Community News

One of my favorite courses to teach for PRI is Postural Respiration. This course helps establish the neurological background for how and why the concepts of PRI are effective. It was a wonderful weekend exploring the science of PRI and inescapable functional cortical pre-dominance that governs our neuromechanical and respiratory behavior.

We were able to explore the necessity and the wealth of information supporting the necessity of a zone of apposition and how that helps one inhibit their dominant pattern. One of the enormous benefits of attending an in-person PRI course is the ability to participate in the labs. We were able to work through the nine tests presented in this course, as related to the position and function of the pelvis and thorax. The primary focus of this course is sensed airflow, and how that changes and affects not only the respiratory system, but also the GI system, emotions, forward locomotion, the ANS, and spinal orientation.

We were fortunate to have wonderful lab sessions, and I greatly appreciate the willingness the entire group had to participate in all of the labs. Even during the breaks, participants were working on the manual and non-manual techniques from the labs. It was a rewarding experience, from a speaker’s perspective, to see how willing the attendees were during the labs. This group had wonderful and numerous questions, which is also one of the huge benefits of attending an in-person course.

My thanks to Loc Rao and TJ DiPrima for all of their help during labs. And a huge thank you to Wyatt Keith, Brandon Partovy, Ed Fuchs, Nick Usaj, and Tara O’Brien for allowing us to learn from them during demonstrations. With a mixture of MD, PA, DC, PT, PTA, CPT, and mental health professionals, we were blessed with a diverse mixture of expertise and movement specialists. Thank you all for your willing participation and making the experience as rewarding as it was for all involved, including myself. Looking forward to seeing you all in future PRI courses!

One of the most positive qualities of video technology is the opportunity to bring people from many countries, cultures and professional disciplines together for a common purpose to learn and grow professionally and even personally. Last weekend was such an experience with a diverse group of healthcare professionals from eleven countries, Asia, North America, and Europe coming together to experience Cervical Revolution. I always marvel at the dedication of not only the students in the live audience, some of whom traveled as far away as from Australia, Canada, and the West and East Coast of America, but the students that stay up in the middle of the night in their own time zone to attend a PRI course via Zoom!

Cervical Revolution is a course that integrates the cervical spine, cranium, and the beginning concepts of occlusion and its relationship to the entire body or stomatognathic system. This is a course that emphasizes arthrokinematic position and movement starting with the atlas and occipital bone and how that position driven through the Right TMCC pattern of eight muscles bilaterally is a consequence of neurology starting with left functional cortical dominance. The A/O articulation is considered highly neurologic because of it’s relationship to the brainstem and sensitivity to movement and pressure. In this course we touch upon the relationship of not only the brainstem but the amygdala, midbrain, thalamus, hypothalamus, ventricles, and olivary neurons as a starting spot of drivers of upright human existence and forward motor locomotion which is really an evolutionary topic. The need for tri-planer movement, alternation, and bilateral pressure sense management makes Cervical Revolution not only an Impingement and Instability course for the cervical spine and cranium, but is an introduction to the neurological aspects of the tertiary courses like Cranial Resolution, Voice Box Resonation, Cervical Occlusal Restoration and Forward Locomotor Movement.

In this course we had PT’s, DC’s, DDS’s, Orthodontists, Myofunctional Therapists, Osteopaths, an MD from Ireland, Strength and Conditioning Specialists, Soft Tissue Manual Therapists that attended from all over the world. As a faculty member I am always humbled by the dedication of students who spend two days, or two full nights, engaged and asking questions to help the entire group understand Cervical Revolution. One of the questions and restates was how does the entire kinetic chain connect and respond to the cervical spine. In this course we consider it a “right stance” course of the neck and the neck responds to the Left AIC, Right BC, and Right TMCC. As with every course, one of our goals is to restore alternation to the entire system via inhibition of dominate patterns driven by functional cortical dominance. In a brief description, 30-30-30 is the mantra for Cervical Revolution as that reminds us of the need to restore tri-planer alternating movement of the cervical spine.

