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Welcome to the Postural Restoration Community! This is where you will read the latest industry news, hear about upcoming events, find helpful deadline reminders, and view a plethora of additional resources regarding our techniques and curriculum. The great part about it is--not only can you can view the entries we post, you can also post about the things that matter to you. Did you find an interesting article about a technique you learned in one of your courses? Do you have a patient case study you want to share with other professionals? Simply click "Submit an Entry" and follow the easy steps towards getting your information published in the PRI Community!

Blog Posts in October 2021

My maternal grandmother, Lucy, raised pedigree Saint Bernard dogs. Some of my best memories were traveling with her and her prized show dogs to “dog shows”. My brother and I would ‘dog-sit’ the dogs she was not showing on the runway. They were big dogs, with big mouths, to her 8 and 9  year old grandsons. But they were so lovable, slobbery, tongue friendly and gentle. They also had the cleanest teeth of any of the other dogs being shown. Grandma Lucy would say that clean, healthy, teeth on her Saint Bernards were one of the secrets to keeping their coats of hair beautiful and shiny, their overall social disposition, and their extended longevity.  She would often tell us that she believed a dog that could “keep” all its teeth, for as long as possible, would be a happy dog, and “to some degree” would generate better “pedigrees”.  I am not sure I believed her then, especially when I was given the responsibility of brushing slobbery dog teeth before they walked on a runway. None the less, I will always appreciate her for so many reasons, including responsibilities she gave me, like brushing canine teeth. She introduced the concept of  ‘epigenetics’ without ever talking to people like Dr. Singh. I will always be reminded of her phrase,  “to some degree”, when tying to make a point about something she believed had a corollary; which to grandma Lucy, was everything in life.

After many years of discussing material, presenting my thoughts, teaching concepts and writing on occlusal-cervical  and cervical-occlusal corollaries, I am beginning to see, hear and read inter-disciplinary discussion on patterned airway and occlusal cervical malfunction relationships, that contribute to and lead to pathology. It is exciting for me to watch and nurture these pedagogical moments, on many disciplinary fronts and confronts.

After presenting the Occlusal Cervical Restoration course on October 8th and 9th, I have received many emails and notes from course attendees, including dentists, who were so appreciative. The course was strengthened by Dr. James Carlson, a dentist who has written so much on the stomatognathic system, physiologic occlusion and orthocranial force, presence, input and confirmation. One dentist wrote, “to see your interactions with Dr. Carlson will never be forgotten”. This comment, followed by other comments from other participants, reinforce our mission, our intent and our desire to help create and foster communities of interdisciplinary minded providers. A community that appreciates the health of occlusion and oral alignment.

Dr. Carlson, in his 2005 publication on Physiologic Occlusion (a book that is now titled “Orthocranial Occlusion and Dentition Design”) wrote, “With the advancement of integrated health care it is becoming apparent that dentistry, osteopathy, chiropractic, medicine, optometry, physical therapy, massage therapy, and craniopathy have overlapping areas of concern: the head, neck, and face. The concept that the structural alignment of the maxilla, the position of the mandible, and dental occlusion affect the craniosacral mechanism, orbital bones of the skull, neuromuscular system, and the position of the cervical vertebra may be new to many dentists. However, with more dentists cognizant of the interdisciplinary approach to treating patients, the awareness of the concept is growing.” His presence at this course was such a gift, a privilege for all of those in attendance, including the 14 dentists and the other health care providers, that were also in attendance, some of whom work directly together. We will again be honored with his presence and presentations at next Springs PRI Interdisciplinary Integration Symposium (The Stomatognathic System: An Interdisciplinary Approach In The Management of Spatial Navigation and Structural Strength) next year on April 21-22nd. Because of his, and my, strong belief in integrating different disciplines, the health and happiness of the patients being served by an integrative team, should improve; ‘to some degree’.

