Course Notes: Dermoneuromodulation

What? You Mean You Have to Touch Someone???!!?!? My gluttony for punishment continues. This time, I had the pleasure of learning Diane Jacobs’ manual therapy approach called Dermoneuromodulation (DNM). My travels took me to Entropy Physiotherapy and Wellness in the Windy City. These folks were arguably the best course hosts I have ever had. We had lunch!!!! Both days!!!!! That is unheard of, so a big thanks to Sandy and Sarah for putting the course together. I took DNM out of curiosity. I have been lurking around Somasimple on and off for the past couple years, and wanted to learn more about the methods championed there. Believe it or not, I have yet to take a pure manual therapy course, DNM seemed like a great way to get my hands dirty. That darn PRI has lessened the hand representation in my somatosensory homunculus! One reason I haven’t taken a manual course is due to the explanatory models many classes are presenting. It seems as though few are approaching things with a neurological mindset, but I was pleased to hear Diane’s model. It is the best explanation I have heard yet. I know that I usually list my favorite quotes at the end of the blog, but I wanted to share the best quote of the weekend right off the bat: “I don’t know why.” I heard this phrase so much throughout the course and it was quite refreshing. Diane made few claims about her technique, admitted who she “stole” from,

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PRI and Pain Science: Yes You Can Do It

Questions You may have noticed that my blogging frequency has been a little slower than the usual, and I would like to apologize for that. I am in the midst of creating my first course that I am presenting to my coworkers. It has been a very exciting yet time-consuming process. It makes me excited and more motivated to someday start teaching more on the reg. Ever since I started blogging people started asking me questions. These range from many topics regarding physical therapy, career advice, and the like. Some of the more frequent ones include: What courses should I look at? Any advice for a new grad? Seriously, Bane. What’s the deal? But the one I get asked more often then not is as follows: “Zac, how do you integrate PRI into a pain science model?” A great question indeed, especially to those who are relatively unfamiliar with PRI. With all the HG, GH, AF, FA, and FU’s, it’s easy to get lost in the anatomical explanations. Hell, the company even has the word (gasp) “posture” in the title. Surely they cannot think that posture and pain are correlated. I think there is a lot of misinformation regarding PRI’s methodology and framework. What needs to be understood is that PRI is a systematic, biopsychosocial approach that predominately (though not exclusively) deals with the autonomic nervous system. The ANS is very much linked into pain states, though not a causative factor. But of course, that may not be enough. Perhaps

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Course Notes: Therapeutic Neuroscience Education

How’s Your Pain How’s Your Pain How’s Your Pain How’s Your Pain? To purge onward with developing some semblance of chronic pain mastery (ha), my employer had the pleasure of hosting a mentor and good friend Adriaan Louw. I first heard Adriaan speak in 2010 when I was in PT school. I was amazed at his speaking prowess and the subject matter. Unfortunately, my class could only stay for a little while in his course, and onward life went. I went on with my career focusing on structure and biomechanics and forgetting about pain. It wasn’t until I ran into Adriaan again two years later. He was teaching me Explain Pain (EP), and forever changed how I approached patient care. It’s funny how things have come full circle.  Here we are, Adriaan teaching Therapeutic Neuroscience Education (TNE) through The International Spine and Pain Institute (ISPI), and me promoting his work to my colleagues. A lot has changed in two years. EP and TNE are quite different courses, and I learned so much this weekend that I continue to become more engrossed with what I do. So thank you, Adriaan, for playing a huge role shaping me into who I am today.  I have now become very much more interested in what ISPI has to offer, and I think you should too. And no worries Adriaan, I will stay hungry 🙂 So without further ado, here is what I learned. The Power of Words  It’s getting worse. One person out of

