Lumbar Spine: Athletic Low Back Pain
presented by Kyle Kiesel & Todd Arnold

This course will be retired and no longer available as of January 13, 2023. Please complete the course by December 31, 2022, to receive credit.

Nearly 60% of athletes experience low back pain over the course of a year, but continue to play, limiting performance and increasing risk of a time-loss injury. In this course, Dr. Kyle Kiesel and Dr. Todd Arnold team up to present the best knowledge and application of treatment for the athlete with spinal pain. As experts in the field of sports medicine, Doctors Kiesel and Arnold specialize in the clinical examination and treatment of the lumbosacral spine. The goal of this course is to sharpen the decision-making and examination skills of the sports physical therapist in a clinical setting in order to streamline treatment of the athletes with neck and back pain that is limiting their participation. Upon completion of this course, the sports physical therapist will also be able to appropriately guide the athlete through a movement-based exercise progression and utilize guidelines for improved return to play decision-making. Live case examples of lumbar spine injuries will assist the sports PT in the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and patient/parent education. Learn more

Regional Review of Musculoskeletal Systems: Chest and Thoracic Spine
presented by Michael Fink

NOTE: This course is part of a nine course series by Michael Fink on Medical Screening and Differential Diagnosis*.

Through a lecture and demonstration format, this course will offer a comprehensive look at common musculoskeletal pathologies concerning the chest and thoracic spine. It will introduce evidence and procedures integral to making sound judgments as it relates to medical screening and differential diagnosis within the patient/client management model. It will describe how medical, orthopedic, and neurological problems may be interrelated thus making differential diagnosis of neuromusculoskeletal signs and symptoms difficult. The intent of this course is not to train participants to make a medical diagnosis but rather to be able to recognize when physical therapy is indicated, contraindicated, and when a referral to other health care personnel is needed. Medical Screening and differential diagnosis are essential components in autonomous practice and is within the scope of the physical therapy profession. Possessing good clinical evaluative skills is a critical part of the process for effective differential diagnosis and subsequent management of the “treat versus refer” dilemma.
* This course was previously included in a larger 2-course Medical Screening series on MedBridge. If you have taken one of these two courses previously, the material has already been covered. Learn more

Comprehensive Intervention Strategies for Patients with Spinal Cord Injuries
presented by J.J. Mowder-Tinney

This course will be retired and no longer available as of Sun Nov 1, 2020. Please start the course by Mon Oct 19, 2020 and complete the course by Sat Oct 31, 2020 to receive credit or look for SCI Part 1: Comprehensive Approach to Spinal Cord Injury, available in the course catalogue.

Identifying optimal intervention strategies for patients with spinal cord injury can be very challenging for clinicians. Each level of injury presents different limitations and specific patient needs requiring a strong understanding of the functional outcomes for each level of injury. In this course, JJ Mowder-Tinney guides clinicians through a practical approach to rehabilitation for individuals recovering from spinal cord injury. Many aspects of this population must be considered to provide comprehensive care including common complications of patients with SCI, causes of shoulder pain and prevention interventions, strategies for optimal movement for different level injuries, and exercise prescription. This course involves demonstrations with real patients that have both cervical and thoracic level injuries to illustrate interventions that will optimize the independence of patients. Learn more

Evidence-Based Examination of the Lumbar Spine
presented by Chad Cook

This course will be retired and no longer available as of Sun Nov 1, 2020. Please start the course by Mon Oct 19, 2020 and complete the course by Sat Oct 31, 2020 to receive credit or look for Evidence-Based Examination of the Lumbar Spine: An Update, available in the course catalogue.

In this course covering examination of the lumbar spine by Dr. Chad Cook, users will evaluate the economic impact and prevalence of lumbar spine dysfunction. The imperative patient history elements of a lumbar examination will be discussed. Users will be able to identify the link between observation of posture and low back pain or dysfunction, and what certain postural elements related to low back pain may mean. Compare and contrast different tests used for differential diagnosis and screening for red flags in the lumbar region. Evaluate the benefit of palpation and manual muscle testing as part of a dedicated clinical examination. Identify the most diagnostic lumbar spine oriented special tests and apply the tests to the appropriate diagnoses. Current research is presented throughout the course to provide learners with the proper tools for evidence-based management of these patients. This course is part of a 19 course comprehensive clinical series covering examination and intervention for the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, as well as the upper (shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand) and lower (hip, pelvis, knee, foot, and ankle) quarters. Learn more

The Spine: An Osteopathic Approach
presented by Laurie Hartman

This course will be retired and no longer available as of April 1, 2020. Please complete the course by March 31, 2020, to receive credit.

Dr. Hartman is a world-renowned expert on osteopathic techniques and manual therapy. This comprehensive course covers the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. He provides in-depth explanations and demonstrations of osteopathic treatment for the neck, thoracic spine, lumbar spine and sacroiliac joint. In addition to Dr. Hartman's review of various treatments, the course will provide an enhanced understanding of the importance of complete history and physical examination when evaluating a patient with soft tissue injury. Learn more