Community News

I had the great pleasure of teaching Myokinematic Restoration in Lincoln, NE on August 11th and 12th. It was two days of soaking in an attitude of gratitude to be able to discuss something I am passionate about to a worldwide audience. United States, Australia, China, and Canada were represented with clinicians spread out all over the county from Florida to Washington and everywhere in between.

I also had the great privilege of attending the musical Hamilton in Lincoln with my PRI Family on Friday night. Hamilton’s message of hope, perseverance, and coming together resonated well with the Myokinematic themes of persevering through our right biasness and getting appropriate muscles to come together to balance our imbalances.

We had a fantastic in person audience who didn’t want to loose their "Shot" at learning and appreciating patterns and positions. Nicolas took a break from his final semester of PT school in Florida to remind us the learning is "Non-Stop" and gave us a great student perspective on the material. When he becomes a Physical Therapist in December he will remember to never be "Satisfied" unless he is integrating test and retest principles of A-B-A evidence based practice.

Michael attended his 14th PRI class and gave us a fantastic historical perspective as he has known Ron Hurska since 1994, knowing that "You’ll Be Back" for more as we are traveling on our PRI journeys. Matt, a former employee of the institute and Ron’s "Right Hand Man", spent time with us before he begins his role as a P.A. next week in Omaha.

 
We had an absolute gift in Allison who was our primary avatar for demonstration. She helped us learn that if you don’t feel the "Burn" of a left IC Adductor and left anterior glute med you may be "Helpless" managing left stance phase of gait with a pathological left hip capsule. She was able to "Blow Us All Away" by getting a 4/5 Hruska Adduction Lift score at the end of Day 2 by being such a great PRI demonstrator for the camera.

Gavin brought high level thought process and questions and taught the class to "Say No to This" overactive right adductor we often deal with. Cas’s left hip wanted to be in "The Room Where it Happens" of left AF IR to assist in reducing torque at the knee, while Joshua was excited for "What Comes Next?" as it relates to AF position and shoulder function and control for his baseball players at Baylor.

Chase and Kyle were kind enough to sit up front and "Wait For It" until Sunday afternoon for treatment techniques based off the Hruska Adduction Lift Test so that their neurological patterning and need for left stance and right swing could "Stay Alive".

Wyatt thought "That Would Be Enough" after the facilitation techniques, but was kind enough to "Take a Break" at the end of Day 2 in order to demonstrate a proper Plantar Flexor inhibition in the All 4 Belly Lift Walk.

In the end, I think all of us realized that the "World Was Wide Enough" for more knowledge and integration of PRI concepts, appreciating asymmetries, patterns, and positions. "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" may depend on our ability to efficiently assist our patients and clients in managing out right and left sides of our body.

Big thanks to everyone attending the live stream and contributing to the discussion with their questions and attentiveness. Special shout out and thanks to RJ for running such a smooth two days juggling the technology, answering and facilitating questions, and being such a positive influence for the Institute.

I had the distinct pleasure to have the opportunity to travel to Munich, Germany, and teach the PRI courses Myokinematic Restoration and Impingement and Instability. It was a very rewarding experience to see how the science of PRI is received in another part of the world. And it was a great experience to be immersed in a different culture for almost two weeks.  

The first course presented was Myokin. We had 25 people attend the course from varying parts of Germany as well as neighboring countries Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Austria. This was a unique experience because usually when Myokin is presented, 90% of the attendees have never taken a PRI course before. For this course,19 of the attendees had taken multiple PRI courses, as well as Myokin previously. I made a point right away to make sure we ensured that those who had not taken a PRI course previously had a great experience.

As a result of so many of the attendees being PRI veterans, we had many, many great questions and discussions. And while some of questions pertained to other PRI coursework, we were able to stay on course and continue to meet the needs of those who were new to PRI. I’m not sure I have ever taught a PRI course where every single attendee asked at least one question. But that was the case with this stellar group. Such energy and interest in the science an application of PRI concepts!

