Synapse SPRING 2000 - acpin

SYNAPSE ● SPRING 2000REGIONAL REPORTShave teaching and researchcommitments as well as a babyboom in the last couple ofyears.Our current ‘official’ membershipis 30, well below our usual60-70 members.A new initiative has beenset up in the region by PaulaKershaw, senior I physiotherapistat Hope hospital inSalford, to encourage regionalin service training for senior 1physiotherapists working inneurology. These take placeevery three months half a dayand have so far includedpatient treatment and problemsolving and a workshop onoutcome measures. Paula canbe contacted on 0161 7875328 for further information.Manchester’s 2000 programmeincludes:■ Research in Neurology,Hilary Chatterton■ Current trends in the managementof MS■ Management of neurogenicshoulder pain in patients■ Patient workshop on UpperLimb Pam Mullholland■ Update on the use of Botoxin patients with spasticity■ Update on Physiotherapyfor Parkinsons Disease■ ANT in the treatment ofneurological patients■ MERSEYSIDEJenny CraigRegional Representative(Resigned March 2000)On behalf of the MerseyCommittee, I would like tothank all our members andspeakers during 1999 for theirsupport and also to extend ourthanks once more to SharonWilliams, who continues withher invaluable support both asour President and with her biannualworkshops, which arealways a great success. Ourmembership reached 58 thisyear despite all the Nationalmembership difficulties, so wehope to continue to grow in2000! The Committee remainsdedicated to providing a comprehensivelecture programmefor next year and also supportfor members. Some changes inCommittee positions will occurduring next year but memberswill be informed of theselocally.Our current bank balance ishealthy, following the implementationof charges forlectures and we still have thecomputer, which is accessiblefor committee members, andare compiling databases etc onthis.The highlight for the lectureprogramme for us in 1999 hasto be the Moving and HandlingWorkshop. I would like tothank all the Committee fortheir extremely hard work inpreparing this.Other events in the yearincluded a successful MuscleImbalance two weekend courseby Nick Hodie and two veryinteresting lectures on thehistory and development ofNeurosurgery andNeuroradiology. Other successfullectures were MedicalManagement of PVS,Dystrophy’s and CJD.This year’s programmeincludes: two follow up courseson Trigger points; a workshopwith Sharon Williams; and lectureson acupuncture, orthoticsand spinal cord injury.■ NORTHERNLesley YuleRegional RepresentativeTel: 0191 200 7086/7214Thank you to ACPIN membersfor your continued supportthroughout 1999 and into2000. Northern ACPIN has hadan eventful programme ofevening lectures and weekendcourses throughout 1999. Wewould like to thank all thosewho have educated andinspired us in the last year. Wehope there is something tooffer everyone in the comingyear.Events last year included: aweekend course on neurophysiology;the upper limb andpainful shoulder; and a Bobathworkshop.Current membership stands at70-80 members. The programmefor 2000 is takingshape and will include furtherweekend courses on: movementscience; pain; pilates, muscleimbalance; communication inCVA as well as Bobath workshops.■ NORTHERN IRELANDMargaret LewisRegional RepresentativeTel: 01232 240503 ext 2238Northern Ireland has had a busyand successful 1999 with continuedsupport from ourmembership and a full andactive committee.We have had a varied programme,which has provided abroad range of evening lectures,practical workshops, patientdemonstrations and weekendcourses. These included anintroductory normal movementcourse, weekend workshops onthe upper and lower limbs andmuscle imbalance for the lowerquadrant with David Fitzgeraldof the Dublin PhysiotherapyClinic. In addition, for the firsttime in Northern Ireland weheld courses on the Assessmentand treatment of the adult withhigh and low tone.Unfortunately we wereunable to run a planned 3-daysplinting course, but hope torun this in the coming year.We have enjoyed input fromboth physiotherapists and fromother disciplines through ourevening lectures and patientdemonstrations which havesparked discussion and interestamongst the membership.Our programme has beenfinalised for the 2000 andpromises to challenge usfurther in our clinical practiceand research. We hope to continueto increase ourmembership and draw fromthroughout Northern Ireland.Many thanks to our existingmembership for their continuingsupport.■ NORTH TRENTSteve CheslettRegional RepresentativeTel: 01709 5613991999 was generally a successfulyear for ACPIN in North Trentwith an increase in membershipto 38 and generally wellattended events, which tookplace approximately every othermonth.Events included the AGMwhich was combined with alecture on Neuroplasticity andChronic Pain. This drew a goodaudience of both members andnon members. Meetings alsoincluded a lecture by Paulinevan Vliet on ‘The Carr andShepherd Approach’ and a oneday course on ‘Lower limb functionalanatomy and strapping’by Karen Rowlands and SteveHodgson.Following a summer break theautumn brought an evening presentationby local clinicians on‘Recent developments in themanagement and treatment ofParkinsons Disease’ ,includingConductive Education.The Committee has seenseveral changes during the yearbut have been very busy planningand organising acomprehensive programme forthe new Millennium, with agood mix of evening and fullday courses.Many thanks to all themembers who have contributedduring the last year and to theguest speakers and clinicianswho have made the events possible!Our programme for 2000includes a lecture on Dyspraxiaand day courses on the upperlimb, including strapping, posturalcontrol with Nigel Lawes;and ataxia and the cerebellumwith Jon Marsden.