2022 Conference Course Descriptions and Speaker Bios (check back regularly for updates)

Friday

Gentle Therapeutic Yoga in Practice: Getting off the Floor with a Modified Sun Salutation, 8am-10am, 2CCUs
Nydia Tijerina Darby, PT, DPT
This course will allow the clinician to experience a Therapeutic Sun Salutation (a common practice in traditional Yoga movement practices) and gentle breath centered therapeutic yoga practices.  These functional practices have been modified by an Integrative Physical Therapist to draw out the therapeutic potential and make them accessible to all levels of patients.  Special emphasis will be placed on the Therapeutic Sun Salutations impact on improving whole body mobility to make transfer down to floor and back up to standing accessible for patient health and safety.   Attendees will explore how the Therapeutic Sun Salutation can be used as a functional tool that empowers and can positively impact QOL and function in their rehabilitation patients.

Reducing Burnout: Strategies and Nonclinical Opportunities for Maximizing Your Skill Sets, 9am-11am, 2CCUs
Phillip Magee, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy
Burnout within the Physical Therapy profession has been published since the 1980s. Burnout is multifactorial and has negative effects on personal well-being and the healthcare system. There are evidence-based approaches to reduce burnout for clinicians. In addition, many Physical Therapists are unaware of the nonclinical job options available to those who want to consider opportunities beyond clinical care.

The Reality of Virtual Learning and Netiquette, 9am-11am, 2CCUs 
Kristen Barta, PT, DPT, PhD, NCS and Germaine Ferreira, PT, DPT, MSPT, BHMS
In recent years, more learning environments have transitioned to online formats and delivery. This has created the potential for students and faculty to have different perceptions of acceptable professionalism required in the virtual classroom. However, little is known about the differences in attitudes towards appropriate behavior between students and faculty in the online environment. Additionally, the pandemic created an abrupt need for virtual learning which gave students and faculty minimal time to adjust to this different domain. With the surge of online learning and the transitions during this past year, there is a need to review how students and faculty interact in the virtual environment. This is because cyberincivility could cause adverse disruptions in the learning environment and impede learning. With online education continuing to grow in popularity it's important to address netiquette before it causes harm to the educational experience. Comprehension of faculty and student perceptions and attitude toward netiquette should facilitate the development of strategies to enhance faculty and student relationships.  This session will strive to address these concerns and guide faculty to avoid conflicts in the virtual classroom.

Tarsal Therapeutics: Remedies for Troubled Feet, 9am-12pm, 3 CCUs
Edward P. Mulligan, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS, ATC
This course is designed to provide a current concepts overview of the rehabilitative management of common orthopedic midfoot pathologies.  The program will highlight the clinical identification of bony and soft tissue disorders, imaging insights, differential diagnostic strategies, and management perspectives specific to the underlying pathoanatomy or post-operative technique.  Musculoskeletal specific conditions that will be covered include acquired flatfoot deformity, accessory navicular syndrome, plantar fasciitis, tarsometatarsal instability, and proximal metatarsal diaphyseal fractures. An evidence-based approach will be presented to assist the clinician in providing treatment to maximize outcomes, acknowledge social determinants of health, and recognize prognostic factors that impact terminal expectations.

The Reluctant Patient Discharge, 10am-12pm, 2CCUs 
Donna Carver, PT
Discharge planning is a complex process that requires number of factors and can be especially difficult when  negotiating this plan with the patient.   This course will look at the state, federal and APTA guidelines with regard to discharge planning in the PT plan of care.  We will discuss some issues that present specifically in the treatment of the pelvic health patient versus other rehab settings.  We will discuss how to set achievable goals and other useful tactics in preparing the pelvic health patient to progress toward discharge.

Treatment Updates for the Severe Traumatic Brain Injured Patient in the ICU through Post-Acute Setting, 1pm-4pm, 3 CCUs
Trianna Warkentin, PT, MS, NCS and Zoraya Parrilla, MD 
Recent studies are demonstrating that patients suffering severe traumatic brain injuries resulting in disorders of consciousness (DOC) are recovering consciousness and function. Yet, DOC patients are often deemed as not appropriate for skilled Physical Therapy services in the acute, LTACH or skilled nursing setting, even though physical therapists are uniquely qualified to meet the needs of the DOC patients, from helping these patients be reintroduced to upright, which is positively correlated with increased levels of consciousness, to addressing some of the secondary sequelae from the TBI, such as spasticity and debility. This course will share with the therapist practical methods to address the needs of these patients, such when and when not to mobilize in the ICU, that the therapist can use the very next day, and how to help families maneuver through the healthcare system to best meet the needs of their loved one.

DEI in PT, 1pm-3pm, 2 CCU's
It has never been more imperative to build a supportive and inclusive culture. Join TPTA's DEI Committee for a look at the latest in diversity, equity and inclusiveness in the profession of physical therapy.

