This workshop teaches therapists how to minimise upper limb impairments in people post stroke, and increase engagement in activities such as picking up a cup and using cutlery to eat. Workshop content is based on research about movement science/motor relearning and evidence-based interventions.

Learning objectives

By the end of the 3 day workshop, participants will be able to:

• Name the essential components of normal reach and manipulation.

• Recognise common compensations when observing stroke survivors attempting to grasp objects, and explain how to minimise compensatory strategies.

• Name and discuss factors thought to contribute to the development of muscle overactivity, spasticity and stiffness, and intervention strategies to help minimise these secondary problems.

• Explain the relationship and differences between overactivity, spasticity, muscle length changes and stiffness, missing essential components and compensations.

• Plan and conduct an assessment and training session with a stroke survivor using motor learning principles and task-specific practice.

• Discuss factors which affect motor learning, and can be modified to enhance learning and increase client practice

• Use an electrical stimulation machine to stimulate upper limb muscles.

• Discuss current evidence for constraint-induced movement therapy, mental practice, mirror box therapy and electrical stimulation for improving upper limb motor recovery.

Presented by Dr Annie McCluskey and Karl Schurr – StrokeEd

Pre-reading and homework

Resources will be available from the StrokeEd website. Therapists are asked to start preparing 4-6 weeks before the event. Allow several hours for the homework particularly if English is not your primary language. Pre-reading includes a book chapter and some analysis tasks.

For more information, visit StokeEd Evidence Based Upper Limb Retraining.

Workshop materials

PowerPoint slides and worksheets will be provided in electronic and printed form.

Prerequisites

None. Suitable for students and recent graduates through to experienced clinicians.

Number of registrants

Limit of 24 therapists due to clinical sessions involving 8 stroke survivors and small groups of 3 therapists. The workshop presenters assist teams of therapists to assess and establish a training program for the 8 stroke survivors.

Register online

Complete the online registration form and pay securely via PayPal by clicking the link below. For multiple attendees, submit registration for each one individually.

If the course is full at the time of registration, please join the waitlist. We will contact you if a place becomes available or advise you of additional dates we will be running the same or similar course.

View the course registration terms here.

Transfer registration

To transfer registration from one individual to another, please submit the transfer registration form via the link below.

Contact

Contact courses@nrah.com.au for further information.