Posted October 21, 2021 at 3:52PM
Categories: Courses Science

Malta, New York’s colorful foliage and Capital Area Physical Therapy and Wellness welcomed Postural Respiration into its PT-owned clinic. Course attendees had expertise across multiple disciplines -- physical therapy, strength and conditioning, internal medicine -- and patient populations, from pediatrics, geriatrics, basal ganglia and other movement disorders, and high school through professional athletics. Most expressed gratitude and satisfaction with getting back to a live course following the covid sequester. With so much of the weekend devoted to hands-on lab time, Postural Respiration is better experienced live.

Postural Respiration, Postural Restoration, Primary Course, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Zone of Apposition

Postural Respiration

Abundant research exists that describes the role of the diaphragm in facilitating physiologic processes and homeostasis. Less understood and studied is its role in regulating pressure within the chambers of the body to produce integrated and coordinated movement. When the diaphragm’s shape is altered from patterned postural positions, movements, and behavior, the result is asymmetrical air flow patterns that become ever more patterned. Practitioners encounter this phenomenon every day in our patients/clients and witness its influence on autonomic variability, a concept fundamental to the Postural Restoration Institute.  

Throughout the weekend, we considered questions such as:  
-    How do the left and right diaphragm position and function influence rest, recovery, and performance?  
-     Why are the right triceps, left internal obliques and transverse abdominus, and bilateral low traps and serratus anterior so crucial in establishing and maintaining effective length-tension properties of the thoracic diaphragm? And how do they influence new, unfamiliar, yet optimal, patterns of movement in our patients’/clients’ day-to-day lives?
-      When and why do the scalenes, notably on the right, conspire with the subclavius and pec minor, to produce unrelenting activity and the pathological respiratory syndrome known as superior T4?
-     How does the PRI paradigm fit within a clinician’s current approach to evaluation and treatment?  
-      If you have only thirty minutes with a patient, how do you prioritize?  
-     Why/how do patients/clients benefit from reaching activities? Balloon blowing?

It was a treat to be reunited with Kathy Metzger, PT, PRC, a fellow member of the PRC squad of 2011. Kathy applied her experienced hands on many rib cages to teach the nuances of objective tests and treatment techniques.  Thank you for all your help!  

We greatly appreciate our models:  Christopher Denio, DPT, Mike DeMille, DPT, PRC, Andrew Gaetano, DPT, Ken Jin, DPT, and Trisha Livermore, DPT.  Your willingness to participate allowed all of us to gain a deeper understanding of the tests, interpretations, and techniques.

    

A special thank you to Evan Marsh, DPT, and Andrew Gaetano, of Capital Area Physical Therapy and Wellness, for opening your doors and welcoming this wonderful group of clinicians! 

Posted October 20, 2021 at 8:30AM
Categories: Clinicians Courses Science

Hey PRI family!

I recently returned from Tualatin, Oregon  where I enjoyed a weekend teaching Pelvis Restoration to a widely diverse group of movement professionals. Positioned adjacent to a majestic wetland, I was awestruck by the Active Edge PT clinic setting. Thank you Micah, Annie and Kindra for hosting and making the accommodations quite inviting!  

This instructor enjoyed sharing the science of PRI with exercise science professionals like Chris Hathaway, PT’s like Kindra Fish, Anthony Book and Heather Jenny, as well as integrative practitioners like Liz Williams, LCSW and DC’s like Brett Darrington and John “Branden” Garland.  

Pelvis inlet and outlet position as it pertained to asymmetry, and polyarticular chains of muscle were discussed and described. Class participants were interested and involved in discussions and demonstrations of neuromechanics of techniques aimed at synchronizing thoracic and pelvic diaphragms for optimizing function in prospective clients. Thank you Brian Coleman, Kindra Fish, Chris Hathaway, Eva Bilo and others for your help in lab demonstrations and discussions. Thank you Anthony Book, Liz Williams and a host of others for great questions, spurring discussions about how to integrate Pelvis Restoration coursework, manual and non-manual, into the content of this weekend.  

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the great Northwest, capped by a Mahi sandwich.  Thank you all again for the hospitality and eager learners!

