This course aims to provide physiotherapists with an opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills relevant to physiotherapy assessment and treatment of common conditions of older people. It takes an indepth look at the ageing process, chronic disease management, pharmacology and pain management, delirium, dementia and depression, falls and balance, strategies to optimise physical function and use of outcome measures.

This course is a mandatory component of the experiential titling pathway in Gerontological Physiotherapy.

Sue Mayes has led the medical team of The Australian Ballet for over 20 years and recently finished her PhD on hip joint health in professional ballet dancers. The Australian Ballet have developed a successful approach to managing and preventing hip joint injury that has resulted in no lost-time hip joint injuries in the past 5 years and no hip joint surgery for more than 10 years. The Dancing hip course will provide a review of the current hip joint research and its application to clinical decision making and management of hip joint pain in dancers. This practical workshop will demonstrate hip joint assessment and treatment techniques and participants will learn hip exercises and exercise progressions that could be applied to any individual with hip joint pain.

Physiotherapy treatment for FAI syndrome: Where are we now?

This lecture will benefit physiotherapists treating active young and middle-aged adults with hip pain. It will provide a comprehensive overview of contemporary evidence-based physiotherapist-led assessment and management for people with this condition. Clinicians will be provided with practical tools and case examples to enable them to implement this knowledge into their clinical practice.

This is a student event

Introduction to Feldenkrais Method 'Awareness through movement'

This method has been around for some time but remains relatively poorly understood. The process is one of facilitating learning using the ‘medium' of the body and the promotion of awareness. The lessons are aimed at improving function through self-discovery and hence participants can feel not only a greater ease of movement but also a heightened sense of self-agency as they enact their own improvements. Practitioners work in the Arts, Health and Education. In this introduction you will do a short lesson to experience the process.

This lecture focuses on aquatic physiotherapy for people with a disability and will provide an opportunity to discuss pool safety and clinical considerations for this population. An overview of the APA Aquatic Guidelines will be presented, particularly focusing on management of the pool environment and assessment of clients.

This will be followed by two case studies:

1) Community aquatic therapy within adult disability populations: supporting dignity of risk with persons with disabilities and common barriers under NDIS; and

2) Aquatic physiotherapy for traumatic brain injury, a private practice perspective.

The lecture will be presented by physiotherapists: Shayna Gavin, Slash Physiotherapy; Samuel Curtis, Yooralla; and Kelly Gibson, Steps Neurological Therapy Services.