Tertiary Courses

This advanced course focuses on how our cranial structures, the cerebral, mid brain and cerebellar regions, that are responsible for underlying ANS tension and CNS tone, can be self-regulated through oscillatory integration of rhythmic function and alternating cycles of sense. Discussion and demonstration on how postural adaptation to compensatory patterning can be resolved through lateralization of neural rhythms. Anatomical relationships between autonomic and central nervous system interplay will be clinically outlined and supportive research on how to resolve cranial generated physiological conflict and cortical sensory-motor function will strengthen the understanding principles behind thoracic cranial technique recommendations. This course outlines how pressure regulation by the palatopharyngeus muscle, the pterygopalatine fossa and the palatine aponeurosis requires temporal and occlusal oscillation; in order to prevent over lateralized use of these areas and thus dysafferentation and over-convergence of occlusion, hearing, sight, and sound production.

This advanced course is designed to assist the dentist, or the healthcare professional, who is interested in occlusal pathomechanic behavior that is related to common, upright human unaligned cervical patterns. Specific cervical assessment tests, equilibration recommendations, and PRI evidence-based, proven upright frontal plane activity, incorporating podal integration, will be offered for the general dentist and clinical movement specialist. Optimizing desirable, bilateral re-occlusal sense for centric upright airway position, in the dental office, through the use of specifically designed appliances, will enable the dentist to recalibrate occlusal interference associated with a centric neck, or for alignment of the neck and the accompanying airway. Upright alternating shifting of body mass and mandibular lateral translation, through specific posterior lateral occlusal sensory awareness, will remind the course attendee that oscillatory alternating lateral excursion of the mandible, is the most important oral and orthopedic postural activity generated by the sphenoid.

Vocal fold vibration, or oscillation, is the source for our sound, identity, pressure gradient (pulmonary, acoustic, and thoraco-abdominal) and communication (vocal expression). This course will outline vocalization and associated extrinsic postural voice muscle function considerations, when using PRI methodology, to enhance alignment and arrangement of muscle and soft tissue of the hypopharyngeal regions. Recognizing malalignment patterns of paired aligned muscles of the mouth and neck will assist in developing programs for vocal resonance that reflects cervical neutrality and a relaxed hypopharynx. An overview on muscles that position the vocal folds in the midline, on how asymmetry of the neck and shoulders or restrictive respiratory dysfunction can disrupt normal vocal fold function, and on how vocal fold tension can influence upper quadrant tension and pressure, will be provided. The purpose of this course is to enhance unobstructed passage of sound through the various shapes formed by the oropharynx for vowel sounds and to enhance the air pressure built up behind over obstructions created by structures of the mouth to create consonant sounds that reinforce both balanced, acceptable associated posture of the stomatognathic and respiratory systems. Limited discussion, regarding velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) or nasality, and hypokinetic dysarthria (HD) will be included. Management of laryngeal/vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) will include ‘blowing’, ‘sucking’, speech resonance and glottal control recommendations incorporating PRI philosophy and techniques. Case presentations will be discussed and outlined treatment reasoning will be provided, along with laryngeal based techniques that incorporate PRI applications.

This course offers the attendee an opportunity to re-examine ‘gait’, ‘ambulate’, ‘walking’, ‘bipedalism’, and ‘locomotion’ by addressing the cortical coordination of the human limbs that are responsible for individual forward locomotor movement patterns. Neurological and physiological dominance is designed around introspective habituation and compensation, that reflects physical predominant hemispheric loading and cortical hemi-spatial flow. A comprehensive, and up to date, review of literature and research on cortical dominance and associated pre-existing dominance factors that define interlimb and intralimb interaction during forward movement of the body, is offered. Arm and leg control, and overall associated motor function of human swing, support and propulsion will be addressed through asymmetrical gravitational balance effort and anti-gravitational eccentric considerations. Both, arm and leg control, and function in human locomotion, will be dissected and described, as a novel introduction to integrated upper and lower extremity movement, and hemi-spatial awareness and hemi-chest activity will be outlined, for all phases of forward locomotor movement. Clinical recommendations for individual introspection of forward locomotor movement will be provided throughout the course. Eccentric control of functional cortical predominant patterned limitations on locomotor movement, along with multisystem guidelines for reweighting balance through limb use, will be provided through the use of PRI non-manual technique application.

This course will outline the role the human eyes play in centering the head and body, in standing, based on the guidance, or misguidance, of somatic information provided to the brain. The attendee will be provided information on the most common visual postural related implications related to visual heterophorias, strabismus, seated versus standing astigmatism axis inconsistencies and higher degrees of amblyopia. Understanding both physical and somatic symptomology related to this visual vestibular automaticity, will help the practitioner refine and modify both optometric treatment and upright postural guidance. Guidelines on how to work with an optometrist and recommendations to improve standing postural orientation and to de-stress binocular rivalry, of both the Lasik and non-Lasik patient, will be offered for these binocular conditions listed above. Considerations for the patient who demonstrates persistent unilateral biased functional dominance in stages of forward locomotor movement and visual vertical testing, will be also be discussed.