Community News

Every year the first week in December marks the beginning of the end. The start to our four day Advanced Integration course is much anticipated throughout the year as we prepare and look forward to welcoming our PRI Family “home” for the Holidays. For all of us at the Institute it is truly a time of gratitude and renewal as we host course attendees from all over the world here for the last course of the year.

This year we were thrilled to have 15 of our 18 faculty members here, laying the stage for one of the best years yet. We also welcomed attendees from Australia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Malaysia and 23 other states. Many of you may know by this point that attending the same course twice may lead to two very different experiences. This years Advanced Integration was unlike any previous renditions due to the constant dialogue between the Presenters and the many Faculty members in the audience. Every year the Primary Concepts are integrated, expanded on and projected in a new way to reflect the current state of the culture around us.

Many of us will spend time with family over the upcoming holidays and all of us will join these conversations with different biases, dispositions and attachments. In order to remain loved and continue to love our family members we must sense our own physical and emotional constraints while at the same time appreciating theirs and inhibiting any negative outcomes that otherwise may occur.

Similarly, if our anatomical families do not work together and appreciate what each group can bring to the table, neutrality may be lost. Advanced Integration continually reminds us to appreciate each of our family members and the role they play in balancing our autonomic function. Myokinematic, Postural and Pelvic concepts were solidified through four days of appreciation for each presenter, practitioner, and person in attendance.

Thank you to all of our PRI Family for making the trip to Lincoln. Although December is typically the coldest time to visit, we are grateful to end each year with all of you. Not only does this course solidify all of your integration throughout the year, but we hope it also lays the foundation for a successful start to the next.

Wishing you and your Families a very Merry Holiday Season and start to the New Year!

CLICK HERE to see all Advanced Integration 2018 photos!

We are excited to announce and congratulate the Postural Restoration Certified (PRC) Class of 2018! PRC credentialing is the result of completing multiple advanced PRI courses, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the science through completion of the PRC application, and successfully participating in practical and analytical testing. Ten Physical Therapists and two Physical Therapist Assistants earned the designation of Postural Restoration Certified (PRC) under the direction of Ron Hruska, Lori Thomsen, Jennifer Poulin, and Jennifer Platt earlier this week.

The Postural Restoration Institute established a certification process in 2004 as a way to recognize and identify those individuals with advanced training, extraordinary interest and devotion to the science of postural adaptations, asymmetrical patterns and the influence of polyarticular chains of muscles on the human body as defined by the Postural Restoration Institute. The PRC credentialing program is available to physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, and chiropractors who have attended PRI courses, demonstrated a thorough understanding of the science through completion of the PRC application, and successfully participate in both clinical and analytical testing. To date, 201 professionals have earned the designation of Postural Restoration Certified (PRC).

To view/download the photos click here.

Back Row (from L to R): Jennifer Poulin, Jill Maida, Jeremiah Ferguson, Eli Zygmuntowicz, Katie Piraino, Brian Benjamin, Tyler Tanaka, Ron Hruska

Front Row (from L to R): Cheryl Chase, Christopher Murphy, Bridget Anderson, Sarah Ratti, Ken Smith, Jim Wittekind, Lori Thomsen, Jennifer Platt

Jason Masek presented at the 2018 National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Coach’s Conference.  His presentation: "Push, Pull, and Propulsion: the 10-20-30-40 Concept" is now available online. Check out our blog for more information.

We are sad to announce that Matt is leaving our office at the first of the year, and heading back to school full-time. Thus, we are seeking a Digital and Media Coordinator to support our successful team. The ideal candidate serves as a positive first point of contact for incoming calls, a true team player who communicates clearly and effectively in our fast-paced office. The perfect fit would be someone who knows who we are, and what we do, and therefore we are reaching out to #PRINation to see if you know of anyone who might be qualified and interested in this full-time position. An added bonus (but not a requirement) would be someone who has taken PRI courses, and would be able to assist with some of the clinical/practical application roles in our office, as well as the roles outlined below.

