TMJ Courses
TMJ Courses for Physical Therapists & Health ProfessionalsImproving Clinical Reasoning Skills in the Evaluation and Treatment of Low Back and Leg Pain
Instructor: Kyle Cook, MPT, OCS
Course Description
This two and ½ day course will focus on the evaluation and treatment of low back and leg pain from a neurological and biomechanical perspective. Correlations between the pathophysiology of this area and a patient’s clinical presentation will be discussed in detail. This course will include the clinical presentation and treatment of a herniated lumbar disc, facet joint dysfunction, stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and lumbar and sacroiliac dysfunctions. Evaluation of the thoracolumbar junction, lumbar spine, pelvis, and hips will be presented in such a way that the student will be able to decide which treatment approach has the best chance of success. Treatment techniques will be eclectic in nature and include neural mobilization, muscle energy, articulatory techniques, mobilization with movement, directional specific repeated movements, and home exercises.
Course Objectives
- To review the functional and neurological anatomy of the lumbar spine and pelvis.
- To have a better understanding of the biomechanics of the spine, pelvis, and hips and their interdependence.
- To learn how different pathologies of the lumbar spine, pelvis, and hips present clinically.
- To be able to recognize when or if a patient’s pathological/radiological findings correlate with their clinical presentation.
- To be able to integrate a variety of treatment approaches to optimize success in treating patients with a herniated lumbar disc, facet dysfunction, stenosis, spondylolisthesis, lumbopelvic dysfunctions.
- To be able to decide when a patient may need to be referred to a physician for further diagnostic workup.
- To learn what type of home exercise program and self-help measures will best address the patient’s functional limitations and complement their manual therapy treatment.
About the Instructor
Kyle Cook, MPT, OCS, is currently practicing at Loyola Medical Center in Chicago and is also an instructor in Loyola’s Orthopedic Residency and Spine Fellowship Programs. He is a 2006 graduate of the University of Wisconsin- Madison Physical Therapy program, and later completed UW- Madison/Meriter Orthopedic Residency Program. Kyle has published in JOSPT and AANS Neurosurgeon and teaches with Bookhout Seminars as well as independently. He has recently been asked to join the clinical continuing education teaching faculty at the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI
Agenda
Day 1
| 3:00pm | Introductions and goals for the course |
| 3:15pm | Patient’s history – what do you need to ask? |
| 3:30pm | Functional anatomy and pathophysiology of the lumbar spine |
| 4:00pm | Standing evaluation of the low back, pelvis and hips |
| 5:00pm | Break |
| 5:15pm | Standing evaluation of the low back, pelvis and hips (con’t) |
| 6:00pm | Biomechanics of the lumbar spine and pelvis |
Day 2
| 8:00am | Review of Day 1 and questions |
| 8:30am | Sitting evaluation of the low back, pelvis, and hips |
| 10:00am | Break |
| 10:15am | Supine evaluation of the low back, pelvis, and hips |
| 11:30am | Prone evaluation of lumbar spine, pelvis, and hips |
| 12:30pm | Lunch |
| 1:30pm | Prone evaluation of lumbar spine, pelvis and hips (con’t) |
| 2:00pm | Discussion of findings from the evaluation and clinical correlations to patient’s history and pathology |
| 3:00pm | Treatment of facet dysfunction in the lumbar spine |
| 3:45pm | Break |
| 4:00pm | Treatment of facet dysfunction in the lumbar spine (con’t) |
| 4:30pm | Mckenzie approach to the lumbar spine |
Day 3
| 8:00am | Review of Day 2 and questions |
| 8:30am | Treatment of leg pain that won’t centralize |
| 9:30am | Muscle energy treatment of the pelvis |
| 10:30am | Break |
| 10:45am | Muscle energy treatment of the pelvis (con’t) |
| 12:30pm | Lunch |
| 1:30pm | Mulligan approach to the SI joint |
| 2:30pm | Treatment approaches for HNP, facet syndrome, stenosis, and spondylolisthesis |
| 3:00pm | Break |
| 3:15pm | Treatment approaches for HNP, facet syndrome, stenosis, and spondylolisthesis (con’t) |
| 4:30pm | Home exercises and self-management instructions |