Living Well Institute

Course Description

Substance abuse may yield a greater impact in rehabilitation as the single biggest preventable risk factor for disease, beyond that even of diet and physical activity. Of our patients who smoke, the World Health Organization reports that half of them will die. Smokers also impact those around them, with 1.2 million deaths attributed to second-hand smoke.

According to research, smoking leads to suboptimal physical therapy treatment outcomes in all four physical therapy and rehabilitation practice areas: musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular/pulmonary, and integumentary health. This reinforces the need for the implementation and effective application of evidence-based smoking interventions within physical therapy and rehabilitation practice and education.

And yet, research also reveals that only a small minority of physical therapists employ, and physical therapy schools include, tobacco cessation counseling (TCC) education. The literature posits that TCC education is consistent with professional values espoused by physical therapists, which can be useful for occupational therapy as well, and this course will cover the public health guidelines for TCC, and also tackle other common substance abuse issues, including discussion of the risks and benefits of steroid injection practices in orthopaedic practice and a review of environmental toxins and how they impact our practice, outcomes, and health and functioning.

NOTE:  This 2 hour course is contained in the Integrative Lifestyle Medicine course. If you have purchased the ILM Certificate Course or the Level 3 Bundle, you do not need this version.

Clinical Objectives Overview

1. Describe the adverse impact of tobacco use and other substance abuse (including steroid injections). 
2. Describe the adverse impact of environmental pollutant exposure. 
3. List the major endocrine disruptors supported in the evidence base to cause adverse health effects. 
4. Summarize the EB approach for tobacco and other substance abuse cessation. 
5. Describe basic approaches to behavioral and pharmacological therapies in tobacco and substance abuse cessation. 
6. Review the major diagnostic criteria for differential diagnosis of substance abuse disorders. 
7. List the parameters for when to refer to specialists.