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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 2010

Deciding which arm to reach with during PRI Non-Manual Techniques is a common topic that comes up.  Kurt Weidauer, DPT recently wrote an article that discusses this very topic.  You can read this article HERE!

Posted November 4, 2010 at 4:40PM
Categories: Articles Clinicians

This is an email we received from a Physical Therapist last week…

History:

38 year old female with history of allergies (fall season is worst), 2 back surgeries, right knee arthroscopy
Being seen for low back pain – PRI effectively eliminating pain
Meanwhile, neck problem - went to a NUCCA practitioner
Noticed sinus cavities would change post NUCCA treatments (sometimes better, sometimes worse)
Manually worked on the sphenoid and had great results – learned the right sinus cavity is an “indicator” for this patient
Noted that bed positioning was knocking the atlas out of position: when turning, she would lean & pivot on her head – stopped doing that
Began identifying other things that would gradually pull atlas out of position: including a “subconscious” jaw left protrusion (sustained contraction) she identified whenever she laid down – especially on left side (left jaw received feedback from the pillow and pressed into it)
Performing regular left lateral pterygoid strengthening

Results:

Whenever right sinus cavity is closed/restricted, all she has to do is activate left lateral pterygoid and the right sinus cavity will re-open.  If left lateral pterygoid doesn’t work within a few minutes, then she goes to the NUCCA person…afterwhich, the left lateral pterygoid exercises work like a charm
Have been testing this theory now for 2 months: initially, it wouldn’t hold very long (just like a weak muscle), but now right sinus cavity can be restored within minutes (first thing in AM), and left lateral pterygoid can be strengthened as needed throughout the day – but really, it’s now >6wks that this person is able to breathe through both nostrils
OH, and I forgot to mention: she has NO allergies anymore?  And, this year is particularly bad.  Two years ago she was so desperate re: how bad the fall allergies are to her that she spent $3500 on experimental allergy drops, dreads the fall…  now… no allergies!

Theory:

The ability to hold the position of the atlas (and therefore decrease the need to go to NUCCA appointments) is directly related to the rest of PRI: if left lateral pterygoid is strong and not pulling it out, then what about the other asymmetrical influences further down the chains?  As soon as we laid off the other areas of weakness (emphasis = low traps, thoracic rounding & left IO, left adductor/hamstring, right glute), the # NUCCA appointments also began increasing.  After the next NUCCA, those exercises were re-emphasized… and voila!  It was about a month before she went to NUCCA again (vs every 2 weeks).

Results:
It has now been 10 months since NUCCA has started and some conclusions that I’m drawing:

Position of atlas is vital to overall health
Atlas & sphenoid relationship is vital to overall health – and something very specific as related to allergies/allergic reactions
Sphenoid position directly relates to sensation of “clear nostrils”
NUCCA alone only puts the atlas back into place… what’s going to hold it there?
When the atlas is placed in the ideal position, left lateral pterygoid (for this individual) can effectively reposition/and hold the sphenoid in its ideal place, which in turn holds the atlas in place
When the sphenoid doesn’t reposition easily, the atlas is not in its ideal position
If NUCCA appointments occur frequently because the person isn’t “holding their position,” then the answer is PRI – there is likely a subconscious muscle tension / a part of the asymmetrical influences identified by PRI that is ultimately pulling atlas out of place

Really, I’m just wanting to share this with Ron – it’s quite amazing!

Posted November 1, 2010 at 4:42PM
Categories: Clinicians

This email and photo from Lynne Ellen Kershaw in my Monday morning inbox - it’s sure to be a great week!

“Hey Janie- I have a class for athletes on Sunday afternoons. We always start off with PRI exercises before we do Pilates. They absolutely love blowing up the balloons! The guys in the picture are playing football right now and heading into basketball. Thought you might like! - LE”

Curious about the balloons? Click HERE.

Posted October 11, 2010 at 5:00PM
Categories: Athletics Clinicians

Here is the 5th installment to the Balanced Regeneration articles written by Lisa Bartels.  This article in on the facilitation of the gluteus maximus.  To read this article, CLICK HERE!

Posted October 11, 2010 at 4:58PM
Categories: Articles Clinicians

We are often asked by PRI clinicians for recommended articles to share with the dentists and optometrists with whom they integrate. Ron Hruska recommends THIS article from the Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry. The discussion in this article provides an excellent introduction to our 2011 Interdisciplinary Integration course!

Posted September 21, 2010 at 8:17AM
Categories: Articles

For the Hruska Adduction Lift Test, one thing I want to ask about is the patient to therapist size ratio.  I’m a tall guy, when I perform this test I really try to keep the upper leg at a “reasonable” height for the patient’s body.  It also seems that the passive hip abduction test will highly correlate.  Can you comment on this?

I have frequently been asked this question in classes across the country.  In short, the height of the examiner is not a significant issue up to a point.  There appears to be range of tolerance with regard to ability to perform the test and the height of the examiner.  Normal abduction is in the order of 45 degrees.  If the examiners’ height takes the LE well-beyond 45 degrees then height might become an issue.  I am 6’1” and have yet to discover anyone that I felt was adversely affected by my height. However if I were Shaquille Oneal and my patient was less than 5 feet then height could become an issue.

At that point I still have some options:
1. call in another examiner
2. place the top most lower extremity on the wall (which I hate to do since I
like to feel what the top LE is doing)
3. use the Abduction Lift Test since there is a good correlation between the
two
4. all of the above!

The test is helping us understand how well the patient can recruit and inhibit multiple muscles so we want to be sure that we score accurately.  In fact, another name for the test could be the: “How Well Do You Shift Into Acetabular Femoral Internal Rotation And Recruit And Inhibit Muscle Test” but it’s kind of long and that acronym HWDYSIAFIRARAIT just doesn’t flow.

- Mike Cantrell

Posted September 20, 2010 at 8:21AM
Categories: Clinicians

Congratulations to Kyndy Boyle, Josh Olinick and Cynthia Lewis on the recent publication of THIS outstanding article! We are so very appreciative of their hard work and endless support of PRI.

Posted September 9, 2010 at 8:33AM

The Postural Restoration Institute has long been recognized as an approved provider of continuing education for certified athletic trainers through the BOC, and more recently a few select PRI courses have been approved for strength and conditioning coaches through the NSCA. In response to the growing interest in PRI amongst these two different groups, we recently formed a Committee of five respected individuals.

Mike Arthur, Jason Masek, Michael Mullen, Chris Poulin and Jerry Weber met for the first time on Friday, August 27th to discuss avenues for advancement of Postural Restoration concepts in these specific professions. Their input is invaluable and their commitment commendable. I encourage you to read each member’s biography and learn of their exemplary experience and involvement. They have been pioneers in their professions and are now assisting us in furthering our vision for integration.

We look forward to sharing with you the Committee recommendations as they continue to collaborate in their unprecedented integration of PRI in athletic training and strength and conditioning.

Posted September 8, 2010 at 8:39AM
Categories: Clinicians Athletics

Thank you for all of the work you do.  You are great.  Also, the class was really enjoyable.  This stuff is addicting…I want to keep learning more.  Also, please tell Ron thank you again for all of the hard work that he does to teach and educate us all.  This has really changed the way I practice and came at a time I was becoming frustrated with limited outcomes and the PT profession.  It has certainly rejuvenated me.  So again, thanks for everything.
Chris Fortman, MPT

Posted September 7, 2010 at 8:41AM
Categories: Clinicians

Lori Thomsen, MPT, PRC recently addressed the issue of running and breathing.  Watch her discuss this topic HERE!

Posted August 16, 2010 at 8:49AM
Categories: Videos
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