Introduction

Parkinson’s is a complex neurodegenerative condition that significantly impacts a person's quality of life. An estimated seven to ten million people worldwide live with Parkinson's. Physiotherapists play an important role in managing this condition, working collaboratively with other healthcare professionals. In this course, you will learn about the clinical stages of Parkinson’s, diagnostic criteria, associated symptoms and available treatment options.

Throughout this course and the following courses in this programme, you will notice that we aim to use the term Parkinson's instead of Parkinson's Disease. The change is because of a global movement to stop labelling people as diseased because of its negative connotation and stigmatisation. When referring to the pathological process of degeneration, however, it is appropriate to use the word 'disease'.

Learning outcomes

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

• differentiate between the three stages of idiopathic Parkinson's (pre-clinical, prodromal, and clinical phases) and the significance of each stage for physiotherapy intervention
• describe the motor symptoms (bradykinesia, tremor, rigidity) and non-motor symptoms (sleep disturbances, mood changes, cognitive changes, autonomic dysfunction) and their timeline of presentation for person's with Parkinson's
• identify the interdependent relationship between motor and non-motor symptoms and their combined effect on quality of life, mobility choices, and social participation
• describe Parkinson's symptom severity using standardised outcome measures

Target audience

This course is aimed at Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy clinicians, students and assistants. Other interested professionals such as athletic trainers, occupational therapists, nurses or medical doctors interested in this subject are also invited to participate.

Practicalities

• Availability - this course is online and can be completed on your own schedule.
• Hours of Learning - No deadlines are applied to this course and it can be started and completed in your own time according to your personal schedule. We expect the required elements to take around 2-2.5 hours depending on your schedule and learning style. Additionally there are many optional resources provided and if you choose to review these the course could take longer to complete.
• Types of Activities - This course includes instructional and/or practical videos, reading activities, AI supported learning activities, reflection, evaluation forms, a quiz and additional resources.
• Certificates - At the end of the course, when you have completed all of the required elements, you will be able to download a certificate of completion and 1.3 Plus points will be added to your personalised learning dashboard.

Instructor financial and non-financial disclosures

No relevant financial relationships disclosed by instructor.
Non-financial disclosure by Bhanu Ramaswamy:
Parkinson's UK - I volunteer as Co-founder and still core member of the UK Parkinson's Excellence Network Exercise Professionals Hub

Accessibility and Non-Discrimination Policy

Physiopedia Plus is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible learning environment for all participants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, national origin, religion, sex, disability, military status, sexual orientation or age in any aspect of our continuing education services. We are dedicated to ensuring that all learners can fully participate in our programmes. Participants who require accommodations or have special needs are encouraged to contact us with details so that we can make all reasonable efforts to meet these requirements.