“Lots of evidence-based practice.”
“I plan to integrate the information immediately into my practice.”

Thank you to Heather Golly, ATC, PhD, Beth Marschner, DPT, and Dawn Mattern, MD, faculty at Minot State University, in Minot, North Dakota, for hosting Postural Respiration this past weekend. We were able to sneak this course in before the travel and conference bans were enacted and had plenty of hand-sanitizer at our disposal!  

MSU was the host site for Myokinematics last year, so most attendees had that course under their belt.  It served as a springboard to understanding how the top half of the body, the thorax, influences and is influenced by the lower half.

Our ability to fully and properly compress and decompress our bodies – the thorax, abdominal, pelvic, and cranial chambers -- in the space around us is dictated by air flow patterns provided by hemi-diaphragms that are in position to do so.  This is compromised if abdominals, which wrap around the lower ribs and shape the hemi-diaphragms within to preserve their length-tension properties, aren’t sensed and facilitated.  Therefore, training the abdominals first and foremost for respiration, not core stability, is imperative.  All our movements and physiology, from HRV, digestion, and the ability to concentrate, depend on this.

One attendee grappled with when to consider prone “I’s”, “Y’s”, and “T’s” in their program.  This led to a helpful discussion, and paradigm shift, on the need to first address thoraco-scapular mechanics, as achieved by diaphragm position, rib cage expansion, and alterations of air flow patterns, before introducing scapula on thorax activity.  Without proper respiratory mechanics in place, muscles of the scapula acting on the thorax are simply out of position and lack meaningful leverage to provide safe, effective cervical and upper extremity joint performance.

Everyone appreciated and learned from those who stepped up to demonstrate non-manual techniques and to act as patient models for lab:  Stephanie Boespflug, PTA, PRC (my fellow PRC 2011 alum), Beth Marschner, Kirk Mason, DC, Terry Quijano, ATC student, Rebekah Rye, ATC, and Shane Williams, ATC student.  They enhanced and clarified how we define R BC/L AIC patterned activity and how we differentiate this presentation and its treatment considerations from that of superior T4 and B PEC compensations. Thank you also to Kari Harris, DPT, and Heidi Folk, PT, for adding to the discussion with insightful questions and personal clinical examples. I appreciated everyone’s warmth and hospitality, North Dakota-style. Thank you all for a wonderful weekend. The Institute looks forward to bringing more courses to your neck of the woods!

If there are three bones that have always had an impact on my course of study as related to respiration, airway, occlusion, oral function, head and neck position, speech, vocal cord dysfunction, tongue compensation, nasal flow, autonomics in general, auditory sense and the soft and hard palates, it is the temporal and occipital bones. Three very important nerves go through the most infamous foramen of mankind, the Internal Jugular Foramen (IJF). When the lumen or congruence of this foremen is challenged our bodies know it. Cranial mal-position and underlying associated predictable human torsional constraint increases the need for compensation and  work around this malpositioned set of paired bones, on an accompanying occiput bone that orients and houses the medulla and brain stem in off-centered state of un-rest. This positional state of unrest feeds neurologic information to our mid brain and associated cortices that are directly associated with my course of study, outlined above.   

Re-orientation of these two paired IJFs can have a major impact on ANS, SoNS and CNS function and behavior, secondary to the compression or lack of compression on these three nerves. The glossopharyngeal nerve innervates the stylopharyngeus muscles, the vagus nerve innervates the levator veli palatini, the salingopharyngeus, the palatoglossus, the palatopharyngeus, and the pharyngeal constrictor muscles, and the accessory nerve innervates the trapezius and the sternocleidomastoid muscles. I will not go over these three nerves sensory innervation, but these nerves are instrumental in how we physically, physiologically and psychologically behave and operate. Cranial mal-guidance provided by the calvaria, temporal and occiput bones and their associated torsional patterns of function can be resolved through PRI based sacral cranial repositioning and through PRI based thoracic cranial resolution, that incorporates cranial oscillatory alternation. Having the opportunity to outline and teach the reasoning behind these PRI techniques and considerations, offered by this unique course, through the involvement of the sinus cavities, the palatine bones, and the pharynx, is as fulfilling for me as any course I have ever written, designed or taught.

