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Susan Stralka

PT, DPT, MS

Susan W. Stralka, PT, DPT, MS, is a licensed physical therapist with many years of experience treating both musculoskeletal and neurovascular consequences of injury. She earned her bachelor's degree, master's degree, and Doctorate in Physical Therapy from The University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis, Tennessee (UTHSC). She has a strong clinical background in treating neurological and musculoskeletal consequences of injury. Susan has presented nationally and internationally in upper and lower extremity dysfunctions as well as pain management.

Susan has written articles on a wide variety of topics related to physical therapy for many national publications and health journals. Her most recent publications are "Graded Motor Imagery" in the Journal of Hand Therapy 2011 and a chapter on "Thoracic Outlet Syndrome" in the book entitled Neck and Arm Pain Syndromes by Elsevier in 2011. In 2009, Susan was recognized by the Arthritis Association as Volunteer of the Year. With the goal of providing the best rehabilitative care to patients, Stralka continually recruits and supports innovative clinical programs to benefit future patients.

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Pain Management for Adults

Presented by Susan Stralka, PT, DPT, MS

Pain Management for Adults

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Pain is produced by the brain when it perceives that there is danger to the body and that action is required. Pain is very complex and is a multiple system output. It is not uncommon to have an adult in persistent pain without any structural dysfunction. When the central nervous system becomes involved the pain is often disproportionate, moves around the body, and produces abnormal sensations and motor dysfunction. Numerous research studies have shown that the central nervous system undergoes plastic reorganization following injury, and if left untreated this can become maladaptive. This course covers strategies to improve outcomes by addressing peripheral and central changes through the biopsychosocial model of treatment.

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Pain Management for Children

Presented by Susan Stralka, PT, DPT, MS

Pain Management for Children

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Children with persistent pain beyond the time frame of acute injury are often not diagnosed immediately and research has reported at times it is as long as one year before diagnosis is made. Persistent pain shows a female preponderance and this incidents of pain increases during puberty. This lecture will discuss pain types and mechanisms to identify the symptoms. A review of scientific advances in identifying brain changes or reorganization that occur with persistent pain will be presented. In children with persistent pain there are similar patterns of symptoms, behaviors, and cognitive changes which must be addressed for an effective treatment. Because persistent pain is complex an interaction of physical, affective, sociocultural, behavioral and cognitive factors are involved. Due to the above interaction recent studies strongly support using a biopsychosocial approach for treatment so that the components involved can all be addressed.

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The Experience of Pain (Recorded Webinar)

Presented by Susan Stralka, PT, DPT, MS

The Experience of Pain (Recorded Webinar)

Subscribe now, and access clinical education and patient education—anytime, anywhere—with video instruction from recognized industry experts.

This course is a recording of a previously hosted live webinar event. Polling and question submission features are not available for this recording. Format and structure may differ from standard MedBridge courses. Pain is a complex process integrating many areas in the brain. Understanding that pain is interpreted by the brain as a protective warning device incorporating past experience, emotions, and maladaptive neuroplasticity is an important part used to develop an effective treatment program. Chronic pain or persistent pain, (pain after the tissue has healed) continues to be an epidemic costly to the patient as well as healthcare system. Unfortunately, patients have not done well in therapy treatment because of the void in addressing the brain changes. Recent neuroscience evidence has revealed ways to address both the peripheral and central nervous system to achieve better outcomes. This course will provide ways to address the maladaptive brain changes occurring with persistent pain and ways that the patient can be in charge of their symptoms.

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Graded Motor Imagery: Retrain the Brain to Decrease Pain, Improve Motion and Function

Presented by Susan Stralka, PT, DPT, MS

Graded Motor Imagery: Retrain the Brain to Decrease Pain, Improve Motion and Function

Subscribe now, and access clinical education and patient education—anytime, anywhere—with video instruction from recognized industry experts.

Graded Motor Imagery (GMI) and Mirror Therapy are emerging therapeutic strategies for both musculoskeletal and neurovascular consequences of injury. They integrate established principles of graded exposure and response prevention with the current theories in the neuroscience of pain and neuroplasticity. Graded Motor Imagery is a sequential process consisting of laterality training, imagery and mirror therapy. These techniques are delivered sequentially but require a flexible approach from the patient and clinician to move forwards, backwards and sideways in the treatment process to suit the individual, which targets the synapsis in the brain. These strategies are supported by new evidence, showing the cortical reorganization of the brain improving with Graded Motor Imagery. The interplay between the brain and the body is most important to understand and to assist in designing a rehabilitation technique that can "rewire the brain". This lecture will present a model to understand the role of the brain and ways to use a "top down'' treatment program to treat the changes that occur in the brain.

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Webinars with Susan Stralka

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Jan 31, 2018

The Experience of Pain

Presented by Susan Stralka

No Recording Available

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