Course Description:

This course will guide rehab professionals to a thorough understanding of how to evaluate and treat adult patients who have been diagnosed with upper extremity arthritis. (This course does not address juvenile arthritis.) The material covers four arthropathies that can significantly affect upper extremity function—osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and systemic sclerosis. The course discusses arthritis pathophysiology, epidemiology, relevant anatomy, and the effects on function. It also reviews evaluation of the patient with arthritis and discusses in detail conservative treatment options for these patients, aimed at maximizing each patient’s functional outcomes. Therapist Tips and Clinical Thinking scenarios help focus the clinician’s application of the material. This course will be immediately useful in clinical practice for OTs, PTs, OTAs, and PTAs.