I would like to thank Amy Goddard PT, DPT, OCS, CSC, PRC and her staff, once again, for hosting another PRI course at her expansive and accommodating facility. Gail Kaiser PT, OCS, thank you for your willingness to participate in my demonstration autonomic orthotics. And Stephanie Irizarry Pt, CLT-LANA, PRC your presence is always welcomed because of your love for Pantone 269 C (purple), your predictable body performance through autonomic filtering, and your on-going smile. Jennifer Bullock PT, DPT, OCS, PRC your input, discussion and feedback was so invaluable. I honestly believe, this is ‘your course’ if there ever was one offered by PRI. I truly love everything you stand for and represent.  

 PRI Integration for Pilates kicked off first course of 2020 at its home base at Pilates Central in Wilmette, IL with fantastic group of Pilates teachers, PT’s, massage therapists, a chiropractor and other fitness professionals. We started the day with introductions and then introduced PRI and Pilates principles. There so many commonalities with Postural Restoration and Pilates, especially that Joseph Pilates and Ron Hruska were both 50 years ahead of their time.

Sarah Petrich introduced the concepts of ZOA and the asymmetrical human body and soon we were all fully exhaling to inflate purple balloons. Day one morning ended with a mat and breathing lab.

I then introduced the supine reformer gait integration assessment test followed by lab so everyone had a chance to observe and experience the tests. Sarah got us all dancing the hula and salsa to illustrate triplanar motion.

Followed by a conversation in which I covered quadruped abdominal assessment and the sidelying stance tests which drive the programming labs. Speaking of driving, Sarah taught us all how to get in the left lane and make legal right turns while discussing lateralized gait. Attendees practiced hand and foot references to “layer “ on to the “choreography “.

So many wonderful attendees to mention: shout out to Chad Moreau, PRC and Whitney from Southern California for braving the Chicago winter; Wanda, who works with wounded warriors in Atlanta and Beth from Houston. Honored that Donna Olivero PT PRC was there to learn how to incorporate more Pilates into her chronic pain practice, especially because she completes the trio of Donna’s in the PRC class of 2012. Thank you to Stephanie (her 3rd PRI Pilates course!) Holly, Petra and Amanda from corepilates Chicago who have embraced PRI Pilates at their studio. Last but not least thank you to my wonderful instructors , Elizabeth, Charmaine, Deb, and Laura for their help in lab, for asking great questions and for help getting the studio back together for Monday morning Pilates.

“Thanks for hosting such a wonderful class! It gave me so much inspiration to continue down the PRI path and incorporate more Pilates into my practice”  -Karolyn

Dominant cortical behavior and function as related to human bias and behavior has always been a strong interest, and passion of mine. In 2007 I wrote and compiled a course entitled ‘Impingement and Instability’ to begin a journey with those who have interest in the gifts of contact and oscillation. Four tabs were selected based on their importance in corporeal-sense, hemispheric influence, and biased lateralized behavior. Interaction of calcaneus, femur, hip/pelvis, and scapula anatomy through our extrapyramidal system is critical for reflexes, forward locomotor motion, complex dominant driven function and postural control. This has always been an ‘extrapyramidal’ based course. However, after thirteen years of presentation, I feel the Institute is at a great place to incorporate the significance of pressure, pronation, and push as it relates to these sites of interactive referenced modulated motor activity.

The extent of our creativity and capriciousness depends on both our soul and the soles we use to develop behavioral patterns associated with confidence built off of integrating contralateral, hemispheric and bio-tensegrity input. I was so excited this last weekend to discuss how we are regulated by self-regulating pressure of the scapula to capitalize on our ability to perform with things that push, propel and please us. The ground developed, directed and designed our anatomical behavior, while the earth’s gravity gave us the security to defend, offend and create without loss of life. This updated course has not really taken on a new course of direction, but definitely will take those, who attend, into dimensions never before looked at or addressed in the manner they are now presented and applied, with evidence that was not considered when addressing the reasoning for symptomology related to feet and hand haptics.

The re-assurance from the wonderful feedback I received after this course, re-assured me that the PRI nation is ready for the importance of variable femoral and scapula instability, and associated counterpart contralateral stability, as related to the metric embracement of calcaneal and pelvis impingement that directs and orchestrates the possible disharmony and dysfunction associated with pre-patterned forward locomotor movement. Thank you One on One Physical Therapy for hosting another PRI course. You all were so gracious with your time, support and assistance. Karen Warren PT, MPT, OCS, ATC the coffee was great from both cups, even when you lifted the left hand with the cup in it and your body’s mass moved to the right, (LAIC, RBC coffee). Dan Houglum MSPT, ATC/L, PRC, Jennifer Smart DPT,PRC and Michael DuBois DPT, OCS, TDN, CS USPHS/HIS provided so much insight and instructional feedback, thank you.