Posts by Jennifer Smart

DPT, PRC

Cranial Resolution - Fort Collins, CO - Review

Flying from sea level North Carolina to mile high Colorado was indeed a great way to experience pressure changes. It gave me an opportunity to discuss, firsthand, what our craniums should constantly be doing to resolve these changes, which are cyclically occurring (perhaps to a smaller extent) inside of our heads (and bodies) every moment of every day. And I could not have had a better group of people to discuss this with than those that attended last weekend’s “Cranial Resolution” course held at ProActive PT in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The Cranial course indeed has a lot of didactic material, but right from the start clinical application of this material was being discussed. And I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to get, early on on day one, questions that reflected how people who had never previously taken this course (which was the majority of people that were in attendance) were clearly conceptualizing this complex information in a clinical manner. Like when Tracy asked, “Well then wouldn’t it be helpful to block the right nostril when doing some of the PRI techniques?” What was so cool about these sorts of questions is that they showed people were starting to understand WHY we might want to do things . . . before ever being algorithmically introduced to a ball of cotton or a funny hat.

To me, understanding why PRI works is at the root of the Cranial Course. It brings concepts and people back down to basics, literally down . . . as in sitting on the floor down, to take their either “too loose” (disassociated) or “too tight” (overly regulated) legs out of the equation so they can feel how their cranium and thorax SHOULD integrate (alternate and diverge). The two avatars that volunteered to illustrate these two different ANS integration responses could not have been more perfect, or more appreciated. Addison not only visibly gained nearly 40 deg of SLR, but also admitted that at the end of his demonstration he was, “for the first time,” able to comfortably tolerate long sitting. And Karen was finally able to find and feel her hamstrings (even if it was “only a 25% sense,” she now at least had something to start ergotropically PUSHING the floor with). And we were able to get Craig, our well balanced, “neutral” model, to quickly illustrate the role that lateralized multisensory input plays in influencing our ANS responses. Sorry Craig.

This trip to Fort Collins was my first venture into Colorado, so of course I had to make the most of it. Jennifer, a wellness coach who has become a staunch PRI ambassador, was going to be attending so the two of us arranged to fly out several days early to be able to do some hiking. We loved the trails along the Poudre Valley (Hewlett Gulch and Grey Rock) and went up the well-traveled Horsetooth trail to the falls just outside of town. All spectacular, especially since the sun was out, the temps were perfect, and the Aspen’s were at their peak yellow. I’m starting to like this traveling to teach gig!

Most importantly though, I want to extend a deep, heartfelt thanks to both the institute and the incredible hosts at ProActive (Brian, Tracy, Craig, and Addison), along with all of those that traveled (Jennifer, Chris, Karen, Lisa, Derya, Rachel and David) to be a part of this weekend of learning. Absolutely everyone brought something to the mix (even quiet Chris, learning about how you have worked with an ENT and Nutritional Flow was thought provoking). It was all such a great experience. I can't wait until the next time I get to teach this material, which will be on a live stream from Nebraska.

Jennifer Smart, DPT, PRC

Posted October 24, 2023 at 7:17PM

Categories: Courses

0 Comments

Cranial Resolution - Chapel Hill, NC - Course Review

Last weekend I had the honor of presenting Cranial Resolution in Chapel Hill, NC. Although most in attendance had previously taken this course, a few multiple times, several were dipping their toes into this material for the first time. I was proud, gratified, and extremely relieved that, by the end of the weekend, everyone was expressing an energized and clinically relevant understanding of the functional relationship between the ANS and CNS - and the role that our lateralized cortical and subcortical biases and nasal passages play in influencing what we so often ‘orthopedically’ address. I had the privilege of witnessing the occurrence of serial eureka moments. These were illustrated through the cognitively insightful questions and enlightening discussions that, as one attendee put it . . . were “cathartic.”

The PRI giants at Advance PT, Susan Henning, Jean Masse and Lisa Mangino, who hosted the course, could not have been more welcoming. Their hospitality went above and beyond. I also owe a huge thanks to the incredible avatars who could not have demonstrated the autonomic concepts any better. Jean, for allowing us to use her beautifully neutral system to illustrate how the interruption of nasal flow can immediately and predictably alter one’s sense of ground and gravity (and so dramatically change a SLR test)! Kaisa for demonstrating how someone progresses through the treatment algorithm, including when and how to address an apparent dysfunctional autonomic limitation by effectively using one of the thoracic cranial resolution techniques. And a special thanks to Joe, who let me positionally challenge him to illustrate how, when, and why modifications may need to be made, and what significant gains can be achieved by addressing the autonomic nervous system.

I finished Sunday more excited than ever to be teaching this material. I cannot express how grateful I am to the institute for having the confidence in me to translate and present this aspect of Ron’s monumental work. To me, the ANS is where PRI begins. I honestly feel that gaining a basic grasp of how the ANS integrates with the CNS makes all the other courses so much easier to comprehend. It explains why things are happening and illuminates (and fortifies) the importance of the positioning, referencing, and sequencing of each and every one of the steps that are so methodically spelled out in all of the non-manual techniques.

This was my first time teaching this course solo and I will be eternally grateful to everyone who attended for making it such a successful and meaningful experience. The dynamic of this group was incredible.

