Residency Course

Multiple Sclerosis: Physical Therapy Assessment and Treatment

Faculty: Nora Fritz, PhD, PT, DPT, NCS

Course Description.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative condition that causes progressive loss of mobility and quality of life. Both motor and non-motor symptoms of MS are important to consider in the delivery of physical therapy. This comprehensive course will provide up-to-date information regarding the management of MS including medical and physical therapy management addressing all levels of the International Classification of Function, Disability, and Health. Evidence-based physical therapy evaluation, outcome measurement, and treatment strategies will be presented in the context of available evidence based practice. Interventions discussed include gait, balance, cueing, functional mobility, and exercise prescription. Additional attention will address complex problems in MS, such as the impact of nonmotor symptoms on physical therapy, strategies to improve maintenance of home exercise participation, motor learning, and fatigue.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe common disease presentation in persons with MS

  2. Describe the symptoms of MS and how they impact rehabilitation

  3. Describe evidence-based evaluation tools to assess functional mobility, gait, balance, and fall risk in people with MS.

  4. Identify evidence-based treatment strategies to address the following domains in people with MS: functional mobility, strength, flexibility, and aerobic conditioning.

  5. Explain rehabilitation strategies for people with MS.

  6. Describe physical therapy evaluation and treatment of people with MS across the stages of the disease.

  7. Design physical therapy delivery plans for case examples of people with MS.

The online course will be launched in Aug, 2019

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