Thank you all for you focused energy and interest over the two days we spent together and I hope you were all as inspired as I was to help facilitate your PRI Journey! And lastly I would like to thank RJ Hruska for facilitating the entire weekend getting to the institute early and leaving late to make sure everyone was well fed, had a microphone when asking questions, and made the powerpoint work perfectly for everyone in attendance.  RJ’s presence always makes for a totally  positive learning and teaching experience!

– Skip George

Myokinematic Restoration ventured south to the great state of Georgia this past weekend, hosted by the longstanding supporter and promoter of PRI, the Cantrell Center. While Georgia was well represented, we also had attendees from Tennessee, Virginia, and as far north as Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

I brought a bit of Montana flavor by way of New Jersey to the group and we discussed the infamous “Jersey Left”. You see, in the state of NJ, the roads can be quite busy, so in order to make a left turn you frequently have to navigate a Jersey jughandle, going past your intended destination on the left side of the road, getting off the road on the right and wrapping back around to the left via an intersection.

You can go left in Jersey, but you do need a plan, which is why this analogy lines up well with our asymmetric human patterning. The extra work necessary to make left turns in Jersey is synonymous with the intention necessary for the asymmetric human body to achieve an appropriate left centered stance position.

At the end of day one we were fortunate to have Josiah Johnson to serve as our L AIC patterned human as we explored the PRI activities that repositioned his pelvis. Adhering to our test, intervene, retest mantra, his tests following repositioning activities showed us that his pelvis was now neutral with his trunk rotation, straight leg raise, and hip rotation now more symmetric.

On day two we were reminded that neutrality is just moving through the intersection of the “Jersey jughandle”, and we need to use the Hruska Adduction Lift Test to identify the ingredients we needed to truly get into the left lane. Henley Cook helped us stay on point during the HAddLT, exclaiming “FAIL!” when we couldn’t find the mid stance or mid swing components to achieve the next score. In reality it was anything but a “FAIL”, as the lift test gave us the answer to what was holding us back.

The weekend was great fun from my perspective, the attendees remained interested and engaged, no easy task when most of the audience is in their first PRI course. The crew from the host site, our “Cantrellians”, Tassie, Sunshine, Dina, Cristina, and Carson ensured we had all we needed for a great learning environment. A big thank you to the Cantrell Center crew for hosting!

– Jason Miller

Written By: Joan Hanson – joan.hanson@sanfordhealth.org

Sanford Physical Therapy Solutions is expanding! We are a PRI certified clinic. We are doubling our space. We would like to add 3 PRI trained PT’s who then also specialize in women’s health, neurological disorders and then someone who is also willing to work with bariatric patients. We will then be able to cover most diagnoses between the 8 of us. If you are looking to work in a clinic with like minded physical therapists, we would love to talk with you.

Here is the link for the positions:

Sanford PT Solutions – Postural Restoration Institute

Here is our webpage address:

https://www.sanfordhealth.org/locations/sanford-pt-solutions

Feel free to reach out to me as well with questions: joan.hanson@sanfordhealth.org

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of returning to the Big Apple to teach Pelvis Restoration at Finish Line Physical Therapy. Having taught here many times over the years, it truly feels like my clinic home away from home.

New York City consistently attracts a wonderfully diverse group of students—both in backgrounds and perspectives. I was fortunate to be joined by my husband, Chris Poulin, ATC, CSCS, PRT, and Andrew, Xenophontos CSCS, PRT, as lab assistants. Their insights and varied clinical experiences brought tremendous value to the lab sessions, highlighting different approaches to client care and training.

The Pelvis Restoration course was recently updated to provide a more streamlined experience for both students and instructors. This allowed me to deliver the didactic content more concisely on Saturday morning, and then build on the concepts of inlet and outlet frontal plane control through testing and repositioning labs in the afternoon.

