CONCEPTS IN THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE

The Concepts in Therapeutic Exercise course is taught over the spring semester of year one. The course introduces the student to the underlying frameworks and constructs for normal and dysfunctional movement assessments, and the development of individualized exercise programs as part of the patient management model. Exercise applications that are utilized throughout lifespan that address identified impairments; activity and participation limitations are emphasized. Students will apply clinical decision-making strategies to practice, design, modify and progress exercise programs with proper biomechanical alignment and proper muscle balance for optimal performance that may include range of motion, postural stabilization, progressive resistive exercise, flexibility, pain, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, closed and open chain exercise applications, proprioception and/or balance strategies. These underlying concepts are applied to disorders of the upper quarter, lower quarter and trunk. Video/Case studies presenting with a variety of musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, integumentary and cardiopulmonary impairments will be used to develop clinical decision-making and therapeutic exercise design for a variety of clinical disorders. Patient-practitioner interaction as well as patient instruction will be integrated throughout the series.