Courses

This is absolutely one of most gratifying courses I get to give twice a year. I truly could engage into this type of instructional endeavor every week. So much fun. And so gratifying to read the comments after each course and how much it meant to both the attendee that has taken a number of PRI courses prior to attending and those that are starting out on the PRI journey.

Ron Hruska, PRI Non-Manual Technique Workshop

For a quick review, I am given techniques that were selected by these attendees; and then I summarize who the techniques were designed for at the time I initially clinically used them and applied them to. Obviously this reasoning of application is limited and incomplete, but it gives those in the room opportunity to learn what I was thinking at the time each selected technique was clinically designed. This explanation allows me the opportunity to engage on how each technique is presently viewed by me and incorporated into my integrative mind set and practice, because of the many years of application and outcome assessment. Some of these techniques I have been using over 30 years. Clinical concepts as they relate to things that the clinician should consider, be mindful of, and cautiously move through for optimal outcome and patient acceptance, appreciation and apprehensive containment, are outlined whenever possible. Much of this discussion is generated by real time through class participation and input. This is the most interactive PRI course available, because of the availability of the founder’s mindset and the time spent on each step and the integrative mindful purpose of each individual step.

PRI Non-Manual Techniques Workshop

Additional considerations that I offer, enhances the existential experience and reasoning. This dialogue not only focuses on the technique’s interdimensional outcome, but allows the room of attendees to watch, listen and experience these relationships first hand. This is what I absolutely enjoy the most. To listen to the feedback the attendee gives, describes and relates to after the processed feedforward sense is felt, cortically incorporated and functionally measured, is so humbling and consistently rewarding for both the avatar on stage, i.e. the person who is performing the technique he or she selected, and the engaged viewers. 

PRI Non-Manual Techniques Workshop

Each of the 13 techniques that were dissected in this manner, offered positional, selection, reference, referent, and respiratory considerations for neuro-cognitive repeatable results. Quite honestly, the time preparing for these two days and its unique material, after Jen gave me each separate techniques that were requested by this particular course’s attendees, was as enjoyable as the actual class time. This time spent on outlining key concepts, application, steps, integrative sense, and desired outcomes, acknowledges my historical perspective and strengthens this Institute’s future application of such needed integrated and desired processing. I look forward to any and all of the future Non-Manual days ahead of me, and hope you will consider the possibilities you personally will experience, if you accept this invitation to participate with me. Thank you!

PRI Non-Manual Techniques Workshop

PRI Non-Manual Techniques Workshop

PRI Non-Manual Techniqeus Workshop

Posted February 6, 2020 at 9:54PM
Categories: Courses Techniques Science

“This course was mind blowing!”
“This was my third of the basic PRI courses. This really helped to bring all the information together.”
 “Before working on shoulders, I now know I need to retrain the diaphragm and restore rib position.”

Attendees came from far and wide to the most recent Postural Respiration course, held at Body Dynamics in Falls Church, VA.  Nicholas Clark, PhD, PT, hails from London, where he recently stumbled across the science of PRI on YouTube.  “After trying a couple of the PRI exercises, my arm numbness, that I had been dealing with for many months, resolved.” That experience convinced him he needed to learn more.   

Half of the attendees were brand new to PRI, their eyes opened to a new and different perspective on human movement and behavior.  The clinicians at Body Dynamics (Lisa Clarkson, PT; Jennifer Gamboa, PT; Deborah Gilpin, PT, ATC; Gwynn Hegyi, LMT; Kathryn Sparks, LMT; Ashley Templer, PT; and Jorge Villalobos, PT) hosted Myokinematics a year ago, and they were ready to deepen their PRI knowledge.  Many Myokinematics concepts were presented and reviewed, most importantly the left anterior interior chain of muscles’ influence on pelvic-femoral dynamics and a person’s ability to shift their center of mass fully and effectively to the left.  Once the body’s foundation was established, we moved up to the thorax and assessed its ability to function in three dimensions.  

