Functional Neurology

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Handouts/Brochure

Speaker

Laura Davis, DPT Related seminars and products

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Laura Davis, DPT (NeuFit Neurological Populations Specialist)
As an athlete growing up, Laura’s original interest in the field grew out of her experience in physical therapy rehabbing her own sports injuries, and always thought that this is the direction she would take with her career. She earned her BS from Pennsylvania State University and her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Washington University of St. Louis, and it is throughout this schooling and clinical work that she found her true passion was actually in helping those with acute and chronic neurological injuries. She has spent most of her career working in trauma ICUs and inpatient and outpatient neurological rehab facilities and thus has been able to help patients along the entire spectrum – from day one of sitting up in bed to months and years later helping patients return to their daily and recreational activities. As NeuFit’s Neurological Population Specialist, she has grown the neuro program both at the NeuFit Headquarters Clinic in Austin and also remotely, writing programs for individuals who have the Neubie at home. She has put the NeuFit Method and Neubie device to practice with hundreds of patients with neurological impairments, from those with traumatic brain injuries, to spinal cord injuries, to MS, to those with rarer diagnoses, and finds it so rewarding to be able to help those with both acute and chronic injuries overcome plateaus and reach functional goals they never thought to be possible. She continues to explore new methods, techniques, and unique applications of the Neubie daily in order to better her patient outcomes and believes the possibilities are endless.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Laura Davis is the founder of Bounce Back Fitness, LLC and has an employment relationship with Neufit. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc.
Non-financial: Laura Davis has no relevant financial relationships.

 

Ramona von Leden, PhD Related seminars and products

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Ramona von Leden PhD (NeuFit Director of Research and Clinical Education)
Ramona has dedicated her career to investigating novel approaches to working with the nervous system to improve recovery from injury and disease. She earned her BS in Psychology from Brown University, her PhD in Neuroscience from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School. She has been awarded two National Research Service Awards from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. She has published her original research on identification of novel targets from treating neurotrauma and neuroinflammation in peer-reviewed scientific journals. She has given invited lectures to a variety of audiences, including the US Army and the Society for Neuroscience, and has spoken about neurotrauma as the guest on several podcasts. She has worked to increase awareness about neurological health as an organizer for National Brain Awareness Week and UT Austin’s Explore UT Day and has served on training and education committees for the National Neurotrauma Society. As NeuFit’s Director of Research and Clinical Education, Ramona uses her extensive background in neurology and neuroscience to oversee and develop NeuFit’s research and continuing education programs. She is passionate about furthering research on the use of non-invasive methods like neuromuscular electrical stimulation to improve a variety of conditions and expanding practitioner’s skill sets to enhance patient outcomes.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ramona von Leden has an employment relationship with NeuFit. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc.
Non-financial: Ramona von Leden has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Additional Info

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Objectives

1. Evaluate the integral concepts of functional neurology 
2. Investigate the foundations of neuroplasticity to inform the clinician’s choice of treatment interventions 
3. Assess alternative approaches for rehabilitation to create neuroplastic changes 
4. Apply functional neurology and neuroplasticity techniques into your treatment plan to improve clinical outcomes.  
5. Analyze the efficacy of using DC current in a clinical setting.

Outline

Functional Neurology and the Neurological Approach to Injury/Health 

• Approach all issues from the nervous system first perspective 
• Create sensory afferent inputs to the brain that will improve motor outputs 
• Balance, proprioception, visual sensory information  

Nervous System Feedback Loop: Why Should Rehab Focus Here? 

• Internal and external inputs, transmission, decision process & output 
• Most rehab work is focused on output and conscious processes 
• Focus on inputs to create new, improved outputs 
• The role of pain as an output 
• Change outputs into performance like strength, power, endurance, flexibility 

Implement a Functional Neurology Approach & Improve Function from the Inside Out 

• ANS function (sympathetic and parasympathetic) 
• Decrease protective responses  
• Structure vs function: enhance the overall repair process 

Tapping into Neuroplasticity to Improve Rehab Outcomes 

• Support and stimulation 
• Proven Strategies 
  • Physical Therapy 
  • Visuomotor Training 
  • Constraint Therapy 
  • Robotics 
• Novel Strategy: Electrical stimulation for muscle, tissue, nerve activation and blood flow 
• Differences in NMES: Direct Current (DC) vs Alternating Current (AC) 

Neurological Approaches: Combine NMES and Functional Rehab for Improved Outcomes 

• Sensory inputs to improve outputs 
• Intentional therapeutic exercises to improve deficits 
• Scanning/Mapping process 
• Differences in frequencies 
• DC & Neuro PT = “more bang for your buck” 
• Targeted treatment approaches for specific impairments 
  • Spasticity  
  • Weakness  
  • Balance/Vestibular  
  • Gait/Functional Activities  
• Examples of outcomes: 
  • Pt with TBI- got off of spasticity meds 
  • Pt with MS - went from wheelchair/recliner to walking 
  • Pt with acute Stroke - went from dependent with transfers to walking with a cane in two months  
• Tips for billing and documentation 

Target Audience

• Physical Therapists