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Course Notes: Explain Pain

A Whirlwind I finally had the opportunity to meet my personal Jesus, David Butler, and learn the way that he explains the pain experience to patients. It was an interesting weekend to say the least. The course started off with a smash…literally. We had the unfortunate experience of someone breaking into our car to start the trip off. Then once we arrived to the course, we were informed that Dave was going to be 2 hours late. He was staying in Philly (where I also experienced flight troubles last week) and a snowstorm with a name no one cares about stopped his flight. So Dave drives all the way from Philadelphia, “tilting his head back to rest” for 1 hour, and then what happens? He, along with the other instructors, drive to the wrong campus. So after all these crazy things happen, Dave finally makes it to the course, sets up his presentation, plays a little Bob Marley, and……………… Kills it. I mean, absolutely kills it. To see Dave present this topic under the above circumstances and be on the entire time is a testament to the type of speaker and professional he is. David Butler is one of, if not the best speaker I have ever heard. So I’d like to thank you, Dave, for making an otherwise stressful weekend memorable and exciting. I look forward to applying what I have learned. If you haven’t taken a course from the NOI Group, please do so yesterday! So what did

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The Year of the Nervous System: 2014 Preview

It’s All Part of the Plan And if you see my course schedule this year, the plan is indeed horrifying.   I wanted to write a post today to somewhat compose my thoughts and plans for this year, as well as what I am hoping to achieve from the below listed courses. Because of the course load and some of my goals for the year, I am not sure what my blogging frequency will look like. I have begun to pick up some extra work so I am able to attend as much con ed as I do. The Amazon affiliate links that I don’t get money for because I live in Illinois simply cannot pay for classes :). I am just putting these links up here because I want to encourage you to read these books on your own. Use my site as a guide through them. Big Goals My biggest goal for this year is to successfully become Postural Restoration Certified (PRC), and my course schedule below supports this goal. The amount that I use this material and the successes that have come along with it simply compel me to become a PRI Jedi. I see the PRC as a means to achieving this goal. The application thus far has been quite time-consuming. There are a total of 3 case studies, 5 journal article reviews, and tons of other writing that has to be done. Couple that with studying the material, and I have had a very busy

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The Post Wonderful Time of the Year: Top Posts of 2013

The Best…Around Time is fun when you are having flies. It seems like just yesterday that I started up this blog, and I am excited and humbled by the response I have gotten. Hearing praise from my audience keeps me hungry to learn and educate more. I am always curious to see which pages you enjoyed, and which were not so enjoyable; as it helps me tailor my writing a little bit more. And I’d have to say, I have a bunch of readers who like the nervous system 🙂 I am not sure what the next year will bring in terms of content, as I think the first year anyone starts a blog it is more about the writing process and finding your voice. Regardless of what is written, I hope to spread information that I think will benefit those of you who read my stuff. The more I can help you, the better off all our patients and clients will be. So without further ado, let’s review which posts were the top dogs for this year (and some of my favorite pics of course). 10.  Lessons from a Student: The Interaction This was probably one of my favorite posts to write this year, as I think this area is sooooooo under-discussed. Expect to be hearing more on patient interaction from me in the future. 9) Clinical Neurodynamics Chapter 1: General Neurodynamics Shacklock was an excellent technical read. In this post we lay out some nervous system basics, and

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Chapter 12: Lower Limb

This is a Chapter 12 summary of “Clinical Neurodynamics” by Michael Shacklock. Piriformis Syndrome Piriformis syndrome often involves the fibular tract of the sciatic nerve. It has the capacity to create symptoms from the buttock down to the anterolateral leg. Testing the neurodynamics with a fibular nerve bias is essential. To attempt to isolate this problem, we must best differentiate interface from neurodynamic components. Using Cyriax principles –palpation, contraction, and lengthening –can be beneficial in this regard. Keep in mind that below 70 degrees hip flexion the piriformis produces external rotation, and above 70 degrees it is an internal rotator. When treating this problem, the goal is to change pressure between the piriformis muscle and the sciatic nerve. Level 1a – Static opener VID – KF, ER Level 1b – Dynamic opener VID – Passive ER Level 2a – Closer mobilization using passive IR. VID – Passive IR Level 2b – We finish with a passive piriformis stretch VID – Tailor stretch If there is a neurodynamic component to things, slightly modify things by using sliders. We start things off with the same opener as the interface above.  As the patient progresses, you can add proximal or distal components eventually finishing with a fibular nerve-based slump. VID – Building the slump To combine interface and neural treatments, contract-relax can be utilized. Sciatic Nerve in the Thigh Oftentimes with hamstring strains, sciatic nerve sensitivity can increase. The slump and straight leg raise tests can be utilized to help differentiate a pure

