COURSE DESCRIPTION

Emphasizes therapeutic procedures utilized by physical therapist assistants. Allows students to practice elements of patient care and therapeutic skills. Lecture 3 hours. Laboratory 4 hours. Total 7 hours per week.

GENERAL COURSE PURPOSE

This course prepares the student to apply therapeutic exercise, electrotherapy modalities and cardiopulmonary rehab techniques. Further, it provides the student with the background to determine applicability of the stated procedures, e.g., the patient examination skills to determine safety, indication of the procedures, as well as the skills to assess the success of the treatment administered. Therapeutic exercise program design and progressions, proper documentation and communication of the treatment application and patient outcome are included.

ENTRY LEVEL COMPETENCIES

Prerequisites are PTH 105 - "Introduction to Physical Therapy", PTH 121 - "Therapeutic Procedures I" and PTH 151 - "Musculoskeletal Structure and Function"; concurrent enrollment of, or concurrent enrollment in PTH 115 - "Kinesiology for the Physical Therapist Assistant".

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

A. design, implement, monitor and progress therapeutic exercise programs based upon a developed plan of care

B. differentiate the role of physical therapy and demonstrate skill application of techniques utilized in the treatment of selected cardiac and respiratory conditions

C. educate a client in prudent lifestyle management/modification and health promotion

D. examine a client for and identify indications and contraindications related to the application of electrotherapy modalities

E. demonstrate safe, accurate and effective technique in the delivery of electrotherapy modalities

F. accurately document all aspects of treatment intervention, including client response, utilizing proper format

A. Therapeutic exercise techniques including:

1. basic conditioning exercises
2. progressive resistive exercises
3. passive and active stretching techniques
4. selected "special" exercise protocols, e.g., THR, TKR
5. peripheral joint mobilization
6. soft tissue mobilization
7. isokinetic exercise

B. Therapeutic exercise program design and progression techniques

C. Health promotion, wellness and functional screening

D. Lifesyle modification strategies

E. Home exercise program design, implementation and modification

F. Varied therapeutic exercise equipment

G. Electrotherapy

H. Pulmonary Rehabilitation

I. Cardiac Rehabilitation