The second course we presented was Impingement and Instability. Because this is a Secondary Course in PRI, everyone had taken several PRI courses previously. Again, this led to lively discussion and questions. We were able to use the concepts of I&I and start building a bridge between the Primary PRI courses and the other Secondary and Tertiary PRI Courses. I&I is an ever-evolving course. It was immensely rewarding to have the opportunity to help these attendees in their PRI journey to better understand and apply the science and concepts of PRI.

My eternal gratitude to the Lindbergs Academy for hosting us for back-to-back weekends. Their hospitality was top notch. My thanks to Julia Felbar, FRA, Maria Sowmardi Jauker, FRA, Angelo Gorsch, PT, and Dr. Hooman Skaraztavakol for their questions and interest in all things PRI. It was awesome to have Kazu Nishimura, PT, PRC with me and helping with lab during Myokin. Spending time with Kazu was such a blessing, and his contribution was immensely appreciated and valuable to me and the other attendees.

It was an experience I will not forget. Those in attendance were lovely and soaked up the material. PRI is global. And the science does translate to other countries and cultures as we are all humans and we all have patterns. Thank you, Munich!

Last weekend, August 5-6, at Hidef Physical Therapy in Bellevue, WA, I had the pleasure of teaching Postural Respiration to a wide range of professionals that included a chiropractic student, physical therapists, LMT’s, strength and conditioning professionals and an osteopathic physician that wanted to learn more about respiration, neurology and biomechanics.

Every PRI course that is presented is always different in terms of questions asked and what is discovered during demonstration and lab.  For example, often after re-positioning a pelvis on Day 1 with non-manual techniques, the student  will become immediately neutral to the "oohs and awes" of the course attendees.  The PRI magic seems almost easy and effortless with a technique that targets inhibition of the L AIC.
Since this course is an integrated approach to the treatment of patterned thoraco-abdominal pathomechanics, it is also likely that the PRI magic is not apparent on day 1 as the student being demonstrated on may not get neutral with any non-manual technique on Day 1 or even into the morning of Day 2.

 
This is where the process of following the guidelines on page 50 in the course manual come to life.  What if your best efforts with non-manual techniques don’t seem to be making a difference clinically?  The roadmap then takes the whole group of students through a journey of applying manual techniques to create first a ZOA, then right apical chest wall expansion.  If after doing the right apical expansion or superior T-4 manual technique does not result if all of your tests turning negative, or you have limited cervical axial rotation to the left and especially a positive left apical expansion test, then you have a definitive Superior T-4 pathomechanical respiratory process.

In every course there is someone that is Superior T-4.  In this course the students that were the demonstratees were all Superior T-4.  Much to the instructor’s relief they all became neutral after a subclavius  release and infraclavicular pump!  The most gratifying part is to walk the class through a process that they need to practice and apply clinically,  especially for the more complex cases that present to their offices.  Accessory muscle overuse, the over-reliance of end range lateralization, the inability to reciprocate and alternate side to side and especially being aware of delivery of airflow pressure sense into a chest wall for the purpose of neuro-respiratory, physiological and biomechanical variability is the heart and soul of this course.

Thank you to my most professional lab assistant Paige McNerthney, PT for all of your help this weekend and to all of the students who brought their "A" game of attention, focus and energy.  Thanks to Hidef for hosting Postural Respiration.

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Each year, this image pops up on my Facebook Memories towards the end of July, when I was working on my PRC application back in 2011. I was a full time PT at the Hruska Clinic at the time, and just two years out of PT school. I began taking courses when I was still in PT school, had an awesome clinical instructor Lori Thomsen for one of my final clinical rotations, and landed my dream job after graduation at the Hruska Clinic. I was surrounded by the best mentors ever, yet I must admit that I was a little scared at the thought of completing the PRC application and testing. However, having been on both sides (a scared and nervous applicant, now 12 years ago, and today the Director of Education and Credentialing running the show), here are some tips to hopefully ease your anxiety about the process.