Posted October 11, 2021 at 4:01PM
Categories: Courses Science

As we first announced a couple months ago, we are excited to now offer a PRI Mini Residency Program, a 6-week formal program of post-professional education and mentorship for PRI-minded healthcare and movement professionals that is designed to enhance one’s understanding and application of PRI concepts, objective testing, and patient/client management. The foundational science from the Postural Restoration Institute’s three primary courses will be strongly emphasized by all PRI Mini Residency Centers, however each PRI Mini Residency Center offers a unique environment and experience, and many residency centers will also include exposure to interdisciplinary integration with other healthcare or movement professionals.  

This PRI Mini Residency Program is designed for healthcare or movement professionals who are self-directed learners, have completed the required PRI coursework, and would like to enhance their clinical reasoning, interpersonal communication and dialogue using PRI terminology with other professionals as well as patients or clients, and application skills of the science of Postural Restoration® through one-on-one clinical education and mentorship with a PRC or PRT professional at a PRI Mini Residency Center.

The PRI Mini Residency Program website page is now up and running, and applications are being accepted! CLICK HERE to learn more about the PRI Mini Residency Centers that are currently accepting residents, application details, along with answers to questions that you might have. If after visiting this page, you still have questions about this program, please don't hesitate to contact me! Or, if you have questions for a PRI Mini Residency Center that you are interested in, you will find the contact information for each residency center on the "Residency Centers" tab of this page.

Posted October 6, 2021 at 11:58AM
Categories: Clinicians Science

The Cervical Revolution Course last weekend was taken to a new level in it's development of being the course that introduces " top down" concepts and the neurologic connection of the body with the brain and cranium.  What made this cervical-cranial-occlusal course extraordinary had many components. The technology provided by an international audience online revealed a growing international hunger for PRI. From the Western Pacific, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore were represented. On the other side of the world students from Canada, Iceland, Belarus, Malta, Ireland, Poland and the UK were present as well as all over the USA. There was a great local representation from Nebraska in the live audience that provided energy and interest with questions, feedback and lab demonstration that all in attendance benefitted from.


One of the best questions, and one that is central to this course, is how is it that the occipital bone can move into A/O flexion on one side and A/O extension on the other if it is one bone? During tri-planer movement of this highly neurologic joint a sliding or gliding of the condyles of the occiput in the fossa of the atlas provides a rocking motion the looks like a bowl (occiput) rolling in a tri-planer motion side to side with one side going up and forward as the other side is coming back and down in a balanced alternating fashion. If this alternating/oscillating movement ceases to occur driving the occiput down into the atlas coming up on the ride side, torsions that are torque-like scoliosis patterns occur in the cranium. Hence, in this regard, the neck runs the neurologic and cranial/occlusal system.

Cervical Revolution, Postural Restoration Course, Secondary Course


What really made this course is not only the student participation and international diversity, but Dr. James Carlson, a world renown dentist, was in attendance. As the course got deeper into the cervical-cranial-occlusal subjects, this instructor went to student mode personally and asked Dr. Carlson for his input. I'm not sure if new students realize what a special opportunity it was to have Dr. Carlson describe occlusal issues as it applies to this course and a holistic approach it provides to all healthcare disciplines in attendance.


What then added to this course was to have PRI faculty members Louise Kelly and Dan Hoglum in attendance. Big "wow" factor for the entire weekend. Louise broke down the Standing Stomatonathic Squat in such detail that described a bottom up and top down integration of ground, vision, occlusion. She will be teaching Cervical Revolution soon and not to be missed!  Dan Hoglum is the Impingement and Instability "rock" in PRI and provided a powerful, concise description of one of the main concepts of this course being "Top Down"!  Both Louise and Dan brought "extra credit" and value along with Dr. Carlson to all our learning experience.


There is no way this weekend could have been pulled off without Jennifer Platt getting to the institute early and the last one to leave the building to facilitate the entire weekend and make it a successful learning environment for all. None of this could happen without her. Not only that, but Jen has so much experience in these courses as well as PRIVY and her knowledge and sharing what she knows gave this weekend so much more depth and color. To my "co-instructors", Dr. Carlson, Louise, Dan and Jen thank you all. And to everyone in attendance thank you for being such a great group!

Posted October 5, 2021 at 11:06AM
Categories: Clinicians Courses Science

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