Sunday began with an exploration of Pelvis Respiration as it relates to internal pressure management and myofunctional relationships. In the afternoon, we dove into treatment algorithms including Patho PEC (instability within a pattern), PEC, and Left AIC. This section also featured an additional breakout demonstration and hands-on practice, which was well received.

Notably, 50% of the class were first-time attendees. One new participant shared that the material felt very digestible, which is always encouraging to hear.

As one of PRI’s three introductory courses, Pelvis Restoration helps students understand how habitual patterning impacts pelvic floor conditions—ranging from pelvic floor dysfunctions and IS joint issues to pubalgia and lower back pain. We explored both common and less common compensatory strategies, recognizing that while we are all neuromuscularly inclined toward patterns, how we individually compensate can vary greatly.

A heartfelt thank you to Maile, Ryan & Alexis at Finish Line Physical Therapy for welcoming us once again and continuing to support PRI education year after year. Your hospitality and commitment are deeply appreciated.

– Jennifer Poulin

Staff Physical Therapist 

• About Us

All Systems Health was founded with the vision of creating a deeply integrated health and human movement system—one that transcends traditional healthcare and transforms people’s lives. Our mission is to enhance human health through movement and uniting disciplines aimed at addressing root causes.  

By combining the knowledge of multiple professions, we deliver interventions that turn complex science into precise solutions. The Movement Department is advancing the integration of physical therapy with vision, audiology, dentistry, and sleep medicine to create a universal movement system where real-world application is more predictable, reliable, and repeatable.  

At All Systems Health, we are dedicated to real patient outcomes and offer a rare opportunity to join an unadvertised practice in Silicon Valley CA.

• Reports To: Senior/Lead Physical Therapist  
• Employment Type: Full-time
  
• Purpose of Position 
  • To execute All Systems Health PT assessments, interpret standardized test results, educate patients, deliver foundational exercise progressions and coaching, and support patient recovery using manual therapy. Staff PTs are expected to refer complex cases to Senior/Lead PTs when appropriate.  
    
• Key Responsibilities 
  • Treat patients 4-5 days/wk (maximum of 7 patients/day) using foundational All Systems Health PT protocols, including structured assessments, interpretation of results, delivery of PT exercises, patient coaching, and manual therapy.  
  • Create exercise videos to contribute to an internal PT exercise library.  
  • Research and filter scientific information to construct a movement theory and assessment testing manual.  
  • Maintain accurate, timely documentation in compliance with All Systems Health data standards.  
  • Promptly refer cases outside skillset to Senior/Lead PTs.  

• Requirements 
  • PT degree from an accredited program. 
  • PT license in CA. 
  • BLS/CPR certification. 

• To Apply 
  • Please submit your resume and cover letter to Joe@allsystemshealth.com and Ashley@allsystemshealth.com.   

It was great to get back in the groove of teaching the science of PRI again. I had a nice break this summer, but I was eager to get back to it!

We had a great group of in-person and virtual attendees from all over the world attending Impingement and Instability. This course has really evolved over the last several years to be a heavily neurologically driven course. And it is a gateway to helping link Cervical Revolution, Cranial Restoration, FLM, Voice Box Resonation, Occlusal Cervical Restoration, and Human Evolution together as there are pieces of all of those courses in Impingement and Instability.

With so many in-person attendees, we were able to explore why using an orthopedic treatment approach to a neurologic issue is problematic, why choosing the correct reference centers influences mid-brain function, and why sensed muscle contraction does not have the same mid-brain influence as sensed pressure does. It also provided us an opportunity to debunk many misconceptions surrounding the science and performance surrounding PRI concepts and non-manual techniques.

This is a clinician’s course in that the entire objective of I&I is to provide the attendee the means to become better at applying the neurological science behind PRI by facilitating improved pressure management in several specific locations as a means of influencing mid-brain behavior. Since all decisions the brain makes is based on sensed pressure, it behooves us to help our patients and clients better their sense and management of pressure in upright positions for improved overall function.

