Vestibular Rehabilitation Course: Assessment and Treatment for Occupational Therapy Practitioners

***REGISTRATION DEADLINE is September 13th, 2019***

This course covers vestibular rehabilitation principles for treating patients with dizziness, vertigo, coordination, balance, motor, postural, vestibular, visual motor, perceptual, sensory organization and motion disorders due to disease, toxicity, infection, vestibular, tumors, trauma, CNS, and congenital disorders. This course is designed to offer the rehabilitation clinician an additional frame of reference for treatment that can positively affect motor skills, balance, posture, perceptual skills, tolerances of motion, and eliminate vertigo.

Vestibular interventions appear simplistic but the clinician must develop an understanding of the complexities of the system to have successful treatment outcomes.  This course will emphasize the importance of clinical assessments for developing functional goals and treatments as a series of exercises for the clinician to select, grade and develop on a continuum. 

The course will describe recognition of vestibular disorders by symptoms and manifestations, and provide an overview of vestibular anatomy/physiology that is the basis for recognition, assessment and treatment. Assessments for vestibular, sensory organization, positional vertigo, balance, ocular motor, and reflex integration, including the vestibular ocular reflex and the vestibulospinal reflex will be described. Specific vestibular pathologies and treatment interventions will be presented. Treatment techniques, video case demonstrations, problem solving exercises, and interactive lab practice will be included to help in the development of competencies. 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1.  Describe vestibular rehab and balance process

2.  Apply physiology principles related to functional balance

3.  Provide neurophysiological rationale for treatment

4.  Describe the pathophysiology of vestibular and CNS disorders

5.  Demonstrate repositioning techniques for BPPV

6.  Demonstrate evaluation procedures for balance, vertigo and oculomotor functions

7.  Demonstrate appropriate evidence-based treatment techniques

8.  List precautions for utilizing this treatment approach

COURSE OUTLINE:

I.    Symptoms, incidences and manifestations of vestibular disorders and need for intervention

II.   Overview of Motor Development

(a)   Vestibular System Development

(b).  Reflex Integration

III.   Vestibular Anatomy/Physiology

(a).   Central Nervous System Connections

(b).  Vestibular, Ocular, Cervical, and Spinal Reflexes

IV.   Vestibular Pathologies and Diagnoses

(a).   Childhood Paroxysmal Vertigo, Post Traumatic Vertigo, Disequilibrium of Aging (Presbystasis), BPPV, Neuronitis, Ototoxicity, Central Lesions/Impairments, Meniere’s disease, Congenital, Vestibular Migraine, Mal de DeBarquement

V.    Hyperactive vs. Hypoactive System

VI.   Evaluation of Vestibular Disorders (VOR, Balance, Gait, Motion, Positional, Peripheral and Central Vertigo/ Nystagmus)

VII. Treatment Interventions for Problem Specific Disorders

IX.   Case Reports, Videos and Evidenced Based Results

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Occupational Therapists; Occupational Therapy Assistants

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Gaye W. Cronin is a master clinician in vestibular rehabilitation having treated more than 25,000 patients suffering from vestibular and balance disorders. She received her Bachelor of Science and Masters Degrees from the Medical College of Georgia and her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from the University of St. Augustine. She has 30 plus years of clinical experiences. Since 1988, she has been the director of Vestibular Rehabilitation and Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Programs at the Atlanta Ear Clinic. Dr. Cronin is very enthusiastic and will present this dynamic program that has been extremely successful. She will present evidence based treatment outcomes and offer problem solving exercises. She has published extensively in medical and therapy journals and books, and texts, and has conducted numerous national and international workshops for occupational therapists, physical therapists, audiologists, and physicians.

-Education Resources Inc.-

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Rancho Research Institute and the OT Department reserve the right to cancel a course up to 60 days prior to the course, with full refund OF THE REGISTRATION FEE ONLY, if insufficient numbers of participants have registered for the course.

Registrants may cancel up to 30 days prior to the course and receive a partial refund (50%) of the total registration fee.   No refunds will be provided 29 DAYS PRIOR TO THE COURSE.

For any information regarding the course, please contact Jacob Baquir at jbaquir@dhs.lacounty.gov.

For any information regarding refunds, please contact Spencer Toledo at spencert@ranchoresearch.org

Time subject to change.