Unsure about taking the next step towards PRI Credentialing? Check out what others have said about their PRC credentialing experience and PRT credentialing experience!

My Top 3 tips for preparing your PRC or PRT application:

1. Set aside larger chunks of time to work on your application.
When I first started my application, I was working on it for a couple hours at a time in the evening, or when I had a patient cancellation during the day. But, I found that by the time I would get my stuff out (all of my course binders, my case study patient charts, stacks of research articles, etc), and I mentally prepared myself to get started, I didn’t have much time to get actual work done on my application. Therefore, I found my groove when I set aside a full Saturday (which is what this picture is representing from 12 years ago). I set up a table to work, had all of my course manuals accessible and I got major work done! I did this a couple more days over the next couple months and finished the application. It isn’t too late to start on your application for this year, if you are able to dedicate a couple weekends to the process.

2. The review committee isn’t looking for perfection.

The application review is a peer-reviewed process (PRCs and PRTs). Each application is reviewed by two members of the review committee for which you are applying (either PRC or PRT), and their recommendations are provided for review by Ron and myself. Based on their feedback, we then determine if the applicant is prepared for testing, and the applicant then receives the reviewer’s feedback. None of us are perfect in what we do, and thus the review committee is not looking for perfection. Rather, they want to see your ‘thought process’ and ‘decision-making’ with the PRI concepts from the four pre-requisite courses displayed on paper throughout your application. Therefore, I would recommend that even if you look back at a case study or client program that you put together and think "wow, I would have totally not selected that technique now that I know more…." (that is fine), you can still use that case study, and at the end of your case study discussion, reflect on what you would do different now (and why….knowing what you know now, that you didn’t know then).

3. The application in itself is an educational experience.

I hear this often when people are here for PRC and PRT testing, and I felt the same way myself. I learned SO much when I was preparing my application. It forced me to review content from the courses and find answers to questions that I still had myself. I vividly remember that I didn’t fully understand the Superior T4 Syndrome until this day 12 years ago, when I went back and studied my manual, watched the home study course again and reviewed the manual techniques. I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment in preparing my application that day. The application made me reflect on my decision making process, consider what I might do different now, identify favorite techniques (which is difficult when there are so many), and it allowed me to realize how much I did know (even though there was still a lot I didn’t know). This last one is important. Preparing your application is not an easy task, and it takes a lot of time, but it should give you a little boost of confidence (you are studying for the exam while you prepare your application), and that is the hidden gem. Last but not least, the feedback from the reviewer’s is so incredibly helpful!

If you are considering applying for PRC or PRT, and you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me! The PRC application deadline (for testing in December) is September 15th and the PRT application deadline (for testing in January) is October 15th. 

I also recorded some videos a few years back, which I hope you will find helpful as you prepare your application. These videos can be found on the PRC page and PRT page of our website. 

“The stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas.” Or in this case throughout the weekend at the Myokinematic Restoration course at Elite Physical Therapy in Abilene, Texas. The attendees which were all bright made for a wonderful weekend teaching for the first time in my home state.

We started the first morning off discussing polyarticular chains of muscles with the emphasis in this course being the anterior interior chain. (AIC). We have two of these chains of muscles, a left and a right, and due to our inherent asymmetries the dominance of the left anterior interior chain was discussed in-depth throughout the weekend.

These patterns are described by chains of muscles which are neurologically driven and orient our bodies into predictable positions. In this course, we looked at the patterned relationship between the lumbar spine, (hip) acetabulum and femur. We broke out in lab with hands on learning how to identify these positions and if these prolonged positions may have caused some further undesired activity at the hip.

The group was incredibly attentive with thought provoking questions. We had a chiropractor, PTs, PTAs, a massage therapist, yoga instructors, personal trainers, and athletic trainers as well. We ended the weekend “sizzling some glutes” with PRI non manual techniques. There is nothing quite more powerful than experiencing the techniques firsthand and the immediate changes that were made.

It was an absolute pleasure teaching in west Texas, the southern hospitality always feels like home.

