Evidence-Based Assessment & Manual Therapy Treatment with a New Zealand Approach
The upper quarter is a complex region of the body. Successful management is a combination of comprehensive evaluation of the appropriate regions and effective treatment. This is a hands-on course designed to equip the occupational and physical therapist with the ability to identify the cause of dysfunction from the neck to the hand and then be able to treat the shoulder girdle, elbow, wrist and hand effectively.
Pain in this area can be referred by more than one structure. This course examines the interactions between the structures of the upper quarter, including the cervical spine, thoracic outlet, scapulo-thoracic joint, shoulder, elbow and hand. Assessment of the upper quarter includes joint play, neural tissue mobility and contractile tissue testing, as well as assessment of irritability.
A hands-on approach is used where the manual therapy treatment techniques taught are therapist-friendly and effective in the out-patient orthopedic setting. These include muscle energy, manual traction, passive, active and functional mobilization. The participants will learn how to treat common orthopedic problems of this region, including first rib and scapula-thoracic dysfunction, shoulder impingement, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff conditions, elbow hypo-mobility, epicondylitis, wrist and carpal dysfunctions.
A practical and effective treatment methodology is taught, followed by appropriate home exercise programs. This is a clinician-friendly hands-on course presented in a practical, effective and interesting manner.
Course Objectives
- Understand how different manual therapy rationales are best used in the treatment of the shoulder girdle to the hand
- Incorporate vindication and provocation tests to differentiate between problems of cervical spine and structures of the upper extremity
- Identify conditions that are inappropriate to treat, or are non-musculo-skeletal in nature
- Perform an objective examination that is effective and timely to assist in treatment selection
- Assess joint stability and mobility
- Perform appropriate manual therapy treatment techniques for each area, taking irritability into account
Course Schedule: 1 day
7:15: Sign-in and breakfast
8:00: Introduction to Orthopedic Manual Therapy
8:30: Anatomical considerations of the shoulder girdle complex.
9:00: Ruling out the cervical spine, cervical spine testing
10:00: Break
10:10: Assessment and treatment of the first rib dysfunctions
10:30: Assessment and treatment of the scapula-thoracic joint
12:00: Lunch (on own)
1:00: Treatment of the restricted shoulder
1:45: Treatment of the post-surgical shoulder
2:20: Shoulder exercises
2:30: Break
2:40: Assessment and treatment of the elbow, including epicondylitis
3:30: Assessment and treatment of the wrist and hand, including carpal tunnel syndrome
5:00: End of course