Advanced Rehabilitation Training for Therapists Working in Major Trauma

Questions? Email us at hello@art-training.co.uk

Module 1: Major Trauma – 2-day course

Day 1

Morning: Understanding the Common Injuries in Major Trauma

• Peripheral nerve pain: neurophysiological mechanisms, nerve injury classification, and psychosocial factors
• Burns and degloving injuries: classification, healing processes, scarring, and surgical interventions
• Orthopaedic trauma: fracture classification, internal and external fixation, limb salvage procedures, and weight-bearing protocols
• Traumatic and elective limb loss: mechanisms, levels of amputation, residual limb healing, and post-amputation pain

Afternoon: Comprehensive Assessment

Master the foundational assessment skills for ambitious major trauma rehabilitation

• Trauma-informed assessment approaches to build therapeutic rapport and psychological safety
• Comprehensive subjective assessment: pain, function, goals, psychological adjustment
• Objective assessment protocols: neural assessment, soft tissue, joint integrity, muscle strength, proprioception, balance
• Movement pattern and gait evaluation
• Clinical reasoning frameworks for evidence-based treatment planning

Day 2

Morning: Occupational Therapy Assessment and Intervention

• Occupational performance assessment across all life domains
• Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) Model and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)
• Activity analysis identifying physical demands, environmental factors, and overuse risks
• Adaptive equipment prescription and assistive technology
• Vocational considerations: return to work, reasonable adjustments under Equality Act 2010
• Environmental and social barriers to participation

Afternoon: Movement Analysis and Biomechanical Control

• Normal biomechanics of human movement and gait, and how major trauma alters movement patterns
• Systematic movement analysis and gait evaluation
• Lumbopelvic-hip and knee control: muscle slings, force closure, common dysfunctions, progressive exercise programming
• Scapulohumeral control: shoulder biomechanics, scapular dyskinesis, rotator cuff function, progressive exercise programming
• Cueing strategies for motor learning

Module 2: Holistic and Compassionate Therapeutic Approach – 2-day course

Day 3

Morning: Understanding Trauma

• Physiological and psychological trauma response: acute stress, autonomic dysregulation, PTSD spectrum
• Behavioural adjustment patterns: hypervigilance, avoidance, emotional dysregulation, changes in self-identity
• How trauma responses impact engagement and participation in rehabilitation
• Compassionate approaches: trauma-sensitive communication, psychological safety, professional boundaries
• Self-care and vicarious trauma prevention

Afternoon: Compassionate Rehabilitation

• Building trust and positive engagement with trauma survivors
• Graded exposure approaches: fear hierarchies, progressive desensitisation, pacing
• Holding space for normal responses to an abnormal situation
• Integrating compassion with clinical rigour and ambitious rehabilitation goals
• Recognising when professional psychology input is needed and appropriate referral pathways

Day 4: Therapeutic Major Trauma Treatment Toolbox

Morning: Pain Management and Scar Tissue Treatment

• Peripheral nerve injury management: evidence-based interventions, graded exposure, orthotic prescription
• Scar tissue management: assessment, massage techniques, silicone and pressure garments, desensitisation
• Scar contracture management: serial splinting, dynamic splinting, stretching programmes
• Psychological impact of visible scarring and supporting adaptation

Afternoon: Orthopaedic and Limb Loss Rehabilitation

• Orthopaedic trauma rehabilitation: fixation-specific timelines, progressive strengthening, complication management
• Orthotic considerations: functional bracing, offloading, AFOs, weaning protocols
• Limb reconstruction and salvage: bone grafting, distraction osteogenesis, frame management
• Prosthetic rehabilitation pathway: pre-prosthetic phase, prescription, training, advanced functional activities
• Residual limb care, phantom limb pain management, and prosthetic componentry understanding
• Psychosocial aspects of limb loss: adjustment, body image, social reintegration, peer support

Module 3: Clinical Reasoning and Report Writing – 1-day course

Session 1: Clinical Reasoning

• Systematic clinical reasoning frameworks integrating all assessment domains
• Biopsychosocial framework for complex presentations
• Differential diagnosis: prosthetic vs biomechanical vs psychological factors
• Evidence-based treatment prioritisation

Session 2: Vision Setting and Goal Development

• Patient-led vision setting vs therapist-led goal setting
• Motivational interviewing and person-centred techniques
• Translating visions into SMART clinical functional goals
• Addressing barriers to ambitious rehabilitation
• Interprofessional goal alignment

Session 3: Report Writing

• Professional report structure for legal and insurance contexts
• Writing for different audiences: solicitors, insurers, case managers
• Evidence-based justification of clinical opinions
• Goal documentation and actionable recommendations
• Report critique workshop and practical writing exercises