This course focuses on the clincal assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal anterior knee pain.  Emphasis is placed upon disorders of the patellofemoral joint, patella tendon and other soft tissue structures.  We will review the evidence behind factors that contribute to the development of Patellofemoral Disorders.  Instructed techniques of evaluation will include functional testing, patella mobility, flexibility, motor control and alignment.  Participants will become proficient in a variety of patella mobilization techniques, Patellofemoral taping, selected soft tissue mobilization and stretching techniques. In addition participants will be able to design and implement exercise programs specific to persons with patellofemoral arthropathy and petella tendinopathy. The evidence to support different management strategies will be reviewed. 

This intermediate course will update participants to the current understanding of the pathological states present in human tendons.  Participants will learn why the diagnostic label “tendonitis” poorly describes the underlying pathology of most tendon disorders.  Upon completion of the course, participants will develop the evaluation skills to effectively identify the different types of tendon pathology.  Management strategies for each type of tendon problem will be covered.  The practical components include soft tissue mobilization and appropriate exercise prescription.  In addition, evidenced based management and the use of modalities will be taught. 

This intermediate course covers the pathology, clinical presentation  and management of  shoulder instability and impingement commonly found in athletes, workers and the general population.  Subacromial impingement, the recently reported internal (posterior) impingement, minor instability, frank dislocation and disorders of motor control will be covered in detail.  Evaluation techniques will include passive movement testing, special tests and motor control. The role of common special tests will be discussed in reference to their validity. Treatment strategies will focus on exercise and the role of restoring any loss of mobility.  Strategies for post-op clients will also be included.

The theory and practical components of this intermediate course relate primarily to the treatment of stiff shoulders (idiopathic and post-op).  After a review of relevant anatomy, shoulder pathologies that result in significant loss of mobility will be discussed.  Shoulder evaluation techniques will focus on those that assess passive physiological and accessory mobility in a variety of positions in range.  Participants will learn a wide variety of joint mobilization techniques. As well, as how to select the best combination of techniques to produce maximum improvement.  Self mobilization and home management strategies are covered.  Manual training techniques beneficial for significant shoulder weakness (AROM much less than PROM) will also be taught.

The first of our two courses covering radiculopathy and peripheral neuropathy.  This course focuses on neurodynamic assessment procedures as well as covering the clinical presentation of upper and lower quarter neural disorders.  The Neurophysiology of Pain transmission will be presented, including the mechanisms behind nocicpetive pain, neuorpathic pain and chronic pain.  Neural  biomechanics relevant to neurodynamic testing and symptom interpretation will be presented. The pathophysiology, clinical presentation and management strategies for a variety of Spinal Radiculopathy and Peripheral Nerve Entrapements will be presented.  The practical component will include instruction in all neurodynamic tests for the upper and lower quarter, nerve palpation and tests for neurological conduction.

Part 2 of our series on radiculopathy and peripheral neuropathy focuses on the treatment of neural disorders. In this course we focus on how to use neural mobilization, joint mobilization and soft tissue mobilzation to improve neural disorders.  However, other strategies like modalities, exercise and education will also be reviewd.  The principles of treatement selection for manual therapy and neural mobilzation will be presented.  Participants will practice how to use variations on the neurodynamic tests as treatments for severe and non-severe neural disorders.  Joint and Soft tissue mobilzation useful for spinal and peripheral neural disorders will be instructed and practiced.  Progression of Treatment by combining Manual Therapy Techniques with positions of Neurodynamic Tension will also be included in the lab.

Learn how to evaluate and treat upper cervical spine dysfunction (Occiput to C3 vertebrae) with manual therapy.  In this course particular emphasis is placed on the role of the upper cervical spine in the development of cervicogenic headache.  However, all of the manual therapy and neuromuscular reeducation techniques taught will be applicable to any disorder of the upper cervical spine. Participants will be able to differentiate between headaches of cervical origin and other types of headaches, such as migraine and tension headaches.  Evaluation of the upper cervical spine, including upper cervical ROM, stability tests, joint mobility, flexibility and neuromuscular control will be taught. Participants will learn a variety of joint mobilization and muscle stretching techniques that are clinically beneficial in treating cervicogenic headache (CH).  The Neuromuscular re-education component focuses on training the deep stabilizers of the neck and scapulothoracic postural muscles.

This course serves to review and update the structures and mechanisms that contribute to lumbar spinal instability.  Upon completion, participants will be capable of identifying clients suffering from lumbar instability and implement appropriate management strategies.  The focus of management will be on how muscles can be trained to improve lumbar stability and the different approaches to stabilization training.  The training component focuses on the deep local stabilizing muscles (Transverse Abdominus and Lumbar Multifidus) and how to integrate their action with larger trunk muscles to decrease pain and maximize function.  Although  particularly useful for lumbar instability the assessment  and exercise strategies covered in this course will be useful for all lumbopelvic disorders.