Top-class training program for therapists

CON.THERA neurorehabilitation congress parallel to the REHAB Karlsruhe trade fair

Karlsruhe, March 14, 2023 - With the aim of promoting the integration of the professional groups involved in therapeutic care, those responsible for the European Trade Fair for Rehabilitation, Therapy, Care and Inclusion - REHAB Karlsruhe, together with the Lamprecht NEURO-Fobis team, developed a new congress format in 2022: CON.THERA. Following the successful premiere, the therapist congress will once again take place this year parallel to REHAB Karlsruhe from June 15 to 17.

Self-employed and employed physiotherapists, occupational and sports therapists, speech therapists, medical professionals and rehabilitation and orthopaedic technicians will be able to take part in interdisciplinary training. The focus of the three-day congress is on a holistic, evidence-based view and treatment of the consequences of illness following a diagnosis of stroke, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease, as well as treatment options for spasticity and fatigue.

New this year is a block on interdisciplinary pediatric rehabilitation on Friday. The program is divided into five thematic blocks, for each block up to four continuing education points can be obtained, whereby the blocks can also be booked individually. Further information and the program can be found at www.rehab-karlsruhe.com/conthera. Tickets can be purchased in the online store from 65 euros.

“At the CON.THERA congress, interested parties can bring themselves up to date with the latest knowledge in a short space of time and also have the opportunity to visit our trade fair. The personal encounters and discussions with experts on innovative aids and therapy devices are certainly also very valuable in order to gain new impetus for everyday working life,” explains Annika Gehrmeyer, Project Manager of REHAB Karlsruhe. Sabine Lamprecht from the Lamprecht NEURO-Fobis team emphasizes: “We are very proud that we have succeeded in attracting outstanding experts and luminaries as speakers. Hardly any other congress has such a high-caliber list of speakers.”

“My lecture will present new studies and guidelines with a focus on motor rehabilitation. The topics mainly concern clinical pictures such as stroke, Parkinson's syndromes and multiple sclerosis, but also symptoms such as spasticity and painful shoulders, as well as new findings on therapy-induced plasticity,” explains Professor Joachim Liepert (Schmieder Allensbach Clinics).

Professor Christian Dettmers (Kliniken Schmieder Konstanz) states: “Fatigue is a serious problem for patients. The tiredness and exhaustion as well as the extremely slow recovery are very stressful for those affected. From a medical point of view, the first step is always to clarify and classify whether organic causes can be identified, whether cognitive impairments are present and whether psychosocial components exacerbate the syndrome.”

“Research into spinal cord injury is particularly important here at Heidelberg University Hospital,” explains Professor Rüdiger Rupp (Heidelberg University Hospital). “Current studies give hope that individual functions can be improved in the future through stimulation implants directly on the spinal cord. Brain-computer interfaces can be used to intuitively control neuroprostheses or robotic arms in the case of severely injured spinal cords, especially in patients with severe spinal cord injuries. But: “It can take a very long time before such high-end science reaches the patients,” Rupp continues.

Sabine Lamprecht spoke on the topic of “The 10 biggest mistakes in neurorehabilitation” and summarized: “Neurorehabilitation is predominantly therapeutic and when I started out, our work was based on empirical knowledge and assumptions. Observations during treatment sometimes led to conclusions that cannot be substantiated from today's perspective and using scientific methods. Our goal must be to work in an evidence-based, scientifically sound and guideline-oriented manner. We need this common thread in all professional groups with whom we collaborate on an interdisciplinary basis and in their training and study programs.”

REHAB Karlsruhe has been firmly anchored in the industry's calendar for over 40 years and has established itself every two years as the most important platform for high-quality mobility aids and children's aids from Germany and other European countries. Overall, the range of trade fairs covers the latest trends and innovations in the provision of aids as well as current therapeutic approaches and care services. Further information on the trade fair can be found online at www.rehab-karlsruhe.com.