A/Prof Simone Dorsch - Strength training after stroke, Dosage & Intensity, Personalising practise
Oct 7, 2024
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A/Prof Simone Dorsch, a neurological physiotherapy lecturer and Director at StrokEd, shares her expertise in strength training after stroke. She discusses the crucial elements of dosage and intensity in rehabilitation, emphasizing personalized interventions. Simone highlights the role of family in recovery and the need for effective communication to empower patients. Educational resources like the Upper Limb Stroke Rehab MOOC are also explored, revealing the intersection of research and practice in improving stroke rehabilitation outcomes.
A/Prof Simone Dorsch highlights the evolving understanding of strength training in stroke rehabilitation, emphasizing the need for targeted and task-specific interventions.
The introduction of an innovative MOOC for upper limb stroke rehabilitation demonstrates a commitment to enhancing educational access and resources for healthcare professionals.
Empowering patients and their families in the rehabilitation process fosters collaboration and improves engagement, ultimately leading to more effective recovery outcomes.
Deep dives
Career Journey and Roles
The discussion highlights the diverse career path of Associate Professor Simone Dorsch, who balances roles in academia and clinical practice. Dorsch works as a lecturer in neurological physiotherapy at the Australian Catholic University and serves as a clinical specialist at Bankstown Lidcombe Hospital. Her educational journey included completing a Masters and a PhD focused on strength training post-stroke, showcasing her commitment to advancing neurophysiotherapy. This blend of hands-on and theoretical work allows her to influence the next generation of clinicians while directly applying research to patient care.
Progress in Strength Training Knowledge
Simone Dorsch elaborates on the evolution of strength training knowledge in stroke recovery over the past two decades. She explains that the relationship between strength and functional improvement is evident, especially for patients with significant weakness. For individuals with greater strength, however, the focus shifts to coordination, making task-specific training essential. This understanding underlines the necessity for therapists to assess and target specific impairments accurately to enhance patient outcomes.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
The conversation covers the introduction of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) focused on upper limb rehabilitation after stroke, reflecting innovations in education for healthcare professionals. Dorsch notes that this course ran for the first time in June 2024, attracting 1,700 participants, with a completion rate surpassing the average for MOOCs. Future iterations plan to improve accessibility through translation and possible AI-enhanced subtitles for video content. This initiative exemplifies the movement towards broadening access to evidence-based practices in rehabilitation.
Empowerment in Rehabilitation
Dorsch emphasizes the importance of patient and family empowerment within the rehabilitation process. Engaging family members not only enriches the patient's experience but also fosters a collaborative approach to recovery. Dorsch notes that clinicians should recognize the value in teaching families effective coaching methods that enhance therapeutic outcomes. Building knowledge among patients and their families can lead to a more proactive engagement in the rehabilitation journey, strengthening their role in recovery.
Task-Specific and Evidence-Based Interventions
The podcast underscores the critical need for therapists to utilize task-specific, evidence-based practices in stroke rehabilitation. Dorsch advocates for intensive and active practice that closely mirrors the biomechanical demands of daily tasks. This approach necessitates a thorough clinical reasoning process to adapt treatments based on individual impairments and patient needs. By combining knowledge of effective practices with personalized intervention plans, clinicians can optimize rehabilitation outcomes and support lasting recovery.
A/Prof Simone Dorsch is a lecturer in neurological physiotherapy at Australian Catholic University in Sydney and a Director at the StrokEd collaboration. Simone holds a Masters of Health Science (Neurological Physiotherapy) and a PhD in increasing strength after stroke from University of Sydney. We spend time talking about strength training after stroke, dose and intensity of practice, courses offered by Stroke Ed including the Upper Limb Stroke Rehab Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) that ran for the first time in June 2024.
There’s chats about empowerment in rehab, the family role, personalising practise and what interventions we should and shouldn’t be using.
0 Intro 23.00 Current roles & career 45.00 MOOC UL stroke rehab 14.45 Stroke Ed courses 17.50 Coaching 21.10 How much to ‘talk’ as a physio 24.20 Empowerment & engagement 29.05 Strength training 32.45 Clinical reasoning framework of TST 35.10 What interventions we should be doing 38.30 Teaching how to practice - how not to scare people off 41.30 Hands-on approaches 44.30 Personalising practise 53.20 Family empowerment 57.10 Definition of Bobath in studies
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