■ OXFORDNicky SharmanRegional RepresentativeTel: 01296 315000 ext 59191999 provided us with a busyand varied programme forOxford. We have had eveninglectures every four to six weeksand an excellent splintingcourse which was held inOctober. This course has providedfresh ideas both fortreatment and further lectures.Our recent lectures have rangedfrom ‘MS’, ‘CT Scans made easy’,‘Neurosurgery’, ‘Perception andcognition within normal movement‘and a critical appraisal ofan article.The Oxford committee hasundergone a major reshuffle inthe recent months. I would liketo express our thanks to thosemembers stepping down and towelcome all those who aretaking up the challenges oftheir new posts! LouiseGatehouse, the previousregional representative, hasmoved on to the ExecutiveCommittee, although she stillremains an active member atregional level ( especially as Isettle into her old post!)I wish to express our thanksto everyone who has supportedthe region over the last year.Our numbers have increased tonearly fifty members and theevening lectures are wellattended. However, we arealways keen to involve newmembers and are enthusiasticabout fresh ideas for the yearahead.The provisional Programmefor 2000 includes: a half daycourse on Gait Analysis; the useof the treadmill in Strokepatients; and ATTP overlap.■ SCOTLANDEmma ForbesRegional RepresentativeTel: 01786 473 499The AGM was held in StirlingRoyal Infirmary in May andincorporated a problem solvingworkshop and networking sessionson CVA, MS and HeadInjury. This was attended by 20people and two new memberswere recruited to the committee.The study evening in Junetitled from ‘Russia with Love’was to give us an insight tophysiotherapy in Russia. Thisunfortunately had to be canceleddue to a lack of responsefrom our members.In November we ran a studyday on Parkinson’s Disease andSeating issues in conjunctionwith the Neuroscience NursesGroup. This was a great successand we hope to run furtherjoint study days in the future.At our committee meeting inDecember we had a volunteerto join our committee so wenow have eight members.The programme for 2000includes a meeting in May onmuscle imbalance with variousspeakers and the AGM, and inNovember a meeting on measurementin neurology.■ SOUTH TRENTLinda CargillRegional RepresentativeTel: 01332 340131 ext 56321999 has been a busy and successfulyear for the region, withmembership at 61.We offered eight events overthe year in either eveninglecture or day course format.Particular interest was gainedfor the ‘Movement ScienceApproach’ led by Paulette vanVliet, ‘Normal Movement of theUpper Limb’ with Erica Malcolmand ‘Gait Analysis’ which washeld in a gait laboratory withFran Polak.There have been a number ofchanges on the committee overthe year. We welcome JoannaRobertson as the new Chair, andwe do thank everyone for theirhard work. We are always keento attract new members to thecommittee, and would particularlywelcome anyone from theLeicester and Derby regions.As always we welcome feedbackon the programme, andhow South Trent ACPIN is run.The programme for 2000includes evening meetings onthe ‘Role of the assistant inneurological practice’;‘Communication with StrokePatients’ and day courses onsensory aspects of balance.■ SOUTH WEST(FORMERLY BRISTOL)Liz BrittonRegional RepresentativeTel: 0117 918 6565The first big change for this yearwas the re-naming of ourregional group from BristolACPIN to South West ACPIN. Itwas felt by members at the AGMthat this title more accuratelyreflected the catchment that wecover.Our ACPIN year started verysuccessfully with our AGM entitled‘Hands off – adjuncts toneurophysiotherapy’.We had a mixed programmebut found it difficult at times toarrange speakers. We promise totry harder in 2000! The highlightsof the programmeincluded ‘Hydrotherapy in neurology’,‘Biomechanics of thefoot’, and a motor-sciencefollow up day. Evening lectures,which are usually less wellattended, included a talk on‘Dysphasia’ by a speech therapistand a lecture on ‘MultipleSclerosis’.The committee are keen topursue the idea of trying morehalf day workshops rather thanevening lectures and wouldwelcome your response to thisidea.Other items on our agendainclude the setting up of ourown web-page as a method ofimproving communication.Bristol has also been pickedas a venue for a course entitled‘Spasticity in the community’.This is a venture run nationallyby National ACPIN and sponsoredby Athena Neuroscience.Further details will be publishedin Frontline.My annual report would notbe complete without the pleafor more committee membersand for those of you who feelthey are not receiving our4041