Ambulation, Activity, & AFOs

Service Description

Would you like to increase your skill with orthotic recommendations? Are you interested in advanced treatment of the foot and ankle for patients with pediatric and neurologic diagnoses? This course presents a dynamic multi-pronged approach to addressing the ankle to enhance function. Using a kinesioplastic lens, participants examine the effect of repeated movements, sustained alignments, cumulative micro-trauma, and altered relative flexibility on the function of the foot and ankle. This course presents a comprehensive approach to care based on individual movement analysis, while examining the evidence for interventions which maximize the resiliency of the foot and ankle complex through skeletal maturation and into adulthood. Participants learn hands-on skills for an integrated approach including: joint and soft tissue mobilizations to promote efficient relative flexibility; improving stability through progressive strengthening of the “foot core”; and interventions to positively impact neuroplastic changes. Finally, participants will learn to actively use the ICF model to guide recommendations for foot and ankle orthoses to enhance function. This course can be offered online or in-person. This course is a recommended prerequisite for Therapeutic Casting for the Lower Extremity.