Recognizing Common Hindrances to Physical Therapy Progression

12-Month Subscription

Unlimited access to:

Thousands of CE Courses
Patient Education
Home Exercise Program
And more

Subscribe Now

First Chapter Free Buy Course

Your physical therapy sessions are valuable and often limited, therefore it is of utmost importance to recognize when a prosthetic problem is within your scope to correct or must be given attention by the prosthetist. This course will give you the tools needed to evaluate some of the most common pitfalls to physical therapy progression and either correct them when able or relay accurate information to the prosthetist for correction.

Meet your instructor

John Fergason

John Fergason is the chief prosthetist at the Center for the Intrepid at San Antonio Military Medical Center. He was formerly an instructor and clinical manager for the Prosthetics-Orthotics Program at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas, and proceeded to become the director of the Division of Prosthetics-Orthotics at the…

Read full bio

Chapters & learning objectives

1. Watch Out for These Before You Start!

Review of the prosthesis begins in the static standing portion of your treatment before ambulation. The presence of the following problems must be addressed prior to continuing into your gait training progression. Use of these evaluation tools will ensure your physical therapy session will be off to a good start.

2. Common Gait Deviations

It can be difficult to discern when a deviation in gait has a root cause in the prosthesis, the method of donning, or patient education and training. While many deviations can be corrected by adjusting the prosthesis, often this is neither correct nor necessary. This section will help you recognize and problem solve several of the more common deviations seen early in physical therapy training with the transfemoral prosthesis.

3. When to Stop!

Many limiting issues can be worked through by accommodation or correction during your gait training sessions. There are, however, several conditions that may develop while training that require reduction or complete elimination of weight bearing activity until they can be properly addressed.

More courses in this series

Understanding Lower Extremity Limb Loss

Alicia White

Evaluating Patients with Amputations

Alicia White

Rehabilitation after Lower Extremity Limb Loss

Alicia White

Prosthetic Training After Lower Extremity Limb Loss

Alicia White

Pre-Prosthetic Management of Lower Limb Amputation

John Fergason

Understanding the Transtibial and Transfemoral Limb/Socket Interfaces

John Fergason

The Physical Therapist and Prosthetics

John Fergason