My thanks to Jen and RJ for their production of the live stream. And my thanks to Chad Beckman, Dale Jensen, Shannon Stigall, Holly Boxterman, and Ronald Grant for their willingness to let us learn from them. It was an honor to have Dave Drummer, PRC, in attendance, as his help with explaining the use and origin of the PRI shoe list was very helpful. It was a wonderful kick-off to the fall season of PRI courses, and I look forward to seeing many of you in future PRI courses!

-Dan Houglum

While many clinicians were spending their final weekend of summer luxuriating in pools and lakes, a curious group hailing from Washington, Pennsylvania, and Texas converged in the little town of Abilene, TX, to learn how patterned necks influence posture and movement. I loved spending time with this group and appreciated your desire to expand your PRI knowledge. If you’ve applied PRI’s primary course material, yet find that your patient-client has plateaued, it’s likely time to “go upstairs” to the neck.

At the onset, this course emphasizes the new “floor” that the human body relies on for upright negotiation of the environment: the occipital-atlanto articulation on the left and right sides. The upright bipedalism of humans is unique in the world of mammals and is directly tied to:

Transverse movement of the temporal bones
Hole control of the foramen magnum
Brainstem centric position
Sphenoid orientation
Occlusion and mastication

These areas may be under the influence of dominant chains of muscle – the L/B AIC, R/B BC, and R TMCC – that literally connect the ground to the head and can limit movement strategies and drive the cranium into positions well-described in the osteopathic literature.

Thank you to models Adam Babb, Brian Butz, Sarika Gaikhe, Sarah Latham, and Heather McWilliams for your willingness to receive cervical tests and demonstrate techniques. The entire class experienced non-manual techniques (with a manual technique thrown into the mix) unique to this course, that incorporate the familiar and ever-important concepts of the left ground, left diaphragm ZOA, left posterior mediastinum expansion, and right low trap and triceps, with a new reference from the left molars. They enable freedom of the neck and alternation of the temporal bones for a more grounded and efficient means of negotiating the world around us. Reflecting on the PRI’s techniques, attendee Thomas Kramer stated: “PRI has changed how I want to practice: less with my hands and more towards self-empowering my patients.”

Thank you SO much Kerry Aslin, Bryan Lange, and Brooke and Jesse Rawlings for your hospitality and inviting us into your home – Abilene Sports Medicine and Orthopedics/Elite Physical Therapy. You are clearly pros at hosting!

I hope to see all of you again in a future course as you continue your PRI journey!

– Louise Kelley

The Seattle area has a vibrant PRI community of practitioners expanding their PRI knowledge and application. Just east of Seattle is the community of Sammamish and I had the privilege of presenting Postural Respiration to a diverse group of physical therapists, a chiropractor, a respiratory therapist/acupuncturist, yoga instructor, and strength and conditioning personnel.

While three of the students were brand new to PRI, most of the attendees were new to Postural Respiration having taken either Pelvis Restoration or Myokinematic Restoration. The two strength and conditioning attendees are currently preparing for their PRT certification and several of the physical therapists are pelvic floor specialists that added a critical dimension of integrating the thoracic diaphragm with the pelvic diaphragm and how the synergy between both structures affect not only the pelvic floor but the entire axial skeleton.

Postural Respiration is the flagship course of this institute and the core of the core is the diaphragm and the central location of the body from which a group of muscles called polyarticular chains connect from the diaphragm to the lateral knee and on the opposite side connect through the ribcage, chest, neck to cranium. What always provides a critical understanding in this course is that walking, the diaphragm and breathing are all connected for upright human performance. How we regulate airflow into a chest wall and sense that airflow along with sensing specific places in our body is all part of an awareness of freedom of movement and breathing.

One of the students presented with a chronically stiff neck he had for years, and though we don’t treat anyone in our courses since demonstration and lab are for educational purposes only, as a side benefit he experienced nearly full freedom of movement of his neck for the first time. The connection of how respiration and achieving neutrality of a human body, connected to how we breathe, especially with accessory respiratory muscle overuse, was experiential for him and the entire group. This was just one example of the observable changes with PRI manual and non-manual techniques. Needless to say this attendee new to PRI wants to take more courses!

