College Knowledge Exchange - Do prolonged stretch interventions have a place in contracture management?

Overview

Join us for this engaging session presented by Teresa Clark, UK physiotherapist and researcher, and deepen your understanding of contracture management.

Learning outcomes:

Understand the patient and environmental factors associated with contracture development after brain injury.
Review the latest evidence on muscle contracture and prolonged stretch interventions, including serial casting and splinting.
Discuss how botulinum toxin and prolonged stretch interactions may interact in contracture treatment.
Practical strategies for preventing and managing muscle contractures in clinical practice.

Presenter

Teresa Clark qualified as a Physiotherapist in 2002 and specialises in the rehabilitation of complex neurological disability (including disorders of consciousness). As Consultant Physiotherapist, Teresa leads the RHN spasticity clinic, practicing as a non-medical prescriber, injector of botulinum toxin and guiding therapeutic management after botulinum toxin treatment. Teresa's role at the RHN includes significant teaching and clinical development responsibilities, aiming to further improve the practice of neuro-rehabilitation after brain injury. Teresa has completed a Masters in Clinical Research at St Georges University in London. Her thesis explored the barriers perceived by physiotherapists in using serial casting as a treatment for people with severe neurological disability (including those in a disorder of consciousness).

Teresa is currently undertaking PhD at the University of Nottingham. She is using qualitative methods to unpick how clinicians and family members make healthcare decisions on behalf of those in a disorder of consciousness (DOC). Her thesis explores how the specific beliefs and biases we have about the DOC influence decision-making, and how we could better balance these complex, competing factors to ensure the decisions we make are congruent with what the person in a DOC would want.Teresa's areas of research and clinical interest include; prolonged disorders of consciousness, contracture management, spasticity, optimising life-long care after brain injury and the development of research methodologies which support those with severe brain injury to participate in research which improves their own care. Her publication history includes book sections, UK national guidelines, and journal articles. Topics include various aspects of complex neurodisability treatment, from chronic neurological condition guidelines, contracture management, physical disability management in DOC, and pharmacological treatment of sialorrhea.