Clinical Practice Guidelines for Neck Pain

Course overview

Clinicians lack knowledge in using the APTA's Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) and clinical reasoning to diagnose and manage neck pain. After completing this program, the participant will be able to incorporate clinical practice guidelines when designing a plan of care for managing neck pain. Participants will be introduced to the current evidence-based approach to management of neck pain using Clinical Practice Guidelines from the Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association with clinical reasoning. As payers and medical practitioners increasingly depend on evidence-based Guidelines, clinicians must utilize published recommendations when selecting examination tools and designing therapeutic programs to direct functional outcomes and to optimize documentation for reimbursement. CPGs are intended to complement the clinical reasoning process of clinicians, not to provide a mandated protocol for making decisions about patient management.