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Minnesota BPI Therapists
Debbie Roberts, PT
Are you a physical or occupational therapist, and does your center offer physical and/or occupational therapy for children and adults with brachial plexus injuries? I am a physical therapist working primarily with children but with a special interest in working with teens and adults with birth injuries. I work in private practice doing in-home direct care and consultation and will refer my clients to occupational therapy if needed. Indicate the number of years of experience in treating brachial plexus injured (bpi) patients. I have been in pediatric practice for 27 years and have been treating infants and children with brachial plexus injuries for 10 years. Identify what bpi patients you have experiece in treating (obstetrical brachial plexus, trauma, adult and/or pediatric. My experience extends only to obstetrical brachial plexus injuries in the pediatric population. How many bpi patients have you treated? Approximately 10 patents over about 10 years, ranging in age from 2 weeks to 8 years at the beginning of therapy. I follow them closely; for years, if necessary. Do you follow your patients post surgically? Yes. Do you or your staff have a working relationship with physician(s) who are brachial plexus injury specialists?. Yes, from Gillette Children’s Hospital. What therapy techniques, methods and interventions do you use, including, but not limited to, aquatic therapy, hippotherapy, kinesiotaping and splinting. I use developmental activities to activate weak musculature, and to increase strength, stability, balance and upper extremity use. I have successfully used elbow splinting for constraint therapy on the uninvolved arm and for isolating a joint for improved control on the involved extremity. Thumb and supination splints and Kinesiotape are used in my practice and I refer my clients for aquatic and hippotherapy as well as the martial arts. I frequently use NMES. Are you familiar with NMES/TES stimulation or other types of stimulation? If yes, what type(s) of stimulation do you use?. Yes, I often use NMES and have a referral source for TES. List any specialized education or training and/or seminars or clinics you have attended in treating bpi individuals. I have done extensive independent research and presented a short course on Obstetric Brachial Plexus injury and physical therapy treatment. Have you authored or co-authored any articles regarding brachial plexus injuries or participated in any research studies? No. Indicate any other facts that you feel would help families and individuals understand your practice I am a family oriented practitioner and I provide comprehensive, functionally based home programs with follow-up from me at frequencies ranging from 2 times per week to an “as needed” basis. |
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