice interventions. To support the development and implementation of WCPT’s policies and guidelines a clear understanding of terminology internationally is important and this glossary is designed to facilitate that and promote consistency. We’re hopeful that this will be a valuable resource for the profession and one that will continue to grow over time”. With over 170 fully referenced terms the glossary is a significant tool for WCPT’s member organisations, regions, subgroups and individual physical therapists. WCPT is encouraging the wide use of these international terms. The glossary may be accessed as:

An annual review of this glossary will take place. Member organisations, regions and subgroups can suggest amendments and terms for inclusion in the glossary where they are internationally applicable. Please send suggestions and comments to info@wcpt.org.

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Crucial role of physiotherapists highlighted in end of life care guide

Rachael Lowe — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:42:05 +0000

This ‘how to’ guide for end of life care builds upon the overarching framework set out in The route to success in end of life care – achieving quality in acute hospitals, published in 2010. The route to success highlighted best practice models developed by acute hospital Trusts, providing a comprehensive framework to enable hospitals to deliver high quality care to people at the end of life. This ‘how to’ guide aims to help clinicians, managers and directors implement ‘The route to success’ more effectively.

The guidelines have been produced by the National End of Life Care Programme (NEoLCP) in collaboration with the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. This guide will only improve the way hospitals care for people nearing the end of life if frontline, practical professionals commit to it. Physiotherapists have a crucial role to play in supporting people in the last phase of life, they can make a real difference to improve end of life care.

Biodegradable Joint Implant For Arthritis

Rachael Lowe — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:35:12 +0000

Researchers at Tampere University of Technology (TUT), Finland, have developed what they believe to be the first biodegradable joint implant. The implant, called RegJoint, is used in the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The RegJoint is fabricated from biodegradable polylactide copolymer and is placed inside the capsule that surrounds the joint. It is designed to stimulate growth of connective tissue and soft tissue around the joint in order to replace cartilage lost to rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

RegJoint™ offers an alternative for conventional surgery and has several advantages over permanent implants. For example, the patient’s own bone tissue remains intact during the operation. In addition, the implant makes the reconstruction of the joint more sustainable and cushions the area, relieving pain caused by friction between the bones. The implant is used to repair injuries in the small joints of the fingers and toes. The implant stimulates the body to produce connective tissue cells and is gradually replaced by the patient’s own soft tissue. RegJoint™ forms a neojoint between the bone ends and restores normal mobility.

Pocket Physio, an app to assist recovery from hip and knee surgery.

Rachael Lowe — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:23:01 +0000

UK Specialist Hospitals has launched a physiotherapy app to assist patients recover following hip or knee surgery. The app provides patients access to written info about therapyand residence workout plans with videos demonstrating how workouts should really be carried out. It also consists of tips on searching soon after hip and knee joints, walking using a frame or crutches, managing discomfort, and advised strategies for dressing, bathing and receiving in and out of vehicles. The independent healthcare provider is part of the NHS Partners Network, and operates five therapy centres in the South West, has carried out nearly 10,000 joint replacements for the NHS. It has created the Pocket Physio app which is freely accessible for all patients with an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

Pocket Physio can be downloaded from the iTunes shop.

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