Interviews

I am excited to introduce "The Postural Restoration Podcast" with #PRINation! Many of you may be familiar with our featured interviews, and you may have even been highlighted on one in the past. We will now be using this Podcast for our Featured
Interviews
as a way to better familiarize the general public with not only our Faculty but also our Certified Providers. Check out the description of the first episode below, and I promise that not every episode will be this lengthy!

PS. Make sure to check out the History of PRI - The Foundation of the Postural Restoration Institute (August 2008) written by Ron in 2008, to discover how far we've come over the past decade!

Episode 1: The Foundation of the Postural Restoration Institute

"Welcome to the first episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast! In this Episode, I am joined by Founder and Director of the Postural Restoration Institute, Ron Hruska. The foundation of the Postural Restoration Institute resulted from many years of Clinical Practice and a strong interest in the patterns and positioning that at the time seemed to be the cause of many patients’ pain and dysfunction.

Ron discusses his time in Graduate school pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration after receiving his Physical Therapy degree from the University Of Nebraska Medical Center. His time working at the V.A. Medical Hospital as well as his eventual role as Director of Physical Therapy at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Lincoln, NE both played roles in his desire to look at and treat the human body through a multidisciplinary, systematic approach.

This led Ron to create other ways of treating patterned dysfunction, initially through the use of the first “Re-Positioning” device called Protonics. Although Protonics looked and seemed to function to many in the orthopedic world as a Patello-Femoral “Brace”, it was actually much more. Using this device allowed him to "Re-Pattern” bi-lateral chains of muscle and look at orthopedics from a Femoral-Patella lens.

Eventually this device left Ron with the desire to move into the private practice setting, in order to dedicate more time to roles with the APTA Association, and more time dedicated to learning and discovering further ways to develop his ideas. Protonics allowed him to connect with and teach other clinicians, including some of the first PRI Faculty members. Following the creation of the Hruska Clinic, Restorative Physical Therapy Services in 1999, Ron worked with fellow Physical Therapist Jason Masek and others to create some of the earliest PRI Non-Manual Techniques.

As this science continued to grow, PRI Director Janie Ebmeier was put in charge of helping to develop what would become the first Postural Restoration course which would later be renamed to “Postural Respiration”. With the foundation of the Postural Restoration Institute in 2000, other courses including the "Influence of the Pelvic-Femoral Complex" which was later called Myokinematic Restoration was a quick addition. We now are proud to offer more than 15 different courses, which have been developed to build upon these three Primary Courses

I welcome you to join us on this journey as we continue to explore how the creation of this science has changed the way coaches and clinicians approach the treatment of the human body."

The Postural Restoration Podcast
 

In the fall of 2017, Jen was contacted by Jessica Tidswell, PT, ATC, SCS, PRT, assistant professor for the Physical Therapy and Athletic Training programs at the University of Utah. We have requests for information, providers, course questions and many other inquires on a daily basis, but the request Jess had was different. She has the pleasure of working closely with the graduate athletic training students, and instructs several graduate courses while remaining clinically active through the University. She typically offers an Independent study as part of this course work and had a strong desire to somehow include PRI concepts as part of her 2017 fall semester. Jess has taken several PRI courses including all three primary courses as home studies, and after her conversation with Jen it was determined that our home study would be the perfect fit. Jess decided to focus the entire semester’s independent study on Pelvis Restoration. We were thrilled to have our course be the focus of a graduate level review and after a few more conversations with Jess, we had them up and running. Not only was this the first time the Home Study was used in this way, but she later decided to follow-up the fall semester this spring with the Myokinematic Restoration course for another semester long independent study. Jess is a pioneer in more ways than one. Receiving a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2002, Jess was clinically active for several years before deciding something was missing. Her background and passion in Exercise Science and Athletic Training led her to return to school, as a student, seeking her second Bachelor’s degree in Athletic training. Jess recently completed her PRT credentialing and is the first DPT, ATC to be credentialed in our  Postural Restoration Trained™ (PRT) credentialing program. Highlights from several of the students who were a part of this Independent study can be read below, and an interview of PRT Jessica Tidswell can be read HERE.

Thank you to Jess, and the students from the University of Utah, who continue to seek a better understanding of our science, and make these semester reviews a success. If any educators are interested in setting up similar Independent Study courses, please feel free to contact me!

Student Reviews:

Upon signing up for this semester-long independent study Pelvis Restoration home study course, how much knowledge of Postural Restoration® did you have if any? If this was your first exposure to the science, what stood out the most to you about this novel way of looking at human asymmetry?

