South Carolina Physical Therapy Continuing Education

Millions of Americans suffer with pain every year. Pain, both chronic and acute, is quickly becoming an increasingly dire public health issue that costs employers, patients and insurance companies billions of dollars each year. This course discuss the management of acute injuries and methods and management of pain.

This course identifies and briefly summarizes some of the common chronic conditions and health problems encountered within patients by the physical therapist in the scope of his or her daily practice. Many of these conditions require specific knowledge about the anatomy, symptoms and considerations for care that are unique to each issue.

Although physical and occupational therapists have received much education on why older adults fall and what can be done to prevent future falls, not much has been said on what can be done to help the older adult up off the floor without causing further injuries, as well as methods and techniques to improve the physical and cognitive health of the older adult to maintain fall recovery techniques. This course will detail some of these scenarios and techniques to help further the understanding and preparation for the physical therapist if such occurrences present themselves within his or her practice.

Each year, over 250,000 people are hospitalized for hip fractures, and some of these individuals will never fully regain their prior level of function: they may require assistance to walk, and a few will even need to go to a nursing home. The physical therapist is an essential partner to assist patients in preserving, improving and maintaining the current levels of functioning within their daily lives. This course will provide an overview on the three main types of hip fractures, the differences between the approaches to surgical and non-surgical candidates for physical therapy, and prevention techniques that the physical therapist can share which will ensure a patient is knowledgeable about how to prevent future fall occurrences.

This course will discuss the anatomy associated with hip osteoarthritis (OA), the diagnosis of OA, and the associated treatments for OA. This course will also discuss the physical therapy protocol following total hip arthroscopy and the rehabilitation goals for various therapies.

Knee OA is prevalent in today's society with the active aging population. Physical therapists play an important role in restoring function for these patients with nonsurgical and postoperative interventions.

Patients with multiple sclerosis experience a variety of symptoms; it is often difficult to diagnosis because the disease’s symptoms frequently mimic other diseases. There are multiple types of MS that will be discussed in this course. A patient’s functional abilities can vary depending on the type of MS that he/she is diagnosed with and how fast the disease progresses. Physical and occupational therapists play a key role in the treatment of patients with MS: It is important for these rehabilitation professionals to understand this disease.

This course includes the latest resources and research available for physical and occupational therapists regarding neuro-developmental treatment (NDT). Additionally, this course will discuss the importance of NDT as a means to improve functional movement as it pertains to ambulation, transfers and mobility, as well as ADL performance.

This course will review how substance use impacts functionality and mobility, current stigmas and discomforts the PT and OT face when dealing with substance use patients, and treatment approaches used when the patient has a history of substance use. 

Physical therapy and pharmacology have operated alongside each other for thousands of years. This course will prioritize essential components regarding pharmaceutical principles and will discuss common pharmaceutical categories relative to application in physical therapy clinical settings.

Shoulder arthroplasty is the treatment of choice for severe degenerative joint disease. It is important for physical therapists to understand complications that may occur following these types of surgical procedures. This course will discuss the components of physical therapy rehabilitation following a total shoulder replacement.

Physical therapists trained in the management of wounds are a vital part of the wound care team. Their unique knowledge of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, positioning, mobility, and modalities adds a deeper dimension to the treatment and prevention of wounds. This course will provide detailed information about various wound types, treatments and methods for prevention.