Continuing Education

I am currently doing my Neurological placement working mostly with stroke patients in an outpatient setting. Our supervisor is really great and has been showing us heaps of techniques that we can use for facilitation. What I was surprised to find was how much mobilisation (especially of the foot and shoulder) as well as SIMMS is used in neurological physiotherapy. SIMMS is a great way to mobilise specific muscles and gain proper alignment, and the effects can be seen immediately. Since we only briefly touched upon this technique in school, I was not aware of the effect it can have on a neurological patient.

This just goes to show how clinics are an excellent learning process and how as a physiotherapist, you never stop learning. There is a strong emphasis in this profession on continuing education. I find this refreshing because you are constantly learning new treatment techniques that will make you a better physiotherapist and better your patient in the long run because you will always have a wide variety of treatments you can fall back on if you find that a certain technique is not working.

I just thought I would share my thoughts on this and ask if anyone else has had a similar experience where they found a new technique beneficial or your comments on continuing education.