Upper Extremity and Hand Therapy- Module 4: Common Shoulder and Elbow Diagnoses

Course Description:

This course is derived from the textbook by Cynthia Cooper “Fundamentals of Hand Therapy: Clinical Reasoning and Treatment Guidelines for Common Diagnoses of the Upper Extremity”. This illustrated text and reference emphasizes the fundamentals of hand therapy – for both specialists and non-specialists who encounter clients with hand issues. It provides a consistent format with tips and guidelines for hand therapy treatment. Coverage includes hand anatomy, key terms and concepts, and the evaluation process. A focus on professional issues includes clients with functional somatic syndromes and challenging behavior, client-therapist rapport, and the roles of therapy assistants. Providing many case studies, this text helps therapists think critically about clients' individual needs.

Module 4: Common Shoulder and Elbow Diagnoses covers chapters 10 through 11.  

• Chapter 10: Common Shoulder Diagnoses
• Chapter 11: Common Elbow Diagnoses  

Methods of Instruction:

Online course available via internet 

Target Audience:

Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Occupational Therapists, and Occupational Therapist Assistants 

Educational Level:

Intermediate 

Prerequisites:

None 

Course Goals and Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants should be able to:

1. Identify components of a cervical screening
2. Recognize characteristics of thoracic outlet syndrome/brachial plexopathy by description
3. Identify a proximal humerus fracture by description
4. Recognize indications for frozen shoulder/adhesive capsulitis
5. Recognize a description of glenohumeral instability
6. Understand case studies related to shoulder fractures/dysfunction
7. List components of elbow kinematics
8. Differentiate between distal humeral fractures and proximal ulnar fractures
9. Identify radial head fractures by description
10. Recognize indications for distal biceps tendon injury by description

Criteria for Obtaining Continuing Education Credits:

A score of 70% or greater on the post-test