Qualifications & Responsibilities:

• Knowledge of how to build/manage Wordpress and other CMS platforms, as well as basic knowledge of Wordpress plugins to maintain day-to-day operations with www.posturalrestoration.com; www.privideoforyou.com; and www.prihomestudy.com. 
• General photo/video shooting and editing knowledge (use of programs similar to Lightroom, iMovie, Premiere).
• Graphic design experience.
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Power Point, and Access, with excellent trouble-shooting abilities.
• Provide excellent customer service in person, by phone and via email.
• Accept and appropriately direct incoming calls and email inquiries.
• Provide assistance with processing PRI product orders, course registrations and home studies.
• Ability to prioritize directives from multiple individuals while effectively managing several projects.
• Clinical/practical experience with Postural Restoration® is a plus!

If you or someone you know might be interested in this opportunity, please contact Jen. If are unsure whether you fit the qualifications, don’t hesitate to reach out, as we are generally interested in learning more and finding a great fit for our growing office.

One 2 One Physical Therapy is Hiring!

Do you want to be a part of a professional family, with the potential to earn partnership, that cares about, supports, as well as challenges its members to co-evolve?  

We are looking for someone to join our family to co-create a one-of-a kind physical, mental, emotional and energetic healing space that will allow us and our patients to thrive.

Please go to One 2 One Physical Therapy for more information… thank you!

Last weekend I enjoyed teaching Pelvis Restoration up in the Motor City. The class was hosted by the Detroit Medical Center and their staff were very accommodating and made me feel right at home. This class was a nice mix of rehab and strength and conditioning professionals. There were only 4 newbies and the rest of the class had taken PRI coursework. This always makes for a fun class with lots of integration between the respiratory and pelvic diaphragms as it relates to gait and breathing. On Sunday, we mixed it up a bit, as it was my last class of 2018. The group widely understood my L AIC “Mustang Sally” analogy. It was quite fitting as I awoke to some snow on Sunday! Brrr… it was cold up North this past weekend. My VT Yankee blood has definitely thinned! We discussed how our patients and athletes are born into a LAIC pattern and compensate with their backs to override the pattern. This led to my PEC snowstorm on the Mustang Sally asymmetrical pattern.

We began our treatment algorithms discussing the Patho PEC pattern management and related that compensation to a Winter Snow storm on top of our Mustang Sally. We reviewed the 3 signs of pathology and how these patients will maximize end range and stabilize on their joints vs. good muscle control. A lot of time and discussion was spent on the importance of securing inlet extension with IOs and TAs and inhibiting back extensors before moving into L AIC clinical efforts. Once we brushed off the compensations of the Patho PEC and PEC, we got down to business to review the RAIC treatment plan. This switch in presenting the material was appreciated as a lot of our Pelvis patients are in a PEC pattern and lack frontal plane control.

Craig Stasio, PT from Simio Physical Therapy, assisted me. Thanks to Nick Jensen ATC from the Atlanta Braves for enduring my Right Iliacus emphasis and Mary Ann’s early question regarding respiration and the Pelvic Diaphragm. I look forward to taking a little break over Thanksgiving and seeing everyone in Lincoln for Advanced Integration in December!

It was an honor to spend Veteran’s Day Weekend with a fantastic group of movement professionals. On Sunday November 11, the 100 year anniversary of the end of WW I, we took a moment to honor those who have served our country.

With the sounds of the Veteran’s Day Parade outside, we spent most of our Sunday in lab. We were fortunate to have a large group of attendees, roughly half of whom had not been a PRI class before. We had the time to do a repositioning lab, spend over two hours on the Hruska Adduction and Abduction Lift tests in detail, and then follow that up with another lengthy lab of progressing through PRI non-manual activities. Not often do we have the opportunity to have so much lab time, and then carve out some time to discuss and demonstrate how to get an individual from a PEC pattern into a L AIC pattern, for those who were new to PRI.

My great thanks to my lab assistants, Neal Hallinan, PRT, and Sean Light, PRT, who were invaluable with such a large group. I would also like to thank Damian Estrada, Yelena Gremban, Matthew Zimmerman, Tara Lewis, and Beth Lewis for their questions, re-states, and volunteering during our lab demonstrations.

We were able to navigate our way through normal and pathological mechanics, the myokinematic ramifications of being stuck in a L AIC pattern, and we were able to progress into assessment of patterns and pathology of patterning. Which allowed us to spend as much time as we did to the Hruska Abduction and Adduction Lift tests and non-manual activities.

