Initial Entry - Rotation 3: TCCP

My third placement for the year will at The Centre for Cerebral Palsy. I am looking forward to becoming involved in a facility and program that helps individuals who can potentially have very significant impairments and functional limitations. I have been involved in the centre previously during 4P and took great satisfaction from helping and also being involved with people who work there who have a real passion for improving the lives of the patients.

I am expecting to be involved with the planning and implementation of individualized programs for each patient after thorough examination of their deficits and impairments. I have not been exposed to the specific nature of an examination for someone with cerebral palsy but expect that it is very similar to the standard musculoskeletal examination but with the addition of testing an individuals tone and level of spasticity.

As I found previously hydrotherapy is a large component of many of the patient’s programs and I envisage some time in the hydrotherapy pool will be involved. Onsite sessions may be at a patient’s school or education facility or possibly in their home environment. The exact nature of the treatment is not very clear to me at this stage but from lecture material I would think a lot of stretching, strengthening and conditioning work will be involved.

Due to the specialized nature of the Cerebral Palsy centre I believe that I will be observing and assisting my supervisor during the early stages but as time passes become more independent and involved in the entire of process of assessment through to implementation of a long term plan to maintain and potentially improve an individuals situation. I hope that there will be some elements of continuing education and exposure to some of the more difficult patient scenarios.

From previous reports I have found that it can be a very rewarding placement being involved in an aspect of physiotherapy that is not often considered by many following graduation. As with most placements there is a certain amount of nervousness but I expect this to dissipate rapidly as I become more and more involved.