I recently completed my first Small Group Mentoring cohort that took an in-depth look into all aspects of manual therapy. It represented many of the insights I have learned over my 43-year career as a physical therapist and exercise physiologist. The goal of the sessions was to provide a more complete framework for each therapist to use to perform effective manual therapy treatments in the future. The 20-hour program was divided into four 5-hour sessions that occurred 1 month apart. These sessions included Assessment and Development of a Treat Plan, How Aberrant Physiology Caused by Somatic Dysfunctions Affects Treatment Decisions, Treatment Principles with a Musculoskeletal Focus, and Treatment Principles with a Visceral-Autonomic Nervous System Focus.
All of the 5-hour sessions flew by and were over before we knew it. Each session included a lecture and discussion about that day’s topic with the bulk of the time spent in lab practicing and refining various assessments and treatment techniques. Being a group of only 5 allowed everyone to have plenty of practical experience with close supervision as they learned the intricacies of how to perform a precise layer palpation to localize treatment to the specific dysfunctions present.
The sessions were held in the Conference room at The Exchange Building at 1122 Kenilworth Drive in Towson, MD. I look forward to future sessions in the coming years. A follow-up session involving direct patient treatment is being planned.
From course evaluations:
Heidi M: “There was a tremendous amount of information provided – all very detailed.”
Leigh Ann V: “I learned a great deal and you provided plenty of information with great detail.”