I want to thank Bill Fletcher for hosting Postural Respiration at G2 Sport and Physical Therapy this weekend. Bill was gracious enough to be my driver to and from the course location and providing an outstanding location that enhanced everyone’s learning process. Thank’s much to all of the students for your “spot on” questions and enthusiasm. Your questions help teach this course and guide everyone else through this process of new discovery in their journey into PRI.

– Skip George

Recently, I had the privilege of returning to Goldsboro NC to teach Pelvis Restoration to a familiar group of clinicians that attended my course Myokinematic of the Hip and Pelvis just last year! It is so fun for me to return to the same host site and I will hope to return in the future. Goldsboro staff are engaged in their desire to learn more about PRI and how to integrate the concepts into their diverse and often complex patient population.

In the front row was Verrelle Wyatt who came to my clinic earlier this year in April to attend the Cervical Revolution course with Skip George. Watching the Ah Ha moments he and others were having make teaching so rewarding for me! It is truly all connected. The roots of pelvis respiration and our brain patterns are evident in the patterns of LAIC, PEC and patho PEC discussed in depth in the course materials. Although this course has ALOT of content. It is set up well with algorithms and suggested techniques to help the new clinician quickly integrate PRI into their treatments.

Pelvis Restoration is an integrated introductory PRI course as we discuss the influence of respiration on the pelvic outlet, influence of inlet position and how restrictions in the thorax can influence the pelvic girdle. I love when the new course attendees see the posterior mediastinum expand during the demonstration of inlet control during the morning lab on Sunday. The power of airflow never ceases to amaze me.

The group of course attendees came from all over. I was joined by Jennifer Smart, Danielle Phillips and Kasia Galica. They all are certified in PRI and helped me help the course attendees during lab and contributed to discussions.

Shout out to my new friends Laura and Leany from Columbia, (yes the country) currently living in Orlando for their amazing VLOG of the course. I loved it and look forward to seeing them again in future courses.

– Jennifer Poulin

Traveling to Boston to explore the science of Myokinematic Restoration was a “wicked” good time. This was the first PRI course for the majority of the attendees. We had physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, 2 physical therapy students, athletic trainers, personal trainers, strength and conditioning professionals in attendance. The enthusiasm and questions were top notch. Mike McKenney, Northeastern University head ATC, our gracious host, made sure we had everything we needed to make the course and lab especially successful.

We dove into the intricate asymmetries that influence the dominant Left AIC pattern, including the diaphragm, internal organ placement, patterned airflow and left/right brain implications.

Towards the second half of the first day we were able to confirm the presence of the L AIC pattern in all the attendees with objective testing including the infamous Hruska Adduction Drop Test.

Ending the day using the left hamstring, left IC adductor and right glute max techniques to reposition the pelvis to appreciate neutrality. Karen Taylor Soiles, PT, PRC brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the attendees by helping with cues and positioning during lab all weekend. The second day was spent primarily in lab learning how to use the Hruska Adduction Lift Test to guide treatment by being able to assess the ability to “find and feel” the appropriate muscles at each level. The group then did several techniques reflective of each level of the Hruska Adduction lift score and inhibition techniques to experience the power of PRI!

-Kasey Ratliff

McPhee Physical Therapy is a small, outpatient clinic in Anacortes, WA currently looking for PRI trained or curious providers.  Our mission is to provide high quality, innovative care with focus on the whole person.

Flexible work hours, competitive salary and benefits, and access to amazing outdoor activities from boating or paddling in the San Juan islands to skiing, hiking and climbing in the Cascade or Olympic mountains, as well as abundant mountain biking trails, and a temperate coastal climate make this an ideal opportunity for achieving the elusive work-life balance.

Please contact Malcolm McPhee with questions or to schedule a phone interview.

malcolm.mcphee@gmail.com

206-931-7804