Facilitating Functional Movement: Neurologic Impairments

Presented by Rehab Connections

Description

Create more opportunities for movement and impact the nervous system to facilitate immediate, powerful results. Learn sequences and refine clinical skills to facilitate sit to stand transfers, improve balance for gait, optimize posture and spinal mobility for breathing, and address abnormal tone. Individuals experiencing diseases of the central nervous system lose key components of movement such as rotation, which creates functional limitations ranging from the inability to reach for self-care to difficulty walking and moving around. The topics and experiential labs in this course are applicable to patients with diagnoses such as CVA, MS, PD, and more; plus all concepts and movement facilitation techniques can be applied to a variety of pediatric and geriatric patients with movement impairments.

"Most of my career has been in out-patient orthopedics. Feldenkrais has allowed me to work with neuro patients successfully." --Judy Polkow, PT, CFP

Instruction level: Various
CE contact hours 7.0 (IL)
Intended audience: PTs, PTAs, OTs, OTAs

Topics

• Overview of facilitation and awareness based on the Feldenkrais Method
• Using the whole body to make connections and increase awareness to improve cognition, create more choices and possibilities for movement, and help patients feel more grounded and improve balance
• Seeing and experiencing immediate changes after performing sequences of small movements
• Spiral diagonal patterns to facilitate reaching and sit to stand functional movement patterns
• Pelvic and spinal movements for transfers and gait
• Handling skills and hands-on techniques to facilitate optimal responses in patients
• Selecting appropriate and credible Feldenkrais online resources for patients and clinicians, including DVDs, written instructions, and YouTube video
• Documenting skilled intervention, assessing functional outcomes, and utilizing terminology consistent with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health

Key lab sessions

• Hands-on labs based on Functional Integration include tactile cues and manual contacts to facilitate pelvic movement and sit to stand transfers
• Functional movement labs based on Awareness Through Movement lessons address facilitation techniques to improve unsupported sitting balance and spinal rotation for gait
• Special lab session will demonstrate the power of the eyes and how they control and influence the body, especially useful for individuals with severely limited mobility

Objectives

By the completion of the course the participant will be able to:

1. Apply 2 new functional movement sequences as part of your therapeutic exercise or therapeutic activity repertoire.
2. Document 3 indicators of skilled intervention specific to the techniques presented.
3. Describe 2 functional limitations that can be addressed using the whole body to increase awareness and facilitate movement.
4. Identify 3 appropriate Feldenkrais resources online specific to your patient population.

IMPORTANT! 2-3 days prior to the CE event, you will receive your CE materials and Zoom registration link by email. This gives you the opportunity to preview, download or print, save, and refer back to the information at any time. If you do not receive your CE material please contact us before the day of the course or workshop.

Presenter

Judy Polkow, PT, CFP

Judy has been a licensed Physical Therapist since 1980. She received a Masters in Health Science in 1989. Judy has worked in various outpatient orthopedic settings, including owning her own clinic. She became a certified Feldenkrais practitioner in 2000, which changed the way she views rehabilitation and positively affected the way she treats patients. Judy believes functional improvements are tremendous through an exciting and progressive thought process that creates a higher level of thinking for the practitioner and patient (student). The Feldenkrais Method® has also helped her to complete a few triathlons despite three knee surgeries.

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Location

Location

Rehab Connections
Physical Therapy
and
Education and Training Center
14901 S. Founders Crossing, Homer Glen, IL 60491
Phone: (708) 301-9933

Registration: 8:00 am - 8:30 am
Course: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

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Click on date to register.

Lunch is on your own

Tuition: $199

Seating is limited. Please register early!

Rehab Connections reserves the right to modify the content and the scheduled speakers when circumstances are beyond our control.

Rehab Connections is an approved continuing education sponsor through the State of Illinois; PT License No: 216-000101

Cancellations:
Registration fee, less a $50 administration fee per session, is refunded if notice of cancellation is received more than 10 days in advance of the CE event. Cancellations made less than 10 days in advance of the CE event date forfeit the entire tuition fee. Tuition can be transferred to another individual or another CE event, one time only. No transfer, refund or credit will be given for cancellation 3 days or less before the CE event, or when handouts or other CE event materials are available electronically, including but not limited to emailed or downloadable pdf documents.
All unapplied transfers and credits will expire September 26, 2026.

Rehab Connections reserves the right to cancel the CE event up to one week prior to the CE event. Rehab Connections will not be responsible for any charges incurred by the registrant due to the cancellation of the CE event, other than the CE event tuition.

© 2025 Rehab Connections

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