Physical Therapy Continuing Education Courses

Rob Landel PT, DPT, OCS

Lecture Name

Part II: Evaluation     $93.75


This lecture is part of the following course:
The Dizzy and Imbalanced Patient

Description

This course is aimed at physical therapists and physicians who are treating patients presenting with complaints of dizziness and/or balance problems. The participant will be able to use the skills learned in this short course to differentiate between central, peripheral and cervical vestibular patients, treat those who are appropriate and refer those who are not. Part 2 finishes the differential diagnostic process started in Part 1, beginning with a discussion of cervicogenic dizziness and how dysfunctions in the cervical spine can lead to patient complaints of dizziness and postural dyscontrol. The key clinical findings needed to distinguish between cervicogenic dizziness, vertebrobasilar artery insufficiency, and migrainous vertigo are presented. The course then moves to the evaluation of the patient complaining of dizziness, using the assumption that there is a history of trauma associated with the symptom onset, and the therapist is the first contact for the patient within the healthcare system. Clinical tests of vestibular function are discussed, and the significance of abnormal findings is related to subjective complaints. Use of videotaped patients and several case studies provide examples of common problems.

Contact Hours: 2.50

Rating:   

Difficulty: Intermediate

Goals & Objectives:
Given a patient with a complaint of dizziness, upon completion of this course the participant will be able to:

1. Discuss the cervical contributions to vertigo.
2. Recognize and differentiate between central and peripheral vestibular disorders, including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and cervicogenic dizziness.
3. Describe typical tests of vestibular function and interpret common findings.

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