In the later part of 2004 I met with Stan Babel through Karen Jiran MPT, PRC and Carrie Langer MPT, ATC, PRC. Stan who owned and managed Physical Medicine Diagnostics Rehabilitation (PD Midway) and wanted to build a pool. At that time I was really interested in hydrodynamics and had countless discussions with my brother who is an engineer regarding pump power, jet nozzles, etc. And more importantly I wanted to design a pool for patterned neuromuscular isolation and inhibition through the use of directional water to maximize specific aquatic afferentation, as well as compensatory push and pull recognized by the autonomic and central nervous systems. My first PRI Sequential Movement (PRISM) pool design was developed and constructed through Stan. All eight of the stations provide neuromuscular isolation and feed forward activation of groups of muscles to resolve postural related dysfunctional autonomic and physiologic behavior through the flow of water. With the arrival of this pool and its science, PDR Midway, became IMPACT Physical Medicine and Aquatic Center.
Presenting course material that is related to the brain’s lateralized hemispheric specialization and the autonomic nervous influence on our central nervous system’s compensatory behavior, fifteen years later, made my amygdala related emotional, sentimental and nostalgic feelings flow uncontrollably. Stan and his wonderful staff over the years has enabled me to continue to move in directions that I patiently outlined, ballooned and flowed with. I feel so indebted and grateful to him and his staffs over the years. Many of those affiliated with this integrated minded center were in this class.
This particular class also made me feel somewhat sentimental, because I have known most, if not all of them, for so many years. They were watched, observed, tested and judged by me. They were my independent, dependent and constant variables for my research effort on knowing when, how and what to deliver to get where we were on November 2nd, 2019. There were 18 Credentialed providers in the room that affectionately tolerated me being somewhat unfiltered regarding autonomic and central nervous systems and their influence on each other and our patterned behavior.
This course is such a joy for me to teach and resonate around. Just as aquatic flow can re-balance, re-engage, and re-tense us, so can mandibular latero- molar trusive contact, sphenoid (pterygoid) and temporal (temporalis) oscillation, and palatopharyngeus (diameter of the pharynx) and tensor veli palatine (diameter of the eustacian tube) ANS control. Before Stan, before the pools, before PRI certification, I remember a quote by Socrates that remains with me today. “I cannot teach anybody, I can only make them think” and I am grateful for those who continue to flow and follow thought processes that make them sequentially think.
The staff at IMPACT are always such wonderful hosts. The morning breakfast, break food and afternoon warm cookies (thank you Stan) are so appreciated. Christie Amundson PT, DPT, HFS,PRC and Mara Brandsoy OTR/L, PRC have a system in place for courses like this. Their and their fellow team-mate’s effort does not go unnoticed. I also want to thank Amy Pennaz PT and Catherine Shelton PT for their willingness to work with me in demonstrating how to resolve postural related dysfunctional autonomic behavior.