Wow! What an experience teaching in Munich, Germany. We had healthcare practitioners from over 10 different countries represented at the course this past weekend!!! Yes, you read that currently—10 different countries. Isn’t that amazing! What is even more impressive is that these individuals were learning Pelvis Restoration in a second language for them. One course participant told me that he had to re-learn anatomy from the English language as the translation was different for the muscles and bones. So unbelievable. It was a gift to have two days of learning and teaching and all of us being unified under the science of Postural Restoration.

I felt this group was “hungry” for more information and understanding with PRI. The energy was palpable. I greatly appreciated the lab assistance and PRI experience from Nadja and Tracy to assist me over the weekend as well.  The critical thinking, questions, and openness to the course concepts was fantastic. Thank you to this group for giving me grace with my hearing loss—I mis-pronounced names routinely and you were gracious to repeat your questions a time or two as well.

I had a wonderful time teaching and exploring the cultures in both Austria and Germany. We live in a beautiful world, and I am grateful to had gotten to explore more of it, but more importantly I was blessed to have gotten to teach and meet 38 Healthcare workers who have a passion to learn and undeniable compassion to assist their patients to reach their full health care potential and see that it’s possible with the science of PRI.

Thank you, Lindebergs Academy! You were gracious hosts.  

Postural Respiration was presented at the Postural Restoration Institute May 28-29 to a large zoom audience of students as well as live participants. It is always a pleasure to have students from around the world in different time zones staying up late or getting up early to participate in this flagship primary course. There were students from Australia, Europe and coast to coast from North America and a large percentage of students were first time attendees to a PRI course, and for the majority of students, first time to Postural Respiration.

Delivery of air pressure sense and its effect on pelvis, ribcage and diaphragm shape, form and function are central themes that are returned to over and over in this course as it relates to neurology and ultimately biomechanics.
I taught Postural Respiration two weeks before in Chandler, AZ and there were similarities in terms of lab and demo with one student in each course presenting with almost exactly the same exam findings and same treatment guidelines as defined in this course for Superior T-4.

Often this patho-mechanical compensation can seem daunting to identify and treat, however, in both courses with both attendees, following the course guidelines with a detailed and repetitive description of both non-compensatory respiration and contrasting with patho-mechanical respiration made this difference very clear. Both students remained positive in their PRI testing on day one even after non-manual and manual AIC treatment regimens.  Then, on day two following Page 50 guidelines to determine if these individuals were in fact presenting with Superior T-4, a subclavius release with infra-clavicular pump was performed and all tests became negative with both cases.  No pressure, but the instructor is always relived when this occurs!

The overuse of accessory muscles of respiration became very clear to all attendees in both classes knowing that scalenes, for instance, need to act more like initiators of the first rib to signal rostal to caudal sequential rib elevation and not become primary rib lifters attempting to direct and deliver air inappropriately  into a right chest wall. Superior T-4 became very clear as to just one more step in the treatment guidelines for effective and balanced delivery of airflow pressure sense. This allows then alternating and reciprocal function into the entire physiological, neurological and biomechanical systems.

All in all it was a wonderful course especially the time and attention all of the students provided and "spot-on" questions that were asked. Thanks to all of our students especially on zoom from  different continents and time zones.  And the course was facilitated so well by RJ Hruska as he makes the process go so easy for students and instructors!

An enjoyable weekend was spent with a fantastic, energetic group at Thrive Proactive Health in Virgina Beach. Thrive has hosted numerous PRI courses, and its clinicians were ready to take their PRI knowledge up a notch with Cervical Revolution.

As in every PRI course, the concepts in Cervical Revolution are rooted in our neurological propensity to be oriented in right stance, a dilemma that manifests itself in the neck and cranium. Our right atlas, in particular, remains oriented over the right foot and under a right occiput, creating a highly influential “floor” for the cranium. A cervical pattern is established, resulting in tonicity of a chain of muscles known as the temporal mandibular cervical chain, or TMCC. Much like the left AIC and right BC chains, the right TMCC may become over-referenced during upright function. And just like the sacrum in the pelvis and the sternum in the thorax, our third “S” bone, the sphenoid, may become patterned in its position and movement.

