Welcome Message from Margaret M. Biblis
Update on Continuing Education/Competency
At DavisPTnetwork, we understand how important continuing education and continuing competency are to you. That's why we'll help you stay up-to-date on the latest changes in state requirements in a new section of this e-newsletter - "Update: DavisPTnetwork State CE Requirements and Approvals." And we'll continue to offer you a growing list of courses, which currently totals nearly 80 contact hours. Be sure to check for new offerings coming soon: Pharmacologic Management of Parkinson Disease and Exploring Behaviors, Spirituality and Healthcare among Cultures.
We hope you enjoy this month's issue of DavisPTnetwork Connections.
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Happy reading! Margaret M. Biblis Publisher, Health Professions/Medicine |
Continuing Education Update:
State News and Recent DavisPTnetwork Approvals
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Good news: DavisPTnetwork currently has 79.5 contact hours approved, and we're pleased to provide an update about our course approvals, which we continue to pursue in all states that require continuing education (or continuing competency). |
Currently, our courses are approved in all of the following states:
- AK, AL, AR, AZ, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, KS, LA,MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NV, OH, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI
- In addition to the above, our applications are pending in the following states: CA, KY, MD, NJ, NM, WV
In the news: Some states are starting to require continuing education (or continuing competency) this year:
- Utah - as of June 30, Utah requires 40 contact hours for PTs and 20 contact hours for PTAs every 2 years - all DavisPTnetwork courses are approved
- California - starting this fall, California proposes to require 30 contact hours for PTs and PTAs over a 3-year period - all DavisPTnetwork courses have been submitted for approval with California
- New York - starting September 1, New York will require 36 contact hours for PTs and PTAs over a 3-year period. Watch for updates next month.
Be sure to visit your state's web site to learn of any changes that affect you.
Clinical Feature Article:
Put a Positive Spin on Vestibular Rehabilitation
Balance problems, visual difficulty during head movement, and disequilibrium — three reasons a patient with bilateral vestibular hypofunction may retreat from normal activities. Learn how to create a treatment program that will work for this patient, and teach her how to compensate so she can lead a more balanced life. Read more.
PT in the Spotlight: 
Jill B. Lattanzi, PT, EdD
Making a Difference for People in Need, Near & Far
For nearly 20 years, physical therapist Jill Lattanzi has led students in community engagement and service-learning experiences. Although many of these have taken place on international soil, Lattanzi found there was also much need right in her own backyard. Here she shares her inspirational story.
Read more.
We're looking for more great stories! Please contact us if you - or someone you know - have accomplished something interesting in physical therapy and would like to be featured in one of our next stories. It could be related to your career, a volunteer activity, an especially touching story, or anything else PT-related.
 Research Roundup  |
Darlene K. Sekerak, PT, PhD, is a Professor of Physical Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a longstanding commitment to the translation of research into practice.
Every newsletter will include highlights of hot-off-the press articles from the professional literature of interest to practicing clinicians. Be the first to have the latest info guiding practice - Read it here!
Falls Prevention? Go Digital!
Patients who got fall-prevention instruction via DVD had a greater awareness of their risk of falling when compared with those who were given a printed handbook of text and pictures pulled from the DVD. The patients who viewed the DVD also had greater confidence and motivation to use self-protective strategies against falls. DVDs might be an especially good tool for those with auditory and visual learning styles to prevent falls and the decreased quality of life that often results.Source: Hill AM, McPhail S, Hoffmann T, Hill K, Oliver D, Beer C, Brauer S, Haines TP. A Randomized Trial Comparing Digital Video Disc with Written Delivery of Falls Prevention Education for Older Patients in Hospital. J Am Geriatr Soc, 2009, Jun 8.
Exercising Phantom Pain Away
Research by Ulger et al. in the Department of Prosthetics and Biomechanics at Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey, revealed that a 4-week program of exercises for the phantom limb was more effective in reducing phantom pain than a 4-week program of general exercise. The results were consistent in both upper- and lower-limb amputees. Source: Ulger O, Topuz S, Bayramlar K, Sener G, Erbahceci F. Effectiveness of Phantom Exercises for Phantom Limb Pain: A Pilot Study. J Rehabil Med. 2009, June 41(7):582-584.
The Old Bend and Stretch - Good for the Knees!
Patients with knee osteoarthritis often have pain, joint stiffness, decreased strength, and a deficit in proprioception leading to impaired function and increased risk for falls. Simple knee flexion and extension exercises (weight-bearing or nonweight-bearing) performed over 8 weeks resulted in significant improvement in the WOMAC function scale and knee strength. Weight-bearing exercises had the added benefit of improving position sense for complex walking tasks. Source: Jan MH, Lin CH, Lin YF, Lin JJ, Lin DH. Effects of Weight-Bearing Versus Nonweight-Bearing Exercise on Function, Walking Speed, and Position Sense in Participants with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2009, 90(6):897-904.
Check Out These DavisPTnetwork Blogs!
Check out the latest blogs on DavisPTnetwork. Each month, we'll highlight a few blogs covering new, interesting, and relevant topics in physical therapy. You're always invited to join the discussion!
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