Discussion began with our body’s normal, typical asymmetries which create lateralization to the right.  Countering this lateralized state begins with establishing a zone of apposition of the left hemi-diaphragm, which allows us to deflate a left chest wall, giving us a sense of weight on the left, and inflate a right chest wall to enable rotation of the thorax.  When people engage in occupations and sports that require repetitive movements (think lawyers, dentists, musicians, runners, and baseball players -- the list goes on), the ZOA becomes compromised, leading to the postural maladies that we clinicians witness every day:  hyperinflation, forward head posture, concave chests, scoliosis, winging scapulas, and thoracic flat backs.

Ample time was spent in lab to experience PRI’s non-manual and manual techniques.  Attendees learned concepts such as sensing rib expansion, biasing air flow patterns, sensing reference centers to re-direct the nervous system to new strategies of movement and perception of stability, and guiding a patient through a logical progression, from supine 90-90 positions to upright, rotational performance called gait.

Our labs were enhanced by our attendee-models:  Grace Ball, Pilates trainer; Scott Birch, PT; Nicholas; Bethany Middleton, PTA; and Keith Zrinyi, DC.  Thank you to all of you!

It was awesome to have Sarah Ratti, PT, PRC, in attendance, who brought her colleagues from Bon Secours in Richmond.  Tom Van Ornum, PT, also introduced his colleagues from M.O.S.T. to the science of PRI.  A huge thank you goes out to Karen Soiles, PT, PRC.  Karen is highly experienced and knowledgeable in the science of PRI, and she provided helpful guidance, clarity, and context throughout the weekend.  

Posted January 31, 2020 at 10:31PM
Categories: Clinicians Courses Science

Kelsie Giles, PTA, and her team at Elite Physical Therapy (Michael Brown, PT, Kara Patterson, PTA, Luke Rowan, PT, and Matthew Thomas, PT), hosted Postural Respiration, the first-ever PRI course held in Mississippi!
Attendees grasped key concepts, including what is the ZOA, how do we establish it on the left, how does it change pathological patterned air flow, and what areas of the thorax need to expand to achieve alternating, reciprocal movement when we move?  How does hyperinflation restrict our movement from side to side?  How does blowing up a balloon change pelvic orientation, rib mechanics, and scapular position?  How does the right lower trap and tricep help us feel the ground under our left foot?  Why would Jimmy Kimmel benefit from a PRI program?


The course cites multiple research articles and includes numerous photos of typical humans with typical jobs and hobbies to illustrate how patterned breathing, from patterned position, stemming from the natural, normal asymmetries within us all, feed patterns of muscle over-activity. These patterns become entrained in our nervous system and underlie and explain the onset of neuro-musculoskeletal pathologies. Thank you to our models, Kelsie and Michael for helping the class better understand the superior T4 syndrome – what it looks like and how to address it.  Our other models, Kaitlyn Keyser, TP, Kara, Herb Reinhard, ATC, Luke, and Nathan Yost, ATC, were game to take on some challenging non-manual techniques.  There were lots of good questions to clarify concepts, most notably from Micheal Brown and Donna Rush, PT.  Jason Reeves, PT – your oratory skills were much appreciated as we guided our models through non-manual techniques.


Thank you to the entire group for a wonderful weekend.  Your southern hospitality was a treat for this Marylander!

Posted January 24, 2020 at 5:28PM

The New Year for PRI was kicked off with the first Cervical Revolution course hosted by Advance Physical Therapy January 18-19th. This host site is a Postural Restoration Center with some of the most experienced and professional clinicians I have ever met. Their experience and  knowledge of PRI, Schroth Method for Scoliosis, pediatrics and working with dental professionals for occlusal reference is truly interdisciplinary and artful in approach.

Cervical Revolution has  had a lot of "evolution" this past year with a refined, step-by-step description of atlas on occipital bone position that is clear cut and more easy to understand in the Right vs. Left TMCC. This weekend students learned to appreciate and understand what seems to be at first the challenging subtleties of atlas on occipital function. Visualizing how "A" on "O" drives the sphenoid and how the sphenoid positions temporal bones and ultimately the jaw for a tri-planer picture of how the neck, cranium and TMJ complex affects the entire postural system seems daunting to everyone at first. In this course, autonomics is a prime focus as the neck is the neurologic appendage that drives the rest of the body.


