Cervical Revolution is a highly integrative secondary course that blends physical therapy, chiropractic, osteopathy, dentistry and a whole lot of neurology with arthrokinematics to provide a detailed understanding of how critical the cervical spine is especially at the atlas and occipital articulation.
An international group, as well as attendees from the US and Canada, experienced Cervical Revolution in Lincoln, NE Sep. 13-14, 2024. There were 14 live participants including two dentists and even a DVM who performs chiropractic manipulation and acupuncture to small and large animals and sees similar patterns in animals and humans!
This international group included PT’s, DC’s, strength and conditioning personal and an LCSW who is integrating PRI with her holistic practice. The students attending from Taiwan, Japan, Australia, China and South Korea were staying up all night their time to attend and the students from the Netherlands, Poland , Germany, Norway, Italy, Slovakia, Spain and even Iran were up into the late night participating with tons of energy and great questions with all helping to teach this course with discussion and dialog that provided clarity and understanding of this information dense and detailed course.
Every course in PRI has more detail in the course manual than can be covered in one weekend and the material presented is often experienced as being “fed by a firehose” of information! This is especially true for this secondary course called Cervical Revolution where defining and exploring the cervical, cranial and occlusal system in two days.
The big picture of this course is that it is a right stance course that primarily relates to and starts at the atlas and occipital bone with the right atlas being in a position of flexion in relationship to the occipital bone. Inside the cranium, where the occipital bone connects to the sphenoid, right cranial extension occurs. This cranial position drives right temporal bone internal rotation that results in a protruded jaw on the right and a retruded jaw on the left with a mandible positioning more left! (If the mandible positions right this could indicate a compensation or pathology) The opposite occurs on the left side and this course is designed to identify this pattern and position, inhibit it, shift to the other side and then alternate back and forth. This variability of alternation is essential for upright human beings and whatever the feet, pelvis and ribcage are doing (Refer to the three primary courses), the neck knows it! Simply put, the goal is to achieve right A/O extension, left A/O flexion and go back and forth as if you are walking! (Because you are!)
This big picture description succinctly describes the basics of this course and then add the five cervical revolution tests with repositioning and then alternation techniques and the basics are covered! As with any course in PRI, day two adds a dimension that is considered pathological from the basic dominant pattern and position and for this course it is called right torsion. Right torsion is essentially torsion and stress located in the cranium that may result in neurologic symptoms including headache, ataxia, vision disturbances, dizziness and TMJ disorders to mention a few.
With the basic big picture reinforced and repeated a complex subject with the basics provided as a foundation helps to provide application on Monday morning and beyond. This weekend all of the students maintained an energetic focus throughout and now have not only more tools for patient care but a pathway to tertiary courses that include occlusion, cranium and the new vision course!
– Skip George
