The Epley maneuver is a 💎 rare gem 💎 in the OT toolkit.

A patient can walk into our treatment room, and they can walk out cured.
They can walk out with instant relief.

(Yes, there is nuance to this. Sometimes the maneuver needs to be repeated. Sometimes it simply doesn’t work. There are important contraindications.) But, the other thing that makes this a GEM is that more so than any other condition we treat there are clear clinical guidelines for treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

But, despite the amazing power of this treatment, and the swath of research behind it. Many people fail to have their BPPV identified and treated in a timely manner.

In today’s article, we get to learn about a trauma center that trained their therapists in managing BPPV after TBI, and were able to reduce their referrals to neurology.

You are going to have so many questions after reading this article, and that’s why I am so thankful to welcome to the podcast, Jeff Walter, a PT who has devoted much of his career to treating and teaching on this condition.

You can find more details on this course here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-and-bppv

Here's the primary research we are discussing:
Does training therapists to manage benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in patients with acute traumatic brain injury reduce vestibular neurology referrals?

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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of non-traumatic disability in people aged 18-65 years.

As rehab professionals, we know that exercise is one of the mainstays of treatment for these clients.

Though not definitively established, exercise has the most potential promise to be disease modifying if started early in the course of disease. But, alongside exercise there are other important interventions to consider like fatigue management and education.

In today’s article review, we will look at a massive overview of reviews (72 articles were included!). The article outlines the strength of the evidence being multiple types of rehab interventions.

Then, next week we are excited to welcome to the podcast Sarah Adam, OTD, an occupational therapist with MS who has taken her pursuit of adaptive sports to an elite level—and recently earned Silver in wheelchair rugby at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. Sarah was the first woman to ever play on Team USA’s wheelchair rugby team, also made history as the first woman to score a point during an Olympic wheelchair rugby game. We clearly have so much to learn from Sarah that I know will inspire your OT practice.

You can find more details on this course here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-and-multiple-sclerosis

Here's the primary research we are discussing:
Effective rehabilitation interventions and participation among people with multiple sclerosis: An overview of reviews

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As occupational therapists, many of us have witnessed the wonder of motor learning in neuro rehab.

Yet despite years of research attempting to identify the most effective post-stroke interventions, the reality is that our understanding of how to improve recovery of function remains incomplete.

The article we are reviewing today serves as an update on the state of the science in how new theories of motor control and learning can be incorporated into practice.

The authors put particular emphasis on how new technologies may be needed to truly meet the many principles of neuroplasticity, and in particular they point to virtual, augment, and mixed reality technologies.

After we review the research, we are excited to welcome to the podcast an OT who works for one such virtual rehab solution as their Manager of Clinical Services, Katie Riccio, MS, OTR/L. Katie will share what she has learned about neurorehab in her role. And orient us to the stroke rehab tech tools on the market, how they can intersect with you in-person practice—and what to expect on the horizon.

You can find more details on this course here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/motor-learning-in-neuro-rehab

Here's the primary research we are discussing:
Motor Learning in Neurological Rehabilitation

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