On Demand - Providence 11th Annual Hand and Upper Extremity Conference: Hand Therapy for Hypermobility - Assessment and Treatment of Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Course Description:

The Providence Hand and Upper Extremity Conference has been a well-received course over the past 10 years, offering high-quality education for hand therapists.  On this 11th year we will delve into the topic of hypermobility and how hand therapists can treat this common diagnosis.  

The unique format of this conference provides a diverse and rigorous delivery of research-based clinical knowledge to help participants better understand the challenges of hypermobility, as experienced by the patient and treated by the therapist.  Presenters will include a Board-certified orthopedic hand surgeon, experienced certified hand therapist, physical therapist, and registered dietitian.   Content will include surgical procedures to reduce instability, best practices and common misperceptions of hypermobility from a hand therapy perspective, fall prevention and strengthening prescriptions and dietary problems common to hypermobility with guidelines on tackling these issues.  

This course will be an intermediate educational opportunity for clinicians who treat or are considering treating people with hypermobility. 

This course will include viewing videos of the live recorded event from November 3, 2023.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this course participants will be able to:

1. Recognize the common hand and arm complaints that can result from hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) and/or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

2. Choose and apply assessment techniques to describe the degree of hypermobility.  

3. Organize and apply appropriate treatment techniques for patients with hypermobile joints.

4. Choose orthoses, adaptive equipment, and exercise programs for the hypermobile hand and arm.

5. Describe additional resources available for people with hypermobility

6. Explain surgical procedures and goals of surgery as related to hypermobility

7. Describe post-operative therapy needs for people with hypermobility

8. Select appropriate exercises for hypermobile patients 

9. Explain the dietary problems common to hypermobility and be able to make common dietary suggestions as well as when to refer to a dietitian/nutritionist

Agenda:

Video One – Introduction to Hypermobility and EDS, JoAnn Keller, OTD, OTR/L, CHT

a. Background, prevalence, presentation and screening/diagnostic criteria 

b. Related comorbidities - Dysautonomia, MCAS, POTS, GI issues 

c. Related overlay - Neurodivergence/autism spectrum and gender/transgender issues, chronic pain.  Frequent misdiagnosis:  arthritic conditions, fibromyalgia 

d. Hand Therapy Assessment - Beighton scale 

e. Case examples - unaware, aware, expert clients 

Treatment Strategies, JoAnn Keller, OTD, OTR/L, CHT

Orthoses - Prefabricated and/or custom 

Adaptive Equipment

Exercises - Stability

Question & Answer 

Specific Orthotic Considerations, JoAnn Keller, OTD, OTR/L, CHT

a. The BEST Hand Based Thumb Spica for hypermobility - demo and criteria list 

b. Silver Ring Splint Fitting 

     i.   Common types & Uncommon types 

     ii.  Alternatives 

Coordinating with Other Professionals - primary care (ND, ARNP, MD), physical therapists, surgeons, JoAnn Keller, OTD, OTR/L, CHT

Video Two - Surgical presentation by Dr. Matthew Oseto

Video Three – Fall prevention and overall strengthening, Jessica Shelton, PT, CSCS

Video Four - Common digestive issues, motility, dysautonomia, allergies, Niki Strealy, RDN, LD

About the Speakers:

JoAnn Keller, OTD, OTR/L, CHT 

JoAnn Keller is an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist as well as owner of Hands for Living, a specialty hand therapy private practice in Lynnwood and Redmond, Washington.  She is also the creator of an online course for Hand Therapy and Hypermobility, which will be released this fall.

JoAnn has been an OT since 1995, and a certified hand therapist since 2001.  JoAnn’s hand therapy practice has focused on conservative and post-operative care of patients with shoulder, arm, and hand diagnoses with a particular interest in custom orthoses and hypermobility.  She has made more than 10,000 custom orthoses over the course of her career.  She now primarily spends her time managing the practice’s two locations and supporting the clinic’s 9 therapy practitioners as well as therapists across the country.
 
Since 2007, JoAnn has worked closely with Dr. William Ericson and now Dr. Matthew Oseto of the Ericson Hand and Nerve Center in Mountlake Terrace, Washington.  They specialize in the treatment of patients with hypermobility and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. 

JoAnn is honored to be a Board member for the Eastside Ehlers Danlos Society, a patient-directed advocacy group providing education, resources, and networking opportunities for people with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. 

Dr. Matthew C. Oseto, MD, MA, FAAOS  

Dr. Oseto is an ABOS board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon with a special interest in hypermobility and nerve compression issues.  He is in private practice with Dr. William Ericson at the Ericson Hand and Nerve Center in Montlake Terrace, Washington where they welcome EDS and hypermobile patents for both upper and lower extremity diagnoses. He has spent two years learning Dr. Ericson’s pioneering upper extremity nerve release techniques and has completed the training courses for lower extremity nerve releases offered by the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons.

As a competitive bicycle racer with a graduate degree in exercise physiology, Dr. Oseto understands how even small amounts of exercise and movement can enhance people’s quality of life. In his practice he works with patients “where they are at” offering surgical and non-surgical treatment options to decrease pain, improve function and ultimately increase activity levels.

Dr. Oseto is a founding board member of Eastside EDS, a 501(c)3 non-profit, patient oriented advocacy and support group based in Kirkland, Washington. The group’s mission is EDS awareness and education for physicians, therapists, and newly diagnosed patients. 

Jessica Shelton, PT, CSCS 

Jessica is a sports physical therapist at Providence Sports Care Center who is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Emergency Medical Responder (EMR). She is also a certified TPI golf professional trained to perform golf screening and swing video analysis. Jessica is a leader in sports therapy and persistent pain, providing various training courses on these topics to area clinicians. She has been taking clients from injury back to health since 1996 and has a wide range of experience. On the weekends, you can find Jessica outdoor adventuring with her husband Jeff and her daughter Sarah. 

Niki Strealy, RDN, LD 

Niki is a registered and licensed dietitian/nutritionist specializing in digestive health. She is the owner of Strategic Nutrition, LLC which provides nutrition counseling for conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), chronic constipation, and chronic diarrhea. She also enjoys working with athletes with digestive conditions. 

She is also a busy mom of three, wife to a husband who competes in Ironman triathlons, with a flock of chickens and a garden. In her “spare” time she plays and coaches soccer and runs marathons. In 2015 and 2018, She ran the Boston marathon in crazy weather conditions. 

Niki is passionate about teaching people to eat when their tummy doesn’t seem to work like everyone else’s.  She is the author of “The Diarrhea Dietitian: Expert Advice, Practical Solutions and strategic Nutrition.”  

Registration information:

Registration Fee: The registration fee is as follows: 

$140 for Providence employees, $240 for all other participants. Registration fees cover electronic course handouts, access to on demand videos and electronic certificate of attendance. 

Refund Policy: Course materials are immediately accessible upon purchase, so no refunds will be available.

Contact Hours: This course qualifies for 6.75 contact hours for Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants in Oregon and Washington. Continuing education credit in additional states may be available.  Please email joanna.mullett@providence.org to determine if continuing educations credits can be submitted for your state.  Certificates of attendance will be issued to all participants completing the CEU requirements.