Cervical-Spine & Upper Quarter
Next Offering March 28-29, 2026
The intent of this class is to develop a clinical reasoning process in orthopedic manual therapy concurrent with enhancing technique selection and delivery in the cervical & thoracic spine.
The phases of physical therapy can be stratified as education, intervention, rehabilitation, management, and prophylaxis. This class will focus on the dependent components of subjective/objective evaluation details, education, passive intervention and progression toward active rehabilitation. The primary focus is on development of a skill set in manual therapy based on sound reasoning & efficacy. Each step will lead the patient toward active engagement to create a platform for successful active rehabilitation and management.
Movement consists of individual regions collectively functioning to create and control motion of the whole. Dysfunction in the thoracic, scapula-thoracic interface or cervical spine creates compensatory dysfunction in other components. The astute therapist can influence movement of the whole with skill to change individual regions and their feedback loops. Class will integrate all of these.
Structure
Nearly all of the didactic material will be presented in an online format. This will include short conceptual recorded talks dominated by video of real subjects. This will allow the student to complete this component in their own time frame prior to each session. Clarification & discussion about on line content will open the class. The bulk of the class time can then be practical application.
We intend to enhance genuine motor skills for the therapist. To that end the instructor/student ratio has never been more than 8/1, typically less.
Research has demonstrated that the highest quality learning takes place in 4-6 hours of focused work spaced in 45-50 minute blocks followed by review and breaks of 5 -15 minutes. Our schedules will reflect this and not be deceptive marathons that lead to mental fatigue & inefficiency.
Classes will be 8:00 -3:00 Saturday & Sunday with lunch on site.
Goal
The goal is to cover the spine and the interface with the scapula & shoulder. Content will be founded in the Australian dynamic thinking model. Coordinated disciplines from the Norwegian and PNF treatment/training models, and others, will be integrated. Progression is from assessment, treatment decisions, reassessment, progression, & self-treatment selection. The ultimate goal is to lead the patient to effective therapeutic exercise, long-term management, education, and discharge. This is a clinician’s class. Real PT.
Objectives
At the completion of the course the student will:
Demonstrate understanding of a conceptual framework for clinical reasoning in orthopedic & manual therapy (OMT).
Propose the foundational concepts of clinical reasoning in OMT in the upper quarter region primarily focusing on the neck, shoulder girdle & thoracic spine.
Demonstrate understanding of the genuinely common clinical syndromes in the cervical spine and upper quarter, and arAculate the rapid recogniAon of them.
In the genuinely common clinical syndromes, articulate the variations that drive examination & treatment choices with or without the confirmation of a primary diagnosis.
Articulate the capacity to integrate foundational principles with actual patients who may include multiple dysfunctions beyond that of a singular diagnostic category.
Articulate signs and probable symptoms of common clinical syndromes in the cervical spine and upper quarter.
Demonstrate the ability to analyze unrecognized clinical presentation patterns in the framework of clinical reasoning concepts that can be applied universally in musculoskeletal examination and treatment.
Deduce the decision process for determining how the exam determines the type, volume, and magnitude of treatment in all regions involved in the current patient presentation.
Demonstrate command of skills using accurate and informative feedback from your patients with each treatment session to enable progression of patient cases.
Engage the learner in intellectually honest endeavors to obtain the ability to apply the concepts to actual patient care beyond the theoretical constructs using an evidence informed methodology without rigid attempts to adhere to algorithmic memorization.
Develop recognition that the foundations of patient care are multi faceted with dependence upon each other. These foundational elements are academic knowledge, understanding research for what it says and what it does not say, clinical experience and skill as a dominant need for paAent interface & clinical decision making, and patient preference in decisions regarding care.
Demonstrate appropriate therapeutic exercise techniques for the intervention stage cervical/ thoracic/shoulder patient.
Demonstrate appropriate therapeutic exercise techniques for progression to the rehabilitation stage cervical thoracic shoulder patient.
14. Develop appropriate therapeutic exercise interventions for common clinical syndromes in the upper quarter.