“This was my first exposure to Postural Restoration, and being able to look at postural muscles in a different way and how they affect the innominate bones changed the way I treat my athletes and improved my outcomes.” - Bryan Erspamer, ATC

“Prior to signing up for the independent study, I had previously taken the in-person postural respiration course. I was first exposed to PRI from an athletic trainer and mentor during my first job after graduating from undergrad. It immediately peaked my interests due to its holistic view of the human body. The concepts described by the institute on how our inherent asymmetries relate to dysfunction were initially hard to grasp as a young clinician. However, the more I asked questions and critically applied the science, the more that I knew this was going to be an essential part of my career. Initially, much of my treatment focus was on the location of the injury itself. The Postural Restoration Institute provided the big picture and not only altered how I care for my patients, but also totally revamped the way I view human anatomy.” - Chris Michaels, LAT, ATC

“The semester-long independent study of Pelvis Restoration was the first time I had been introduced to PRI. I appreciated how the PRI approach has a strong focus on the kinetic chain bilaterally. PRI showed a unique perspective to optimize total body function by addressing the inhibition and facilitation needs on each side of the body individually.” - Julia Villani, ATC

As you got closer to the end of the semester did the course material challenge your thinking, or way of looking at certain injuries or dysfunction, that you encounter as an Athletic Trainer? What are some of the ways that you plan on implementing this material, or how do you see this material being utilized in your setting in the future.

“PRI changed the way I treated my athletes, I went from using a lot of muscle energy techniques for short term relief, to putting athletes on PRI programs to actually resolve the underlying issues. Working with hockey players, I see a lot of chronic hip and low back pain. Due to the mechanics of skating hockey players are prone to being in a PEC pattern, so I see myself using PRI on a broader scale in the future, implementing these techniques team wide.” - Bryan Erspamer, ATC

“The course material throughout the semester was both challenging and eye opening. Learning about the intricacies of pelvic motion, how pelvic position relates to asymmetry and dysfunction, and how I can use the Postural Restoration® science to make a long term impact on my patients was career altering. I work with college softball players and often times they complain of shoulder pain, but after taking a more extensive history, I learn that they also suffer from chronic low back and/or knee pain. While doing exercises on the lower extremity as part of an upper extremity rehabilitation program can often seem strange to my athletes, after taking the pelvis course, I know that this approach is essential for long term, total body health. In the future, I hope to implement PRI as a part of my pre-participation physical examinations to screen my athletes and get them started on a Postural Restoration® program prior to competition.” - Chris Michaels, LAT, ATC

“Absolutely, my view of overuse injuries and dysfunctional movement has changed. Now, I not only address the chief compliant but I take a much more detailed look at the pelvis and how it may be influencing the issue. I plan on incorporating PRI techniques in most of, if not all of my overuse injuries and dysfunctional movements. I have yet to find an athlete that would not benefit from some level of PRI exercise.” - Julia Villani, ATC

Overall would you recommend an independent study PRI home study course to other graduate students? How did your view of the science of Postural Restoration® change from the beginning of the semester, once you had completed the course? (Any additional feedback or comments are welcomed below)

“I would absolutely recommend a directed independent study focused on PRI to any graduate level AT. I feel that this was the best way to be introduced to PRI as we had Jess directing us and always willing to answer any questions we might have had. The environment also allowed us to work together as graduate students and better understand the language, the science, and the implementation of PRI. As the semester progressed and I got more of a grasp on the concepts and science behind PRI, I was able to start implementing PRI programs in the clinic. In the independent study set up, I was always able to address any questions or problems I might have had with Dr. Tidswell.” - Bryan Erspamer, ATC

I would strongly recommend the independent study PRI home study course to other graduate students. Taking this course alongside my classmates has created a collaborative learning experience that extends beyond the classroom. Throughout the semester, my classmates and I would meet in the clinic to either talk through questions we had from the course, or practice the special tests and exercises we learned during class time. I think the best part of taking this course as an independent study was that even once the class ended, a sort of PRI culture was created amongst the students who took the class. We all still make a point to check in with one another to discuss how we are applying the material and how we might be able to improve the way we utilize the concepts with our patients. We also have an online group where we share research, videos, and other useful material related to PRI. The independent study PRI home study course has fostered an environment of continuous learning and has changed the way we treat our patients.” - Chris Michaels, LAT, ATC

“I have no hesitation recommending a home study course to other graduate students. In my experience, newly certified athletic trainers have a limited number of tools in their toolbox to address overuse injuries and dysfunctional movement. This course not only helped me deepen my knowledge of pelvic anatomy, but also how imbalances in the core and pelvis reflect through the kinetic chain.” - Julia Villani, ATC

We recently interviewed Skip George,DC, CSCS, CCSP, PRC. Skip will be teaching courses for us in 2016. To read the full interview click HERE.

Posted November 20, 2015 at 9:48PM
Categories: Interviews
The article that originally appeared in the April issue of Men's Health is now online, you can read it here.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re an 80-year-old smoker, a 23-year-old Olympian, or a regular, fit guy-odds are the way you’re breathing right now is flooding your body with stress hormones, compromising your joints and mobility, bottlenecking your energy and undermining your performance in the gym and everyday life. Fourteen times a minute, you become a little weaker and a bit duller.

Hruska is on a mission to change that. Step one is understanding how your body is organized.”

1/ Lungs
They come as a pair, but the left Is smaller to accommodate the heart.
2/ Heart
We shift weight onto our right leg in part to counterbalance this organ.
3/ Diaphragm
It has two sides, but the right is thicker and stronger than the left.
4/ Liver
It also has two lobes, but the right is much larger (by a factor of six).

