a.i.r.m.
A.I.R.M.
A.I.R.M. HISTORY
The History of The Italian Association of Hand Rehabilitation A.I.R.M.
On September 19th 2007 the Italian Association of Hand Rehabilitation A.I.R.M. was founded in Florence Italy.
Hand Therapy associations are associated to each other through the EFSHT European Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy and the I.F.S.H.T International Federation of Societies for Hand therapy. Some of these societies are also associated with both the European and International societies of Hand Surgeons.
A.I.R.M. was established in order to meet the normative needs and represent GISRASM Gruppo Italiano Specialistico Riabilitazione Arto Superiore e Mano (The Italian physical therapy group of hand and upper extremity rehabilitation specialists) at an International and European level. These sister societies have also been formed by other AIFI (Italian National Physical Therapy Association) specialty groups. Both the EFSHT and IFSHT require that their member countries are represented by a single national hand therapy society and that this society is comprised of both physical therapists and occupational therapists, both of which can hold executive committee office positions.
A.I.R.M has presently been granted full membership to both the EFSHT and IFSHT federations.
AIRM is now permitting Italian therapists with a specialty in hand therapy to be recognized for their professional competency at an international level. This has come about over the past 20 years in which the first Italian hand therapy association was formed AITM and more recently the conversion of AIRM to GIS RASM.
GIS RASM and AIRM have the same goals and objectives in promulgating, teaching and researching all aspects of hand and upper extremity rehabilitation at both a national and international level.
In order to uphold a high level of professionality and to assure that association members have obtained their degree from an accredited university, the AIRM statue states that
member physical therapists must be members of their national physical therapy association A.I.F.I. and occupational therapists must be members of their national association A.I.T.O.
GIS RASM will remain as the official referring association at a national level in Italy and physical therapy members are not required to pay an additional membership fee for obtaining membership into AIRM. They simply must simply state their consent to be a member of AIRM.
AIRM represents both professional figures PT's and OT's outside of Italy.
The 1st AIRM directive committee is made of of the following members:
Presidet Giulia Guidi
Vice President Elide De Luca
Secretary Annalisa Nesti
Treasurer Lorenza Cappelli
Counselors Claudia Viganoni, Claudia Cotroneo Karin Pedron
Account reviewer Maurizia Totis
European Representative Tracy Fairplay
International Representative Rose Luciano
Maria Teresa Botta, Alessandro Martiradonna, Marcello Zecca
AITO representative Claudia Cotroneo
AIRM was officially represented as a full member for the first time at the IX EFSHT Congress in Lausanne Switzerland June 2008. Association members presented both scientific papers, as well as, poster.
AIRM Activities
2008- Italian delegate has been sent to participate in the EFSHT directive council meeting Luasanne Switzerland June 2008
The EFSHT held their IX° congress in conjunction with the XIII° Congress of FESSH (European Federation of the societies of Hand Surgeons) ofrom the 19th -21st of June 2008 in Luasanne Switzerland. This congress provided an optimal opportunity for our society members to attend scientific sessions and workshops pertaining to hand surgery and rehabilitation. Some of the topics and workshops addressed, peripheral nerve injuries, complex reflex sympathetic dystrophy, complex wrist fractures and the latest outcome measurement tools for assessing hand functional disability. One of the highlights of this congress was a three day workshop conducted by Judy Colditz, the IFSHT President and she taught workshops on treating interosseous and lumbrical rigidity and tightness.
The combined session with therapists and surgeons thoroughly discussed the sequential problems of of articular rigidity and hand function.
We are pleased to announce that italy was well represented by our hand therapists scientific participation. Claudia Cotroneo participated in the poster session by contributing her research in a case report on: “ The role of the occupational therapist in treating patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis” In the free paper session; Giulia Guidi, Claudia Cotroneo, Annalisa Nesti presented a paper on “ The rheumatoid thumb and its deformity's: conservative treatment”; and another paper was also presented by Pegoli. L, Zibetti.S, Cortese PG, Pajardi G: “Trapezio-metacarpal arthrosis: conservative and postoperative treatment”. In the main paper Hand Fracture and Trauma session, Annalisa Nesti, Maria Teresea Botta Giulia Guidi and Claudia Cotroneo presented a paper on “Complex traumatic injuries to the hand, rehabilitation of finger rigidity”.
Ferrario V, Pegoli G Maffi D presented a paper on “Rehabilitation treatment after TFCC reconstruction”. Silvio Tocco participated in the combined EFSHT and FESSH session by presenting a paper on “Serial Casting in PIP flexion contractures; A retrospective study”.
Our colleague, Tracy Fairplay was a moderator in the EFSHT session dedicated to interphalangeal joint rehabilitation and GIS-RASM /AIRM President, Giulia Guidi presented a paper on “Arthroprosthesis in Pyrocarbon of the PIP via a lateral surgical approach; long term follow-up of an early onset active mobilization rehabilitation protocol”.
The EFSHT Lausanne congress was a wonderful opportunity for Italian hand therapist to get to know other European hand therapists, exchange rehabilitative protocols and begin an ongoing scientific cultural exchange with other EFSHT hand therapist member from countries such as; Belgium, Slovania, Cyprus, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Finland , Norway, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Bulgari, Ireland, England , Scotland Sweden and Holland.
AIRM is also very pleased to announce that, Tracy Fairplay, (our European representative) has been elected the future EFSHT president and will take office in 2010. Tracy has represented our hand therapy association abroad on various occasions and we wish her a sincere congratulations and our scientific support for her future work in serving the EFSHT.
During the AIRM council meeting in Trapani Sicily 2008 which was held during the 5th National congress Claudia Cotroneo was elected the new EFSHT European representative as Tracy Fairplay will leave her place of office to serve on the Executive board of the EFSHT as president -elect.
In closing this report we would like to thank all our members for having participated both culturally and scientifically at both national and international congresses by presenting their research on hand rehabilitation.
Sincerely,
AIRM