In the dynamic field of physical therapy, practitioners find themselves at the intersection of science, compassion, and adaptability. As the demand for personalized healthcare continues to grow, the question of specialization becomes increasingly relevant for those looking to further their careers and improve patient care. Physical therapists, armed with a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to improving lives, often contemplate the path of specialization to refine their skills and offer more targeted care to their patients. If you find yourself in a position where you’re ready to start taking more specialized continuing education courses, NAIOMT is here to help! This blog will start our series deep diving into some of the specialized and advanced courses we offer, starting with our Specialty Courses!
S-901 Manip with Ease
Our S-901 Manip with Ease course is designed for the small-statured PT or anyone wanting to learn technique modification so they can more comfortably and effectively treat larger patients. If you want to learn how to handle patients of all sizes and do it with more efficiency and effectiveness, then this is the course for you. Specific, focused thrust joint manipulation is about precision, finesse, and using the right technique for your body. This course will emphasize ergonomically efficient manipulation techniques. We emphasize that speed and body mechanics will determine how well you are able to manipulate, not your size. This course is designed to increase the physical therapists’ knowledge and skill with spinal manipulation, using an evidence-informed approach.
S-921 Advanced Concepts for the Overhead Athlete
Overhead athletes require special characteristics to allow them the mobility and stability to perform their sport. There are considerable anatomical and biomechanical kinetic chain concepts that professionals must understand to treat these athletes appropriately. The normal upper quarter function is dependent on the controlled and sequenced motion of all its component parts. Additionally, in overhead sports, coordination from the lower quarter plays a major role in setting up the upper quarter to perform properly.
In our S-921 Advanced Concepts for the Overhead Athlete course, you will learn anatomical and biomechanical considerations of the entire kinetic chain in detail, along with extensive lab time for mastering evaluation and treatment skills. All overhead sports will be touched on and subtle differences reviewed. Video analysis, breakdown of the pitcher’s mechanics, and live demonstration of an overhead athlete evaluation will be incorporated into this course.
S-910 Dry Needling Lower Quadrant
Dry Needling (DN) is a powerful, adjunctive tool for the orthopaedic manual physical therapist. This course is designed to bridge the gap between DN theory to how this tool can be integrated into clinical practice seamlessly by presenting a case based approach to DN with an emphasis on clinical reasoning in order to provide first time exposure and education to clinicians on DN as well as review and improve effective technique with clinicians currently utilizing DN.
During our S-910 Dry Needling Lower Quadrant course, participants will cover the most commonly implicated muscles involved with frequently encountered lower quadrant musculoskeletal dysfunctions. With concerns about complications from the invasive nature of dry needling, ample amount of lab time will be spent on surface anatomy and palpation to ensure accurate location of relevant regional anatomy and safety of technique.
S-911 Dry Needling Upper Quadrant
Dry Needling (DN) is a powerful, adjunctive tool for the orthopaedic manual physical therapist. However, when not placed in the context of a thorough subjective history, a comprehensive neuromusculoskeletal examination, and appropriate differential diagnosis, it can be challenging to accurately identify the most appropriate patients and achieve optimal patient outcomes. This course is designed to bridge the gap between DN theory to how this tool can be integrated into clinical practice seamlessly by presenting a case based approach to DN with an emphasis on clinical reasoning in order to provide first time exposure and education to clinicians on DN as well as review and improve effective technique with clinicians currently utilizing DN. During our S-911 Dry Needling Upper Quadrant course, participants will cover the most commonly implicated muscles involved with frequently encountered upper quadrant musculoskeletal dysfunctions. With concerns about complications from the invasive nature of dry needling, an ample amount of lab time will be spent on surface anatomy and palpation to ensure accurate location of relevant regional anatomy and safety of technique.
A Manual Therapy Approach Through Pregnancy and Beyond
During pregnancy, up to 2/3 of women will experience low back pain, pelvic pain, pubic pain, or a combination of all three. Physical therapy can be very effective for managing these pregnancy-related symptoms. Unfortunately, many physical therapists do not feel comfortable treating this population and think only a women’s health PT can help. In our A Manual Therapy Approach Through Pregnancy and Beyond course, you will learn that a manual therapy approach, including many techniques you already know, can be safely and successfully applied to pregnant patients. You will learn the anatomical and physiological changes that occur during pregnancy, how to assess the pregnant patient, and treatment modifications that can be safely made. At the end of the course, participants will be confident in providing care to the pregnant patient.