This high level PRI group of practitioners was engaged from the first minute on Saturday to the last minute on Sunday actively asking questions, contributing to the professional dialogue and just working really hard to take in the detailed insights of an advanced PRI course. And then, be enthusiastic about how to apply the basic concepts of this course on Monday morning. This weekend there was a strong emphasis on the basics with a straight forward path to application of course principles.

This was a dream course for any faculty member with this kind of energy and participation from students. What made this course rewarding for me was the staff at Advance Physical Therapy. It was such a comfort to be with physical therapists and PRC's Lisa Mangino, Jean Masse, Joe Belding, Susan Henning, Josh Olinick from STEPS for Recovery, Sangini Rane and of course Jennifer Smart in attendance. Jennifer Smart will be presenting at the next Interdisciplinary Symposium in April and her presentation is not to be missed! In addition, this group of veteran PRC's offered clinical discussion and were all lab assistants in one way or another to lighten the load for the entire class and elevate everyone's experience. Shout out to Angela Ellis, DDS who works with Advance Physical Therapy. She is a dentist and was a first time attendee to a PRI course and she could not have been more delightful and engaged! Thank you again Advance Physical Therapy for hosting Cervical Revolution and supporting PRI.

What a great weekend in Tucson, Arizona this past weekend! I not only got to enjoy blue skies and 65 degrees (Lincoln, NE snowy and 20 degrees), but I also had the pleasure of introducing a third of the class to PRI. It was a great weekend of pelvic inlet and pelvic outlet going into the weeds of detail with muscle actions, positions, and objective testing. The class participation was great with questions, participation, and engagement. I felt the participants appreciated the objective tests and how they can make improved PRI exercise selections when understanding what these tests are showing them. I also felt the power of the respiratory and pelvic diaphragms for internal pressure regulation and air flow were better understood with correct pelvic position. The facility was amazing and thank you to Ben and the University of Arizona for hosting Pelvis Restoration this past weekend. It was a great start to 2020!

Posted January 17, 2020 at 8:15PM
Categories: Clinicians Courses Science

Advanced Integration and specifically the Integration symbol itself, represent one’s ability to integrate not only the Primary Course concepts, but also one’s ability to recognize the asymmetrical patterns of behavior themselves. In fact your predisposition, perspectives and past experiences will all dictate how you perceive this symbol and consequentially appreciate this 4 day course. Advanced Integration allows us to come together once a year, for a detailed, didactic and sometimes difficult discussion of the most advanced considerations covered in Myokinematic Restoration, Postural Respiration and Pelvis Restoration throughout the year. It allows us to welcome individuals with various degrees of professional practice, differing levels of clinical understanding and multiple locations of living across the globe. This year we were joined by our PRI Family from 26 states, as well as the countries of Malaysia, Australia, Iceland, Germany and Japan. With Valerie Chai (PRC Class of 2019) traveling 35 hours to attend, the dedication of these individuals is something that is continually humbling, and appreciated beyond our measure.


Our Japanese family continues to grow and integrate their own understanding of these concepts as they are now offering all three Primary Courses, and working to present Impingement & Instability in the year ahead. We are also excited to announce the creation of the PRP, (Postural Restoration Provider ™ ) credentialing program that will be offered in Japan in the years ahead. Following these four days we were able to spend an additional two days with the PRC class of 2019, and welcomed 14 new providers from these countries.


The four days of Advanced Integration included some of the best presentations we have seen from Lori Thomsen, Jennifer Poulin and a special appearance by James Anderson representing the concepts they teach throughout the year in the Myokinematic, Pelvis, and Postural course work. If you have not heard these individuals teach this material I highly encourage you to attend one of their courses in 2020, as well as any other Faculty Member that may challenge your current understanding by receiving a different perspective from a different presenter.


The fourth day in particular allows us to reflect solely on Curvatures of the Spine and the effects that Torsion, Torticollis, and too much Torque can have on our already twisted systems. Lisa Mangino, Jean Masse, and Susan Henning have truly spent the better part of their collective careers to understand these concepts and the chance to learn from their intervention strategies was truly a gift to us all.