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Chapter 11: Lumbar Spine

This is a Chapter 11 summary of “Clinical Neurodynamics” by Michael Shacklock. Physical Exam The slump is the big dog for assessing lumbar spine complaints. Deciphering which movements evoke the patient’s symptoms can tell you a lot about the nervous system’s dysfunction: Neck flexion increases symptoms – Cephalid sliding dysfunction. Knee extension/dorsiflexion increases symptoms – Cauded sliding dysfunction. Both neck flexion and knee extension increase symptoms – Tension dysfunction. The straight leg raise is another important test that can help determine the nervous system’s state. Treatment The treatment parallels similar tactics as previous body areas. For reduced closing dysfunctions We start level 1 with static openers, progress to dynamic openers, then work to close. For opening dysfunctions, we progress toward further opening/contralateral lateral flexion. Neural Dysfunctions We treat these mechanisms based on which dysfunction is present. For cephalid sliding dysfunctions, we approach with distal to proximal progressions; and for caudad sliding dysfunction, we work proximal to distal Tension dysfunctions are started with off-loading mvoements towards tensioners Complex Dysfunctions Sometimes you can have interface dysfunctions that simultaneously have contradictory neurodynamic dysfunction. There are several instances of the case. Reduced closing with distal sliding dysfunction – Treat by combining closing maneuvers while perform active knee extension. Reduced closing with proximal sliding dysfunction – Address by closing maneuver with neck flexion. Reduced closing with tension dysfunction – This is treated with adding closing components to tensioners Reduced opening with distal sliding dysfunction – Here we add a dynamic opener along with leg movements. Reduced

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Chapter 10: Upper Limb

This is a Chapter 10 summary of “Clinical Neurodynamics” by Michael Shacklock. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) When discussing TOS pathoneurodynamics, you must talk about breathing. The brachial plexus passes inferolaterally between the first rib and clavicle. When inhalation occurs, the plexus bowstrings over the first rib cephalidly. So breathing dysfunctions can contribute to one’s symptoms. Excessive scapular depression can also contribute because the clavicle approximates the plexus from above. Clinically, TOS often presents as anteroinferior shoulder pain, with some cases passing distally along the course of the ulnar nerve.  A resultant upper trapezius/levator scapula hyper or hypoactivity can occur that may affect the neural elements. Treating the Interface Level 1 – Static Opener with breathing Level 2 – Static opener with rib mob during exhalation; progressing with scapular depression. Level 3 – Rib depression with sliders and tensioners. Pronator Tunnel Syndrome This syndrome consists of pain in the anteromedial forearm region with or without pins and needles. Symptoms are usually provoked by repetitive activities such as squeezing, pulling through the elbow, and pronation movements. From an interface perspective, pronator syndrome deals with excessive closing. So we will use openers to treat. Level 1 – Static opener combining 60-90 degrees of elbow flexion with forearm pronation Level 2 – Dynamic opener Treating neural components depends on the present dysfunction. There are the following possible dysfunctions: Distal sliding dysfunction – symptoms decrease with contralateral cervical flexion. Proximal sliding dysfunction – Symptoms increase with contralateral cervical sidebend and finger flexion. Tension dysfunction –

