Beschrijving

Het NPi organiseerd geregeld zgn. 'masterclasses. Onder een masterclass verstaan we: een scholingsactiviteit gegeven door een (inter-)nationaal gerenomeerde expert, die qua inhoud vernieuwend is voor paramedici die zich in een bepaalde richting hebben gespecialiceerd, en waarvoor een duidelijk omschreven ingangsniveau geldt. Deze masterclass richt zich specifiek op fysio- en ergotherapeuten die een opleiding handtherapie volgen of hebben afgerond.

This masterclass presents an evidence-based dynamic stability conservative management program and will improve the therapist’s anatomical and biomechanical understanding of the thumb. Traditional conservative management used to be a hand strengthening program and a resting splint. For this masterclass new innovative and evidence based intervention techniques for conservative management of the thumb are presented. These techniques have been shown to reduce pain and improve function. Muscle re-education and specific muscle strengthening, along with joint mobilization and use of appropriate modalities, including the use of splinting and medical taping are discussed. This masterclass will also include basic principles of joint protection and present several options for adaptive equipment and thumb saving devices. A stable and pain-free thumb is the goal, which has been shown to be reliably achievable.

After attending this masterclass the therapist will understand how thumb stability or instability affects function and participation and will be able to identify normal and abnormal kinematic and motor patterns of thumb function. The therapist will be able to implement new evidence-based and innovative techniques to mobilize joints, to re-educate key muscles to reduce pain and improve thumb stability. Part of the masterclass will also be emphasizing patient education in proper thumb biomechanics to protect joints over the long term, including joint protection and review of adaptive equipment. Therapists will also work on  improving taping techniques and orthotic fabrication skills to know when an orthosis provides immobilization, or provides dynamic thumb stability; with the goal to wean from the continuous use of an orthosis.

Virginia H. O’Brien, OTD, OTR/L, CHT is an experienced occupational therapist, and a specialist in hand therapy. She is an accomplished speaker and instructor of multiple courses to physicians, physical and occupational therapists, dentists, and dental hygienists on the subjects of orthotic fabrication, hand and thumb care/intervention, wrist pathologies, and most prolifically, the dynamic stability of the thumb.  She owns a consulting company; O’Brien Upper Limb Consulting LLC, works full time as a hand therapist, and is the coordinator for the Hand Therapy Fellowship program at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview Health System in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

She has presented on the topic of Dynamic Stability of the Thumb since 2005, nationally and internationally. She has completed clinical and bench research and authored multiple publications on the evidence for the dynamic stability thumb approach. She has received awards in 2015 and 2016 for the citations of her thumb research, which has contributed to the impact factor of the Journal of Hand Therapy. 
 

Doel

Na deze masterclass kan de deelnemer weloverwogen keuzes maken in de behandeling van patiënten met CMC 1-artrose.