It is hard to wrap up an entire year of PRI course work through this one four day event. However the opportunity it gives us to come together as a family and challenge each other in a positive manner is one that we never take for granted. As you reach towards the year ahead, may you all appreciate the journey this past year has been for you as we do each December. May you reflect on those that mean the most to you along that journey, and welcome the challenges that will continue in the year ahead.

Our PRI Family starts with our Faculty and Staff and extends from there to all of you. I wish you and your Families a Happy Holiday Season and an Integrative year ahead!   

Posted December 18, 2019 at 5:57PM
Categories: Clinicians Courses Science

It was a great weekend in New York teaching Pelvis Restoration. We had 48 clinicians attending the course and 13 were attending their first PRI Course….they made it! Pelvis entails positioning of the pelvic inlet and outlet coupled with muscles facilitation and inhibition with respiration. It’s a lot. I felt the class did an amazing job absorbing the material and asking wonderful questions. Edmund, Sebastian, and Romina your thinking and questioning benefiting the entire class, thank you. Frontal plane appreciation with synchronization of the respiratory and pelvic diaphragm were emphasized with demonstration. Nicole is your left ischial condylar adductor still burning? Geri, I hope you appreciated frontal plane of the left inlet and outlet to re-direct airflow into the right apical chest wall and left posterior mediastinum. Physical appreciation of PRI is powerful, thank you both for letting me teach throught you to the class. The weekend went way too fast, I appreciated everyone and their willingness to come and learn. Thank you Dave, Cuyler, and Brendan and Finish Line for hosting. Neal and Sean thank you for lab assisting! I was able to see the Rockettes in their annual Christmas show,  it was specatular!  Bucket List for me since I was young. Thank You again!

Posted November 27, 2019 at 5:41PM
Categories: Courses Techniques Science

We had a huge turn-out in Minneapolis for the Postural Restoration Integration for Pilates course this weekend and attendees had fantastic questions!  We spent the morning of Day 1 nailing down breathing mechanics and  obtaining the Zone of Apposition and practicing it in lab even before lunch. We followed up by getting into the nitty gritty of the L AIC and R BC pattern and using the Reformer Supine Gait Integration Test and the Reformer Quadruped Abdominal Lateralization to test to see how well people could properly stand and shift over one leg and counter rotate the upper thorax ("legally"). We finished up day 1 with sagittal plane focused exercises.

 

On Day 2 we started with a heavy discussion on lateralized gait and understanding early-->mid stance and mid-->late stance in regards to the L AIC/R BC pattern. There may have been some dancing involved....like some sagittal pelvic tilts, frontal plane "hula hips" and transverse plane "salsa twists." Then we went through The Reformer Side lying Stance Test that really looks at the frontal plane followed by a lab of frontal plane exercises on the reformer. We finished up the day with talking about the principle of sensing, including cuing and special reference points for the hands and feet to promote L AF IR and R upper trunk rotation. The final lab added transverse plane integration including a personal favorite exercise of mine, scooter. We wrapped up the day having a frank logistical discussion on how does one start implementing these concepts without getting too overwhelmed, starting with getting a L ZOA and mastering the sagittal plane with a L hamstring. A big thank you to Kristin Procopio and Studio U, for hosting this rendition of our Pilates course at her beautiful new facility, and a shout out to Christine Peh who traveled all the way from Kuala Lumpur to be with us over the weekend!

Posted November 21, 2019 at 5:13PM
Categories: Courses Clinicians Science

In the later part of 2004 I met with Stan Babel through Karen Jiran MPT, PRC and Carrie Langer MPT, ATC, PRC. Stan who owned and managed Physical Medicine Diagnostics Rehabilitation (PD Midway) and wanted to build a pool. At that time I was really interested in hydrodynamics and had countless discussions with my brother who is an engineer regarding pump power, jet nozzles, etc. And more importantly I wanted to design a pool for patterned neuromuscular isolation and inhibition through the use of directional water to maximize specific aquatic afferentation, as well as compensatory push and pull recognized by the autonomic and central nervous systems. My first PRI Sequential Movement (PRISM) pool design was developed and constructed through Stan. All eight of the stations provide neuromuscular isolation and feed forward activation of groups of muscles to resolve postural related dysfunctional autonomic and physiologic behavior through the flow of water. With the arrival of this pool and its science, PDR Midway, became IMPACT Physical Medicine and Aquatic Center.


