National Conference on Rehabilitation Practice held at Gulf Medical University

Physical therapy rehabilitation is the changing face of health care, says experts

Over 150 professionals, physiotherapists, orthopedic surgeons and allied health professionals from all over UAE attended the 10^th Annual Conference on Physical Therapy titled National Conference on Recent Trends in Rehabilitation Practice which was held at Gulf Medical University. The conference was organized by the College of Allied Health Sciences Gulf Medical University on 31^st May 2013 at the university campus in Ajman and was accredited by the Ministry of Health UAE for 6 CME Hrs.

Chief Guest Prof. Gita Ashok Raj, Provost Gulf Medical University inaugurated the conference and honored the invited speakers during a special presentation ceremony. The conference was chaired by Mr. Praveen Kumar, Associate Dean College of Allied Health Sciences GMU.

Eminent speakers from UAE delivered lectures on recent advances in rehabilitation practice on core areas of neurological aspects of postural control, pain modulation, cardiac rehabilitation, core stability, dry needling and Kinesio taping methods for musculoskeletal pain.

Dr. Abdul Adheem Kamkar, Chairman, Emirates Physiotherapy Society delivered a talk on intervention possibilities in chronic pain and how simple pain is transformed into chronic pain and then into psychological pain, even when the pain source is abolished.

Dr Ramprasad, Assist Professor Physical Therapy, GMU, presented updates in Postural stability exercises to gain task specific integration of posture and focal control and explained rationale of neuronal structures to be intervened.

Dr Hossein Karimi, Professor Sharjah University discussed force transfer system and kinetic trains related to core stability exercises for intervention of back pain.

Dr. Jenny Wickford, Senior Physical therapist, Mediclinic City hospital, discussed on the principles of dry needling methods and emphasized on the importance and usage of online gadgets that can be used in body tissue palpation methods which in turn will reinforce patient care.

Mr. Ezzat Moghazy, HOD, Physical therapy Department, Saudi German Hospital and Kinesio taping certified trainer introduced fascia specific assessment strategies and Kinesio taping techniques for effective management of musculoskeletal pain.

Mr. Pitchaiah Arunachalam, Senior Cardio Physical therapist, Universal Medical hospital Abu Dhabi emphasized the world-wide shift in practice pattern of cardiac rehabilitation after cardiac surgeries and further reiterated the need to bring more awareness on cardiac rehabilitation in the perspective of cardiac fitness in sedentary and elderly population.

The College of Allied Health Sciences, Gulf Medical University has been in the forefront in offering Bachelors Program in Physiotherapy over the last 14 years. The college has plans to launch the Masters in Physical Therapy Program later this year and has also designed over eight bachelors programs, which are under review by the MOHE.