Physiotherapy

Our students are involved in practical projects from the very first semester onwards. One of the most comprehensive takes place during the sixth semester and focuses on prevention and rehabilitation. Our students select their own topic and work on this in small groups. They develop a practical project, implement the project and assess the initial results. Experts from the fields of project management, marketing, physiotherapy and public health support our students.

The preventative fields addressed are wide-ranging: optimisation of exercise in schools and kindergartens as well as among older people, in the battle against existing or future lifestyle diseases such as obesity and diabetes and as a preventative measure for athletes. The projects will be presented as part of a large public event. The students can also use these projects as their first independent assignments on the open health care market and continue them after completing their studies.

This project sought to reduce the risk factors in football based on an exercise programme. In addition to strength and coordination exercises, the training also focused on training the self-competence of the athletes.

The results were then assessed based on two tests four weeks apart using motion analysis and electromyography. The final assessment revealed a quantitative as well as qualitative improvement in the recorded test parameters. The athlete statements also indicated a high level of motivation. This makes it clear just how important education, self-perception and self-competence training are in prevention and rehabilitation.

Student statements:

Silvia Vollmer, PTH12: “The project gave us the chance to develop our expertise enormously – and to gather personal experience”.

Lisa Tamussino, PTH12: “The project was a fantastic experience and very educational in many regards – not just in professional terms, it also enabled us to discover new sides of ourselves!”

Gudrun Harrer, PTH12: “I really enjoyed working with my course colleagues to plan and implement a project. It has encouraged me to work with a team in the future. I would love to do it again any time”.

Benjamin Nimmervoll, PTH12: “The professional environment is very diverse and extensive. We had the chance to discover and experience lots of different opportunities through our project at FH JOANNEUM”.

Katharina Schwingshackl, PTH12: “By working on a project which is fully in tune with your personal interests, you can develop your skills in a range of directions and have fun at the same time”.

• Duration: one semester
• Project manager: Gödl-Purrer B., MSc, Salchinger B., MMSc
• Semester: 6th semester – February to May 2015

The aim of the project is to improve the body awareness and mobility of people with a physical or mental impairment. By improving body awareness, these individuals can gain increased control of their movements which, in turn, enhances their enjoyment of exercise and activity. The project included three visits to the Unikat workshops of Mosaik Graz, a service organisation for people with a disability. These visits involved pre-testing, the first session of the exercise programme and, during the last visit, the second session along with carer training and handover of the exercise cards.

Both the clients and carers were motivated in carrying out the exercise programme and the feedback was positive. The exercises fitted in well with day-to-day life at the workshops and will become an integral part of the daily routine in the future.

Student statements:

Christina Stamp, PTH12: "The prevention project enabled us to work with physically and mentally impaired people and to get to know the social institution where they are based. Working with this group of people was a fantastic experience because it was beneficial for our future treatment expertise and we were able to enjoy the benefits offered by the warmth and humanity of this group."

Martina Allmer, PTH12: “For me, it was exciting to see the significance and actual importance of perception and the fact that it is possible to train perception in any situation in life and with any limitations. I was moved by the unbelievably positive feedback we received from the clients and the fact that our project has genuinely been beneficial for them”.

As part of our final projects carried out in the sixth semester, we developed a website for expectant parents and parents of healthy children aged 0 to 18 months. Our aim was to explain the physiology of a child’s motor skills development and offer tips on how to encourage these skills, thereby boosting the self-competence of parents and making them feel confident in interacting with their child. There was also a preventative aspect, given the ever-increasing rate of lifestyle diseases. By encouraging optimal exercise at an early stage and increasing the motivation to exercise, we aimed to help combat these diseases.

Jasmin Hofer, PTH12: “At the end of our course, we were given the opportunity to launch a project as a team. By working independently and applying optimal time management, we developed the self-confidence to successfully implement further projects as part of a team during our professional career”.

• Duration: one semster
• Semester: 6th semester
• Project management: Barbara Gödl-Purrer, MSc und Beate Salchinger, MMSc
• Link:
  • Website

Studies show that physical training can reduce the intensity and frequency of menopause symptoms and increase quality of life. The project ‘women in motion – exercise during and after the menopause’ aims to explain the effects of exercising during the menopause to women in small groups and motivate them to pursue an active lifestyle with plenty of exercise.

Lisa Thönnessen, PTH12: “The project has expanded my physiotherapy expertise as well as developing my skills in leading a team, giving external presentations and acting as a professional representative for my occupational group”.

• Duration: one semster
• Semester: 6th semester
• Project management: Barbara Gödl-Purrer, MSc und Beate Salchinger, MMSc