Jennifer Smart, DPT, PRC

Posted September 5, 2023 at 8:15PM

Categories: Courses Science

0 Comments

Cranial Resolution - Lincoln, NE - Review

It was so appropriate to have my first attempt to be the lead instructor for the entire, two-day Cranial Resolution Course to occur on St Patrick’s Day, since I was feeling quite green regarding how to teach this tertiary material. Fortunately, people were very kind and appeared to appreciate my simplifications, analogies and/or clinical examples of the frequently complex didactic concepts that are introduced in this course (like how the ANS and CNS interact with each other). Ron, who was sitting in the front row, was remarkably restrained, even though it must have been hard for him since these are the concepts that have been behind PRI, and so dear to his heart, right from the very start.

What I found so exciting was that out of the 46 people in attendance from all over the globe, half of them were attending Cranial Resolution for the first time! That indicates to me that more people are recognizing the need, and are now ready to start, to integrate neurological concepts into their PRI practice. From my own personal experience, I accept that learning when and how to consciously introduce such things as lateralized neural rhythms into your practice may take a while to grasp. What I truly wanted to get across, especially to those first-time attendees, was that the techniques taught in this cranial course were never meant to replace the foundational material from the primary and secondary courses, they were meant to augment it. And that appropriately using the concepts introduced in Cranial Resolution may be able to help your patients make changes faster, more effectively and in a way that is perceived differently. Learning how and when to utilize them may not be quite as algorithmic as techniques learned in the primary courses, but I hope that I was able to share enough specific examples to progress practitioners from ‘just trying’ seemingly random, sensory-modifying techniques to better understanding WHY and WHEN they might appropriately recruit them to each of their client’s unique situations.

I was thrilled to have 6 PRI faculty in attendance at my inaugural session of teaching this course. Their supportive presence constantly reminded me of the strong foundation this course stands upon. Because even though I personally have found that the concepts taught in Cranial Resolution have been a game changer for my practice, there is no way anything can ‘change the game’ if there isn’t already a game being played by a strong set of recognized and accepted premises and principles.

I know I was nervous, I read from the slides more than I wanted to, and I spoke too fast. These are all issues that I will actively work on for future renditions of this course. But like I said earlier, even though I may be comfortable with the material presented, I am still green at presenting it, especially to all the bright and inquisitive individuals who have pursued PRI to this tertiary level. What I hope came across, however, is how much I love this material – and want to get others to feel the same way. It’s not hard, it’s just different. And ‘different’ is cyclically needed, otherwise we have nothing to which we can compare or reference normal.

Thanks to all who attended – and plan to attend in the future!

Jennifer Smart, DPT, PRC

Posted April 4, 2023 at 4:15PM

Categories: Courses Science

0 Comments

Cranial Resolution - Seattle, WA - Review

No one could have chosen a better place than Alpine PT in Seattle to initiate my presentation of Cranial Resolution. Although the content of this extensively researched course remains the same, the institute is turning the delivery of the material over to a clinician, someone who has spent nearly four decades integrating the concepts behind this course into her practice. And, fortunately, the people attending this past rendition of the course in Seattle appeared to truly embrace this transition.

The evolution of the questions they asked and the comments they made over the weekend, from both the repeat and first-time attendees, reflected a progressive understanding of:

•   How postural compensations of the body relate to lateralized physical, physiological and psychological adaptations of the brain;
•   How oscillatory frequencies influence the ANS and, subsequently, the CNS;
•   How poor pressure regulation can lead to dysafferentation and over-convergence of occlusion, hearing, sight, and sound production; and,
•   How, why, when and which non-manual techniques (and some manual techniques featured in the manual) can be used to influence these systems.

It was worth flying across the country, from the eastern seaboard of NC to the Pacific coast, to join Ron in teaching this course, even if the 3-hour time zone difference wreaked temporary havoc with my own ultradian rhythms. I met so many remarkable people: The owners of Alpine PT, Eli, Jeremiah and Murph, could not have been kinder, sharing local coffee and their local bridge troll. Eva, who works at Alpine, made an excellent lab specimen, allowing us to clearly demonstrate both the negative and positive effects biased nasal respiration has on autonomics. And having a dentist, Dr. Jason Pehling, present was such a plus since discussions of patients he shares with several of the local PRI therapists truly brought the course concepts to life. Brandon, Lucas, Paige and Matt all asked such insightful questions and Kevin, who spoke of how he planned to use the concepts from this course to treat crazed horses, were all wonderful to meet. And Kelsey, who took this course to be able to integrate the material into a fitness program she runs for clients with Parkinson’s Disease, touched my heart since it was through my extensive work with this population that I first discovered the role posture and pressure played in the dysfunctional oscillations that are associated with the development of dysautonomia, dystonia and dyskinesia. And, Zac, who gave me the biggest confidence boost of all when, being someone so seasoned in PRI, he came up to me and told me that one of my illustrations regarding how sensory perception affects our autonomic tension "was pure gold." It meant the world to me to hear this from him.

It was my first outing in delivering this material, thanks to everyone for being so kind and giving me such constructive feedback. We will all improve as a result of this experience.

Jennifer Smart, DPT, PRC

Posted November 1, 2022 at 7:56PM

Categories: Courses Clinicians Science

0 Comments

Submit an Entry