What A Physical Therapist Needs To Know To Effectively Treat Peripheral Artery Disease: Prevalence and Treatment Disparities Across Different Races and Gender, 1pm-4pm, 3CCUs 
Germaine Ferreira, PT, DPT, MSPT, BHMS and Amy Walters, PT, DPT
The focus of this workshop is to train physical therapists to address peripheral artery disease (PAD) that mainly affect older adults. PAD is an atherosclerotic vascular disease that primarily affects the peripheral arteries in the lower extremities resulting in morbidity and mortality. More than 200 million adults worldwide have PAD. In the United States, 8.5 million adults, older than 40 years, currently have been diagnosed with PAD. Aging, genetics, race, and gender, predispose one to develop PAD which triggers the development of other chronic diseases. Due to the critical limb ischemia seen in PAD, patients are at high risk for limb loss with nearly 30% requiring amputation.  Rates of amputation disproportionately affect African- American and Native American patients compared to Caucasian patients. PAD requires ongoing medical attention, limits independence in activities of daily living, and is a leading cause of disability and death. Patients with PAD are at increased risk for infection, with worse outcomes. PAD is manageable with pharmacotherapy and supervised exercise. Managing treatments, making lifestyle changes to keep impending disability in check, and maintaining a quality of life is an ongoing challenge. Supervised exercise therapy is highly effective in the treatment of PAD. The role of physical therapy in empowering, supporting, and educating the patient to self-manage the disease is crucial for the well-being of the patient. The method of presentation will include the use of PowerPoint as a visual, along with demonstration of tests and exercises for the audience to practice.

Student Manual Therapy, 4:30pm-5:30pm
Dana Tew, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT and Jennifer Frerich PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
OPTIM Manual Therapy will be hosting a free presentation and lab discussing various peripheral and spinal manual therapy techniques. Come learn or refine your manual therapy skills including thrust and non-thrust techniques. This session is available to PT's and PTA's, all students welcome. 

Saturday

Texas Assembly and General Session (8am-12pm)

Pediatric Seating and Mobility, 1pm-3pm, 2CCUs
Saida Ebrahim, MPH, PT, DPT, NCS and Dave Butcher, ATP 
This course will review the fundamentals of the functional componentry of wheelchairs, evaluation and prescription of seating systems and mobility bases of wheelchairs, and application of Activity Based Restorative Therapy (ABRT) for positioning. This session will include: a didactic summary on seating componentry and restorative seating principles, a review of case-based scenarios in the pediatric patient population, and hands-on review of various wheelchair bases.

Pelvic Floor Therapy - Go Beyond Kegel's,  1pm-3pm, 2CCUs
Donna Carver, PT
Treating patients with pelvic floor dysfunction is more than just giving out Kegel's exercises. While these are an important first step in learning to control of the pelvic floor, there are many other reasons why a person develops pelvic floor dysfunction. This course will examine the origin of the Kegel exercise, when they are appropriate and when they can do more harm than good.   We will review the common diagnosis that are referred for pelvic floor PT, some ways to identify pelvic floor issues that may be affecting other PT issues in everyday clinical practice, and look closely at the pelvic floor muscles and how to differentiate between pelvic floor weakness and pelvic floor tightness.  And lastly we will look at the external muscles attached to the pelvic structure that can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction.

Practical Applications of High Intensity Training for a Variety of Diagnoses in the Inpatient Setting for ICU through the Post-Acute Setting, 1pm-5pm, 4 CCUs
Trianna Warkentin, PT, Ms, NCS and Hannah Orange, SPT
Studies are demonstrating the importance of intensity as one of the key factors that physical therapists must incorporate into their treatments to make significant gains with their patients. High intensity training (HIT) has been shown to improve patient's cardiovascular, respiratory, balance and cognitive functions, and has been shown to be safe for patients with a variety of diagnoses such as patients with post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), COVID and the geriatric population. Yet, HIT is rarely used in the inpatient setting. This course will review current literature regarding HIT and high intensity stepping training (HIST) including those studies investigating specific diagnoses such as PICS, COVID and Neurologic diagnoses, and identify practical techniques that the inpatient therapist can utilize to safely to use HIT and HIST in the ICU, IMU and post-acute setting.

Are you Neer a paradigm shift in treating shoulder pain?, 2pm-5pm, 3CCUs
Jacob Garza, DPT, FAAOMPT, OCS, Suzy Okere, DPT, PhD, SCS, ATC, Leeda Rasoulian, DPT, FAAOMPT and Angela J. Rich, PT, ScD, OCS
The shoulder is the third most common musculoskeletal area of pain with Impingement being the most common diagnosis. Historically, acromial space structure and dynamic pathomechanics has been identified as the source of pain and tissue damage. Evolving literature has refuted the Neer philosophy and questioned the ability to identify the pain generator. Further complication is created by the lack of an accurate assessment methodology, clinical tests of high specificity and individualized intervention. This course will provide an overview of the current literature addressing traditional management, review of the involved anatomy, pathoanatomy and alternate methods of assessment and intervention.

Wellness for “Boomers”: Current Rehabilitation Concepts, 2pm-4pm, 2CCUs
Ann H. Newstead, PT, DPT, PhD
Boomers are aging and so are we. We have an opportunity to offer Boomers an Annual Wellness Visit plus more. Discover how to move forward with offering an Annual wellness visit, screening for falls, comprehensive exams, and streamlined therapeutic plans to improve longevity in our Boomers. A case study approach that fits many of your aging patients and us.