An exciting week of the application of the Bobath Concept to a different clinical population. This course has helped me to realise how to reach the potential that incomplete spinal cord injury patients have. I had been unsure of the limitations of their recovery. This course has improved my confidence in clinical judgment, which was my key objective. But a good advanced course does much more than this. Julie Vaughn-Graham gave an overwhelming exposition of the value of the application of systems theory to clinical reasoning and rehabilitation daily in patient treatment sessions and lectures, ably supported by Debbie Strang.
This sounds dry, but was an inspiration in its application. We watched a young patient change shape from a flexed and hyperreflexive posture that was perturbed by his respiration, to independent standing by the end of the week. His arms and hands went from being appendages to balance to functioning arms and hands in the five days. Each day I stopped three or four times re-examining my practice, evaluating a new insight, incorporating new knowledge. There was plenty to put to use immediately, such as the invaluable insights into treadmill and body weight support training, and the error less learning we can give to set up better APAs, but also much to go away and read up on. Food for the brain for a long time to come, another perspective on the Bobath Concept, and the evidence of its clinical success before our eyes. Thank you for the Olav Gjelsvik Award, it was a privilege to attend.
I thoroughly valued attending the course and it will bring a great deal of benefit to my patients with or without ISCI