Ron Hruska was recently interviewed by Men’s Health along with Bill Hartman and Neil Rampe discussing Postural Restoration, after Trevor Thieme, Senior Editor for Men's Health attended a Postural Respiration course last year. Topics discussed include: optimal breathing and the typical respiration patterns, asymmetry, PRI in pro baseball, and common compensations that can cause neck, back and joint pain.  

The 90/90 hip lift with balloon was shown as a way to get your diaphragm in a position to work correctly, helping you to breathe appropriately and avoid chronic stress which can increase your risk of dementia by 67%, stroke by 59% and diabetes by 45%.

“You can think of neutrality of being functionally symmetrical- the ability to shift your center of gravity from one side to the other, to breathe efficiently with both lungs, and to maintain position of your true core. “Being neutral helps everything,” says All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. “When I lift, I’m stronger. When I run, I’m faster. It allows me to fully express my power and speed.”

If you haven't already, go out and grab the April 2015 Men’s Health issue and flip to page 144 to read the article, which they refer to as the "#1 Greatest Health Tip Ever!"

Posted April 24, 2015 at 3:58PM

Jennifer and Chris Poulin were recently interviewed by Joe Heiler on TheSportsRehabExpert.com. Topics discussed include PRI in Sports Performance, Injury Prevention, PRI with Military personnel and PRI with the Geriatric population. Chris discussed PRI application in golfers and changes that happen with aging golfers and also typical patterns that he sees with them. He sees typical L AIC patterns that will usually have limited L hip IR, a collapsed R arch in a R handed golfers and have a tough time using their R Glute Max. Click HERE to listen to the whole interview.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re an 80-year-old smoker, a 23-year-old Olympian, or a regular, fit guy-odds are the way you’re breathing right now is flooding your body with stress hormones, compromising your joints and mobility, bottlenecking your energy and undermining your performance in the gym and everyday life. Fourteen times a minute, you become a little weaker and a bit duller.

Hruska is on a mission to change that. Step one is understanding how your body is organized.”

Ron Hruska was recently interviewed by Men’s Health along with Bill Hartman and Neil Rampe discussing Postural Restoration, after Trevor Thieme, Senior Editor for Men's Health attended a Postural Respiration course last year. Topics discussed include: optimal breathing and the typical respiration patterns, asymmetry, PRI in pro baseball, and common compensations that can cause neck, back and joint pain.  

The 90/90 hip lift with balloon was shown as a way to get your diaphragm in a position to work correctly, helping you to breathe appropriately and avoid chronic stress which can increase your risk of dementia by 67%, stroke by 59% and diabetes by 45%.

“You can think of neutrality of being functionally symmetrical- the ability to shift your center of gravity from one side to the other, to breathe efficiently with both lungs, and to maintain position of your true core. “Being neutral helps everything,” says All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. “When I lift, I’m stronger. When I run, I’m faster. It allows me to fully express my power and speed.”

If you haven't already, go out and grab the April 2015 Men’s Health issue and flip to page 144 to read the article, which they refer to as the "#1 Greatest Health Tip Ever!"

The article that originally appeared in the April issue of Men's Health is now online, you can read it here!

Posted March 25, 2015 at 3:21PM

Doug Kechijian, PT, PRC was on the Robb Wolf podcast recently to discuss the relationship between PRI methodology, movement variability, and adaptation to training. Follow Doug on Twitter here.

We recently did an interview with Chad Beckman about how he got into PRI and how he incorporates PRI into his personal training. To read the full interview click here.

Chad Beckman completed the Postural Restoration Trained™(PRT) credentialing program though the Postural Restoration Institute in 2013.  He is a personal trainer at Gold’s Gym in Lincoln, Nebraska.   Chad is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.  He is also a Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.  He is certified through the National Council of Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT) through Gold’s Gym.  Chad received his Bachelors of Science degree in Sports Management form Peru State College.  He specializes in identifying pathomechanics that limit the body to perform at a high level.  Chad works with all ages of individuals and excels in teaching sports performance programs, corrective and proper technique, and how to develop efficient motor abilities to perform desired motor skills correctly. 

Posted October 28, 2014 at 4:59PM

Last month, Ron Hruska was interviewed by a physical therpaist colleague, Paul Potter, and the podcast interview is now available online. To listen to Ron's input on "Three Keys to Creating Your Dream Practice", CLICK HERE! You can also download the podcast on iTunes as well.

Posted September 29, 2014 at 7:02PM
Categories: Interviews Clinicians

Ron Hruska was featured in the first interview of 2014 with Joe Heiler on SportsRehabExpert.com. In this interview, Ron discusses how his life experiences have helped him to develop the Postural Restoration Institute (PRI), as well as looking at the interplay between systems and pattern predictability, polyarticular chains and the importance of inhibiting muscles, PRI treatment goals, squat patterning including thoughts on powering the squat through the respiratory system, and a whole lot more...

The interview can be accessed HERE on the free version of the website.

Posted February 4, 2014 at 4:18PM
Categories: Science Interviews
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