Neurospecialist AHPs Flashcards
What are the aims of neurospecialist AHPs?
- improve patients level of function
- reduce symptoms
- enable patients to regain independence
- increase quality of life
Who are the main AHPs involved with neurology patients?
- Occupational Therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Dietetics
- Orthotics
- Art & Music Therapy
- Orthoptics (if vision is affected in stroke)
What are the main tasks of physiotherapists with neurological patients?
- target exercises at specific muscle groups
- Mobilise joints
- aid balance
- electrical stimulation and acupuncture
What are the main OT tasks with neurological patients?
- Optomise independence
- Assess cognition
- Check ADLs
- Complete home and work assessments
- Provide helpful equipment
What are the main aims of speech and language therapy with neurological patients?
- Assess speech and swallow
- manage swallowing if impaired
- provide techniques or aids for communication
How do dieticians aim to help neurological patients
- assess nutritional status
- assess feeding methods
- advice on best diet (e.g. best texture)
- give practical solutions for making food, and for eating difficulties
How do orthotists help neurological patients?
- help physiotherapists with joint assessment
- fit orthoses to stabilise joints and muscles
- optimise joint alignment
What neurological disease benefits greatly from music therapy?
Parkinsons
What specific physiotherapy is used for patients with Multiple Sclerosis?
- strengthening and aerobic exercise
- stretching muscles to keep relaxed
- Active and Passive ROM
- Postural exercises to reduce strain
What occupational therapy tasks are specific to Multiple Sclerosis?
- pacing activity (prevent patients stiring themselves out)
- Maintain work:rest ratio
- provide electronic aids
- control spasticity
How do dieticians and speech and language therapists aim to help multiple sclerosis patients?
manage dysphagia via:
- posture/positioning
- develop methods of eating
- texture of diet
- ways to reduce choking and aspiration
What do physiotherapists do to aid motor neurone disease patients?
- Complete a respiratory muscle assessment
- give exercises to increase lung capacity
- educate the patient on coughing techniques
- aim to reduce chest infection risk
How can an orthotist aid a motor neuron disease patient?
- provide neck brace due to instability
- provide upper limb support
How can a dietician aid patients with motor neuron disease?
- 1/3 of these patients will require feeding tubes
=> dieticians are in charge of managing these and inserting them early if suspicion of patient losing swallow
How do speech and language therapists assist in motor neuron disease?
- patients are often dysarthric due to bulbar muscle weakness
- may play a role in “voice banking” incase patient completely loses ability to speak
How can Occupational therapy be useful to a patient with parkinson’s disease?
- help completion of ADLs
- modify environment (e.g. cooking)
- develop strategies for problems that may arise in the future
How can physiotherapists help patient’s with parkinsons?
- help with initiation of movement
- coordinate gait
- practice balancing and transfers
- exercises for cardio and joint fitness
- improve core stability (due to hunched posture)
- pain relief hydrotherapy
How does music therapy aim to help parkinsons patients?
Promotes movement/dance
=> positive effect on balance, limb coordination and gait
What AHPs are involved in the acute phase of guillain barre syndrome, and what are their roles?
Physio, OT and Speech and Language
- maintain ROM to prevent contractures
- breathing and coughing exercises
- use of assistive devices
