The balance workshop
The balance workshop has been developed to complement the work of Professor Cathie Sherrington and colleagues (Sherrington et al 2016) that provides clear evidence-based exercise guidelines to successfully improve balance and prevent falls. While these guidelines are widely available, implementing this evidence in clinical practice continues to be a major clinical challenge. This workshop provides a theoretical background to the understanding of balance and postural adjustments. Video analysis is used to discuss the effective assessment and analysis of balance impairments to provide the basis for targeted interventions. The recent meta-analyses of effective exercise to improve balance and reduce falls are reviewed in detail so that attendees have a thorough understanding of the features of effective balance training. The changes to balance seen in older people and people with neurological conditions are discussed, as well as the evidence for balance training in people with common neurological conditions. This workshop assists clinicians to develop evidence-based solutions for people with balance difficulties by incorporating practical sessions exploring strategies for training balance that are challenging, of sufficiently high dosage and safe. The workshop uses lectures, practical sessions, video analysis and clinical sessions with patients in order to provide clinicians with many strategies for effective balance training with people of differing levels of disability.
Learning outcomes
- Define balance, postural adjustments, kinematics, kinetics, task specificity
- Discuss the research findings for the characteristics of postural adjustments i.e. timing, task specificity
- Describe the changes that occur to postural adjustments with aging and neuropathology
- Describe the assessment and analysis of balance impairment
- Describe the risk factors and circumstances of falls
- Discuss the evidence for exercise interventions to improve balance and reduce falls
- Demonstrate the ability to set up effective balance training for people with impaired balance
- Plan a balance class that challenges balance and provides a high intensity of practice
Prerequisites
- This course is only available to qualified and AHPRA registered physiotherapists.
Presenters
Simone Dorsch
Simone is a clinician, researcher and educator in neurological physiotherapy. Simone has over 20 years experience in stroke, brain injury and aged care rehabilitation. She currently works as a senior lecturer at the Australian Catholic University and a presenter with the StrokeEd collaboration. She teaches workshops on evidence-based rehabilitation in stroke and aged care nationally and internationally. Her research focuses on the relationship between impairments and activity after stroke and strategies to increase amounts of practice in rehabilitation.
Sarah Fitzhenry
Sarah Fitzhenry is a Neurological Specialist Physiotherapist who completed her Fellowship with the Australian College of Physiotherapists. Based in Brisbane, Sarah has more than 20 years of clinical experience and currently works as the Advanced Physiotherapist in a subacute rehabilitation hospital. She also operates a neurological physiotherapy consultancy practice and is an Adjunct Lecturer with Australian Catholic University. Sarah has been involved in research exploring patient access to rehabilitation services, as well as the experiences of allied health professionals supporting enriched environments for stroke survivors.
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