Yes, neurology is a complicated topic. And understanding the link between the hamstring and the parasympathetic nervous system is an enormous paradigm shift. I appreciate and empathize with the difficulty that concept presents, particularly to those who have been trained in this wonderful country of ours. However, I would encourage those who are new to PRI to not completely dismiss this concept because it challenged your preconceived notion of neurology and muscular behavior. Thank you for such a memorable conclusion of my 2018 teaching calendar.

I am already looking forward to 2019!

Diakadi Fitness located in the City by The Bay, San Francisco hosted its first PRI course this past weekend. Attendees came from as far away as Japan and Ottawa, Canada and represented a wide range of professions including physical therapy, chiropractic, dentistry, athletic training, strength and conditioning and massage therapy. Over 2/3 of the class were first time attendees to a PRI course with many in attendance their first time taking Postural Respiration. The shift in thinking from a more traditional orthopedic approach to concepts like lateralization, balancing asymmetries, neutrality, stabilization vs. motion control, the effect of the diaphragm on the direction a pelvis will turn with ribcage kinematic influence on spinal rotation and how to test and treat via PRI principles was profound for the group. As always, pathomechanical compensations for breathing defined by Superior T-4 syndrome were discussed in detail and presented a new "paradigm" or way of observing and thinking how reliance on accessory muscles can create dysfunctional patterns of breathing and movement. One new attendee volunteered and briefly discussed the effects that PTSD can have creating a sympathetic response affecting every system in the body. He was in the military for four years then a firefighter/paramedic for six years and the lesson is each person brings a unique history with them into our clinics. In addition, he grinds his teeth at night so integration with other health professionals is always a must when needed. Thanks to Caleb Chiu and Joe Cincinelli for lab assisting and Tiana and Andrea for helping with sign ups and hosting duties!

We are so excited to announce the agenda and speakers for our 2019 Interdisciplinary Integration Symposium, titled "Airway Oscillation: An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Production of Voice, Airflow, and Resonance". The 11th Annual Interdisciplinary Integration Symposium will be held in Lincoln, NE on April 11-12, 2019.

The speaker line up and two day agenda are outlined below. To learn more about the course (including description and objectives), and to register online, CLICK HERE. Don’t wait to sign up, this one is sure to fill up!

Speakers:
Ron Hruska, MPA, PT
Dr. Rosalba Courtney, ND, DO, PhD
Dr. Brad Story, PhD
Ruth Hennessy, MM, Indiana University
Mandy Harvey, America’s Got Talent Season 12 Finalist
Dr. Howard Hindin, DDS
Dr. Ingo Titze, PhD

Recently returned from the greater Chicago area for Pelvis Restoration at The Trainers Club where I was welcomed by Wynne Conklin. Fellow PRC and faculty member Dan Houglum served as our lab assistant for the course and my stay at the Houglum Hotel was first class by any measure, as was his presence at the course. Newcomers, many who were mid-stream with introductory courses and a couple savvy vets who’d been to many secondary courses were dialed for a PRI steak of a course.

As is generally the case, the pelvis restoration discussion was one of integrating pelvic and thoracic diaphragms with great discussion about how to implement with athletes of all ages and capacities. Many thanks to Eric Hrycko for his willingness and outright enjoyment of lab demonstrations as well as the many others who contributed during lab demonstration and discussion of PEC and Left AIC underlying neuromechanical patterns that elicit compensations of immensely varying sorts.

We discussed how to best address the "big ones" first in terms of identifying inhibition strategies after identifying potential treatment options via administering PRI special tests. This group was particularly effective and variable in lab, showcasing a broad array of normal pelvis asymmetries that allowed a thorough and comprehensive lab demonstration that is not always possible at every course. Literally the entire group participated in discussions and/or lab on at least one occasion during this course–awesome. Thank you all for being such involved students of this fine science!

Thanks again Dan and Wynne for taking the time and expending the energy to ensure that this was a great environment to take in the science of Pelvis Integration! Thoroughly enjoyed Pelvis Restoration Chi-town!