Presenting course material that is related to the brain’s lateralized hemispheric specialization and the autonomic nervous influence on our central nervous system’s compensatory behavior, fifteen years later, made my amygdala related emotional, sentimental and nostalgic feelings flow uncontrollably. Stan and his wonderful staff over the years has enabled me to continue to move in directions that I patiently outlined, ballooned and flowed with. I feel so indebted and grateful to him and his staffs over the years. Many of those affiliated with this integrated minded center were in this class.


This particular class also made me feel somewhat sentimental, because I have known most, if not all of them, for so many years. They were watched, observed, tested and judged by me. They were my independent, dependent and constant variables for my research effort on knowing when, how and what to deliver to get where we were on November 2nd, 2019. There were 18 Credentialed providers in the room that affectionately tolerated me being somewhat unfiltered regarding autonomic and central nervous systems and their influence on each other and our patterned behavior.  


This course is such a joy for me to teach and resonate around. Just as aquatic flow can re-balance, re-engage, and re-tense us, so can mandibular latero- molar trusive contact, sphenoid (pterygoid) and temporal (temporalis) oscillation, and palatopharyngeus  (diameter of the pharynx) and tensor veli palatine (diameter of the eustacian tube) ANS control. Before Stan, before the pools, before PRI certification, I remember a quote by Socrates that remains with me today. “I cannot teach anybody, I can only make them think” and I am grateful for those who continue to flow and follow thought processes that make them sequentially think.  

The staff at IMPACT are always such wonderful hosts. The morning breakfast, break food and afternoon warm cookies (thank you Stan) are so appreciated. Christie Amundson PT, DPT, HFS,PRC and Mara Brandsoy OTR/L, PRC have a system in place for courses like this. Their and their fellow team-mate’s effort does not go unnoticed.  I also want to thank Amy Pennaz PT and Catherine Shelton PT for their willingness to work with me in demonstrating how to resolve postural related dysfunctional autonomic behavior.

Posted November 19, 2019 at 10:03PM
Categories: Clinicians Courses Science

This was the last offering of Myokinematic Restoration for 2019. And what a way to end the year! We had a great group of chiropractors, athletic trainers, physical therapists and PT assistants,  strength coaches, personal trainers, and cranial therapists.  I was very excited to get to sunny northern California, as the we got 4-6 inches of snow the day before I left. Which made for a miserable Halloween.  

Fortunately, only treats and no tricks with PRI! This course affords us the luxury of spending a lot of time in lab.  Nearly 40% of the class is spent in lab, which provides the attendee ample opportunity to find, feel, and experience the science of PRI. This course also provides ample time for us to discuss, explain, and digest the Hruska Adduction and Abduction Lift Tests as a means of determining one's ability to walk and breathe. If walking and breathing require compensation, everything will require compensation.  

We had a great discussion about sympathetic vs. parasympathetic nervous system activity related to pelvic positioning, foot and ankle performance, and how the acetabulum position dictates femoral activity.  

My thanks to Shaun Buchanan and Joan Shepherd Mellows for hosting us and all the logistical work that goes into a successful weekend.  My thanks to Jenn Gaskin, Brian Schulman, John Garland, Cody Gilliss, Michael Serrano, and Tracy Henry for all of their great questions and help during demonstrations.  

But this weekend wouldn't have worked nearly as well if it weren't for Will Waterman, PRC, and Tim Dempsey, PRT. They were fantastic lab assistants and were a great help during the entire course. Without a doubt, they were instrumental to helping this diverse group digest this information. Looking forward to 2020!

Posted November 11, 2019 at 5:04PM
Categories: Clinicians Courses Science
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