Reflections on Teaching Week: Seattle and Vancouver!

on set with my TMD Buddy

What a week! I flew into Seattle, WA on Tuesday and shot back to back Eclectic Approach Courses for MedBridge Education. After those two very busy days, it was up to Vancouver for The Eclectic Approach to Spinal Manipulation hosted by Shane Physiotherapy.

Thoughts regarding MedBridge

professional staff, and great to work with!
having a multi-camera shot with option for CG models and animations is leagues beyond my typical youtube or OMPT Channel video
this company is poised to make a huge dent (and is already starting) in the online Con Ed business
not online do they have professionally shot, edited, and produced courses from some of the biggest names in the business, they are tying the courses in with a HEP program, also professionally shot
next up, are the new 30 minute "breakouts," launched by fan favorite Dr. Chad Cook interviewed by my former student Dr. Megan Donaldson
they are still worth CEUs, but perfect for the super busy twitter/youtube generation (short attention span)
get CEUs over your lunch!
feature of my The Eclectic Approach Courses

TMD and Neurodynamics, two separate courses
between 4-5 hours of content (I estimate) including

lecture
technique demonstrations
two live cases for each course - eval and treat, plus follow up the next day
Q&A with Chris Johnson regarding both topics

more good news, similar to Chad Cook's series leading to a course certificate, over dinner, there was talk about The Eclectic Approach as a series ending in a certificate - fingers crossed!

Amazing Class!

thanks to course host, Jason Shane of shanephysiotherapy.ca for the Inaugural launch of The Eclectic Approach in Vancouver

The Eclectic Approach to Spinal Manipulation - Vancouver, BC

great group with tons of questions about the repeated motion exam for UQ and LQ
the concept of directional preference as a pattern loading toward the pain is almost too simple, it's counterintuitive to what most therapists/patients think
the set-up of cervical downglide or upglide thrust manipulation hinges upon the patient being relaxed, which also is dependent on the therapists hands being relaxed

every Physio who practiced on me using a lumbrical grip, made the technique feel almost instantly uncomfortable, but also as soon as I told them to relax their hands, I was also able to relax

Mini Case 1

Physio, history of multiple LQ and UQ injuries, most recent getting checked in the thoracic spine, and feeling "locked up" in that area and decreasing motion after
Cervical Patterns, flexion, rotation and flexion all DN
LRF left DN mild loss right DP
MRE left FN right DP severe loss (hand at sacrum) - after light cuing of right scapula setting, DP (less pain) and mod loss
thoracic rotation left FN right DN mod loss
treatment 1 - thoracic whips to the right, rapidly gained end range, then right shoulder MRE was FN
left shoulder flexion DP mod loss
cervical retraction with SB left DN mod loss, right DN mild loss
repeated cervical retraction with SB left - 40-50 reps, eventually slacking left upper trap by elevating scapula got to end range, right shoulder flexion DN, mild loss, LRF now FN
HEP - hourly repetitions of cervical retraction and SB left, and right thoracic whips

General Thoughts

neuro population Physio was flabbergasted when a bunch of us were complaining over lunch about clinics that treat 4-6 people an hour
then we realized, it's an outpatient ortho issue, Peds and Neuro PTs absolutely can and do not treat several patients an hour
when cervical manipulation setup is uncomfortable, often the therapist's hands are using lumbrical grip

make sure your hands are as relaxed as possible = patient comfort = much easier setup and reduced threat

subcranial shear distraction fail - what happens when massive anterior deltoid is too inferior on the frontal cranium

Physio's make terrible patients - mechanism of injury demo - picked up 30# 18 month old son into bed in this position - loss of load to the left with radiating left LE complaints - hmmmm wonder why?

FAAOMPT and FCAMPT - "Best Course I've taken in 20 years"

Almost the end of The Eclectic Approach - Sally Moores is a great PT!

"Disco" Dave Leyland, keep up with your HEP, squatting will be no issue!

Props to my loyal blog followers, without them, I'd still only be teaching in Buffalo, NY!

Overhead Deep Squat FTW! This guy is lax! 9/9 on the Breighton Hypermobility Scale, can you tell?

There will be another The Eclectic Approach Course in Vancouver either in early December 2014 or January 2015. Can't wait to get back and have some more sushi!

Keeping it Eclectic....