I liken teaching Myokinematics of the Hip and Pelvis to putting on a comfy pair of slippers. I took my first Myokin course back in 2001 the first time Ron offered this material. The course has evolved over time as the Institute learns more about our normal balanced asymmetry and how we compensate in three planes. Despite our deeper understanding of how the visual, occlusal position and proper shoes affect compensation patterns, clinicians still need to understand the fundamentals of a Left AIC pattern as it relates to position and performance. An F (femur) moves on an A(acetabulum), yes, but an A also can move and stabilize an F. This is the foundation of this course. We then need to fully understand how our patients compensate for this normal pattern. Did they or did they not over lengthen their anterior hip ligaments? For me, this is the question of the 2 day course!

In Worcester Mass this weekend, I had an amazing group of clinicians. A large number were taking their first official PRI class. So Fun! But, all of them knew of PRI or were working along side a co-worker using PRI in their practice. They were all in Worcester to learn for themselves how to help their patients/ athletes.

Once we were all clear on the pattern and the position of AF whether it be in IR or ER, we learned the tests to determine their positions and compensations. On Sunday afternoon, we just problem solved our way through the treatment progressions. The class was focused on utilizing functional tests and muscle algorithms to guide what came next. For years I used an analogy in my teaching that seeing a patient present in the clinic as a L AIC was like seeing Yellow VW bugs driving past you on the road. But it is a new day and time for a new analogy, that I now refer to as "Mustang Sally". We had some fun after lunch taking our group shot with my Mustang rental car that I’ve been upgraded to, 2 weekends in a row! New car for my husband Chris, I think maybe! Since then, I see Mustang’s everywhere I go, now that I am looking for them!

Hats off to the staff of Central Mass Physical Therapy! This is the third time I have taught at this host site. I was able to meet some new staff, make some new friends and see some familiar faces. Damion Perry, Yolanda Pappas, Borbala Suranyi and Gene Lyons were all in my Pelvis Class last month in Boston. Meredith Stephens, MS, PT is also a faculty member for Anatomy Trains. We had some great gait discussions at lunch. I look forward to learning more from her in the future. Maureen Watkins, PT is faculty at Northeastern University in the PT department. Her non-patho hip helped me demonstrate how to develop hole control on the right side with a glut max and obturator in the transverse plane. I always enjoy teaching Myokinematics. That’s a wrap for 2018. I will look forward to teaching this awesome course next year!

Thank you to Karen Taylor Soiles, PT, PRC, of Collaborative Physical Therapy, who, together with The Teal Center for Therapeutic Bodywork, welcomed 34 clinicians curious about the science and application of Postural Respiration. Karen’s attention to detail, including the wide array of healthy snacks, kept our bodies nourished and brains alert and focused throughout the weekend.

The need to position the left hemi diaphragm was introduced right off the bat to ensure that the right diaphragm autocracy stops ruling our autonomics! Other key concepts included the need to facilitate hamstrings and IOs/TAs to establish a left ZOA followed by reach activities to hold the ZOA and direct air into previously-restricted areas of the rib cage. A series of gait videos enabled us to view firsthand various pelvic and thorax movement strategies. Lack of arm swing on one or both sides were reflected in our PRI tests. They served as a reminder that arm swing is 50% of the gait cycle!

Thank you to Kathryn Bragg, PT, and Laurie Johnson, PT, seasoned clinicians tuned into nuances of performance of PRI non-manual techniques. The take-home from that discussion: So long as the reference centers are sensed by the patient, stated in the instructions as “You should feel…”, the exercise can be quite effective. Ultimately fine-tuning areas that are holding tension and tweaking alignment can help the process.

With Jill Tender, DPT, as our superior T4 model, we succeeded in unearthing a compensatory respiration strategy that responds to additional non-manual and manual techniques beyond what is needed to manage those who have not yet resorted to this compensation. Others who enriched our learning-through-demonstration were: Amelia Franklin, DPT, OCS; Benjamin Fuentes, PT; Tara Pickett, DPT, GCS; Jacqueline Richards, DPT; and Karthik Yadagiri, PT. I really enjoyed my weekend with this wonderful group of clinicians. They gained an appreciation for just how influential alternating, reciprocal rib cage movement is to efficient movement and to the overall health of human physiological systems….and collectively rejoiced in the resolution of wallet-gate.