The effects can be profound. Consider the vital openings associated with the neck: the foramen magnum and the pharynx. Malposition and narrowing of these openings effect nervous system and visual and vestibular function, cerebral spinal fluid flow, circulation to, and drainage of, the brain, and airway, swallow, speech, and chewing patterns.

We practiced objective tests, unique to this course, that assess loss of cervical and mandibular motion and the likely presence of two common cranial positions (called “lesions” by osteopaths): left sidebending and right torsion. We presented multiple photos of faces, with facial characteristics that reflect these two positions, and discussed the impact of these positions on symptoms that we commonly treat: neck pain, headaches, dizziness, and TMJ pain and dysfunction.

To prepare for their Monday morning patient/client, participants experienced techniques designed to restore cervical neutrality, a sense of the left OA floor, lateral shifting of the mandible, alternating cranial expansion of the temporal bones, and sphenoid orientation.

Finally, we discussed patient examples in which “orthotics for the mouth” — dental splints – were combined with a PRI program, resulting in beautiful therapeutic outcomes. I hope that those attendees who haven’t yet established a relationship with a dentist are now inspired to make that happen. Mark Ragusa, you have Howard Hindin, DDS, right in your neighborhood.

Laurie Johnson, see you on the next zoom course😊 Mark Pedersen, wishing you all the best as you begin your physical therapy studies. Takumi Sakabe, safe travels back to Japan. You have a wonderful PRI cohort that will take you in with open arms. Thank you to everyone in attendance for your questions and insights and to the clinicians of Thrive for hosting and keeping the discussion light and lively!

For a number of years, the Postural Restoration Institute® offered an annual Interdisciplinary Integration Symposium. Each of these symposiums was designed around a theme that we felt best represented the present mindsets of those applying PRI course material as well as our own interest in exploring pathways of collaboration for advancing PRI concepts.

We are excited to announce that beginning in 2024, we will begin offering an annual PRI Interdisciplinary Studies Summit. The word ‘interdisciplinary’ reflects activity that analyzes, synthesizes, and harmonizes links between disciplines into a coordinated and coherent whole. Or, simply put, it means “relating to more than one branch of knowledge.” This annual Summit will not be centered around one topic or theme, but rather will offer two days of presentations on multiple areas of study, for attendees interested in PRI who want to explore how multiple areas of study intersect with one another.

This Summit will allow those with common interest to come together from any field and converge on shared research, a common problem, or professional experience. It will provide opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, dialogue, and connection across the PRI community. Not only is this an opportunity for you to be involved in the learning and application of PRI supportive, evidence-based practice in novel settings, but this Summit will also provide you the opportunity to present on a specific topic for the PRI community.

Opportunities for social interaction have been few and far between over the past few years, and to say that we have missed seeing you in Lincoln is an understatement. We look forward to bringing together the PRI community again for an annual in-person event, where PRI interest can be intersected at this PRI Interdisciplinary Studies Summit. A time to connect, learn, and socialize with one another. *Please note that this annual Summit will be in-person only and will not be available via live stream. Social events will be scheduled each evening. 

Are you interested in presenting on a topic that interests you?

We encourage you to submit an abstract!

Presentation topics should be relevant to the interest of the PRI community and must fall within one of the five summit sub-categories (see more the presentation guidelines).

Speakers do not need to be PRI Credentialed Providers, and PRI welcomes interdisciplinary professionals (i.e. dentists, optometrists, massage therapists, psychologists, etc.). A presentation may include up to two speakers, and interdisciplinary teams (i.e. PT and Dentist) are encouraged to submit an abstract.

Abstracts are due no later than July 15th. To learn more about submitting an abstract, please visit our website and review the presentation guidelines!

If you are interested and you have any questions, please reach out to Jennifer Platt at platt.jennifer@posturalrestoration.com or 402-467-4111.