Physical Rehabilitation in Arthritis: Module 1

Course Goals:      

This course is intended to instruct the student through self-paced study of the physical rehabilitation and treatment of patients with arthritic diseases.

Student Objectives         

At the end of this course the student will be able to:

1. Identify the role of physical and occupational therapy in the management of arthritis from past to present.

2. Identify the effect of cultural attitudes and beliefs with the treatment of arthritis.

3. Identify the criteria for the classification of rheumatoid arthritis.

4. Identify the criteria for the classification of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

5. Identify the criteria for diagnosing ankylosing spondylitis.

6. Identify the socioeconomic impact of arthritis.

7. Identify 9 different types of collagen in healthy human articular tissues.

8. Identify the pathological changes that occur with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, infectious arthritis, hemophilic arthritis, crystal-associated (gouty) arthritis and neuropathic arthritis.

9. Identify the effects of inactivity on ligaments, tendons, articular cartilage and bone.

10. Define arthritis.

11. Identify clinical features, treatment and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

12. Identify 3 classes of drugs used to manage rheumatoid arthritis.

13. Identify 4 examples of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and their potential side-effects.

14. Identify the clinical features of ankylosing spondylitis.

15. Identify the clinical features of Reiter’s Syndrome.

16. Identify the clinical features of enteropathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and osteoarthritis.

17. Identify the most common form of arthritis.

18. Identify the clinical features of gout.

19. Identify 3 major subsets of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and the clinical signs of each of them.

20. Identify the clinical features of systemic lupus erythematosus.

21. Identify 4 connective tissue disorders.

22. Identify the clinical features of fibromyalgia.

23. Identify the 4 measures of value identified by the American Rheumatism Association in measuring the activity of rheumatoid arthritis.

24. Identify the advantages of using a modified blood pressure cuff to measure grip and muscle strength.

25. Identify the key areas to be addressed during patient evaluation with an arthritic patient.

26. Identify the criteria for diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

27. Identify techniques of spinal examination.