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Chapter 9: Cervical Spine

This is a Chapter 9 summary of “Clinical Neurodynamics” by Michael Shacklock. Physical Exam The key tests you will want to perform include: Slump test. MNT 1. You can tier your testing based on one’s dysfunctions, such as opening or closing, as well as using sensitizers for less severe problems. Reduced Closing Dysfunction Level 1a – Static opener to increase space and decrease pressure in the intervertebral foramen. In the picture below, we would open the right side by combining flexion, contralateral sidebend, and contralateral rotation. Level 1b to 2b Reduced Opening Dysfunctions For these impairments, they are treated just the same as closing dysfunctions. The major difference is rationale. In closing dysfunction, the goal is to reduce stress on the nervous system. With opening dysfunctions, however, we are trying to improve the opening pattern. Static openers will generally not be used because these treatments could potentially provoke symptoms. Neural Dysfunction The gentlest technique is the two-ended slider, in which an ipsilateral lateral glide and elbow extension are performed. For tension dysfunctions, we go through the following progression:

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Chapter 8: Method of Treatment: Systematic Progression

This is a Chapter 8 summary of “Clinical Neurodynamics” by Michael Shacklock. Let’s Treat the Interfaces The two main ways to treat interfaces involve opening and closing techniques. These treatments involve either sustained or dynamic components. We will discuss which techniques work best in terms of dysfunction classification. – Reduced Closing Dysfunction – Given static openers early in this progression, continuing to increase frequency and duration. Eventually you move to more aggressive opening techniques, while finishing with closing maneuvers. – Reduced Opening Dysfunction – Start with gentle opening techniques working to further increasing the range. – Excessive Closing and Opening Dysfunctions – Work on improving motor control and stability. How About Neural Dysfunctions The main treatments are sliders and tensioners; each can be performed as one or two-ended. Sliders ought to be applied when pain is the key symptom. Sliding may milk the nerves of inflammation and increase blood flow. These techniques could also be used to treat a specific sliding dysfunction. Sliders can be performed for 5 to 30 reps with 10 seconds to several minute breaks between sets. Increased symptoms such as heaviness, stretching, and tightness is okay, but pain should not occur afterwards. Typically sliders are performed in early stages, and in acute situations should occur away from the offending site. Tensioners are reserved for higher level tension dysfunctions. The goal is to improve nerve viscoelasticity. Some symptoms are likely to be evoked, but this occurrence is okay as long as symptoms do not last.  Tensioners are

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Chapter 7: Standard Neurodynamic Testing

This is a Chapter 7 summary of “Clinical Neurodynamics” by Michael Shacklock. Passive Neck Flexion With this test, the upper cervical tissues slide caudad, and the lower cephalid. The thoracic spine moves in a cephalid direction as well. Normal responses ought to be upper thoracic pulling at end-range. Abnormal symptoms would include low back pain, headache, or lower limb symptoms. Median Neurodynamic Test 1 (MNT1) This test, also known as the base test, moves almost all nerves between the neck and hand. Normal responses include symptoms distributed along the median nerve; to include anterior elbow pulling that extends to the first three digits. These symptoms change with contralateral lateral flexion and less often ipsilateral lateral flexion. Anterior shoulder stretching can also occur. Ulnar Neurodynamic Test (UNT) This test biases the ulnar nerve, brachial plexus, and potentially the lower cervical nerve roots. Normal responses include stretching sensations along the entire limb, but most often in the ulnar nerve’s field. Median Neurodynamic Test 2 (MNT2) This version biases the lower cervical nerve roots, spinal nerves, brachial plexus, and median nerve. Normal responses would be similar to MNT1. Radial Neurodynamic Test (RNT) This test looks predominately at radial nerve, as well as the nerve roots. It is uncertain if this test biases any particular nerve root. Normal responses include lateral elbow/forearm pulling, stretch in the dorsal wrist. Axillary Neurodynamic Test (ANT) This test tenses the axillary nerve, though may not be specific. Normal responses include posterolateral shoulder pulling with about 45-90 degrees of

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