Course Recaps
American Academy of Orofacial Pain conference
Date: April 30-May3, 2026
Location: Orlando, FL
WakeMed Health & Hospitals
Date: April 18-19, 2026
Location: Raleigh, NC
The weekend of 4/18-19/26, I had the pleasure of teaching my Level 1 TMJ Course at WakeMed Health & Hospitals in Raleigh, NC. Thank you to Nancy Nau OTR/L, MHA, and Cathy Smith PT, MHA, for the wonderful invite and gracious use of their beautiful space. Thanks to Jay Goodman, PT, and Chad Gravatt, PT, from WakeMed, for attending, helping set up, the delicious snacks, and being the most gracious of hosts!
Keep up the great work, WakeMed! Chad and Jay are valuable resources in Raleigh. Patients benefit from these skilled, caring clinicians.
Crafta-2b Course
Date: March 21-23, 2026
Location: Bethesda, MD
• specific clinical patterns of Functional Temporomandibular Instability (FTMI)
• the anatomy and physiology of functional dysphonia
• different causes of toothache
• neuromusculoskeletal tests and rehabilitation strategies for these conditions.
Dimensional Physical Therapy
Date: February 21-22, 2026
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ
TMJ Course at the Chicago Marriott Schaumburg
Date: February 7-8, 2026
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Allied Physical Therapy
Date: January 17-18, 2026
Location: Cape Coral, FL
How lucky was I last weekend to be in Cape Coral, Florida, and escape the cold, even if just for a few days!!
Once again, I had a wonderful opportunity to kick off 2026 and teach my TMD course in Cape Coral, FL, the weekend of January 17-18, 2026, at Allied Physical Therapy and Wellness Community and the awesome owner, Matthew Harkness, DPT, MTC, CFC.
Matt is also a fellow Certified Manual Therapist and one of the few Certified Craniofacial Therapists in the USA, both of us alumni of the wonderful University of St. Augustine and trained by the legend Dr. Mariano Rocabado! Matt’s clinic is just great, his staff is fantastic, and Matt was able to help assist during lab for this course and offer some insight on his successes in marketing and business development as it relates to growing a TMD niche.
Thank you all for coming! This has become an annual event, and we look forward to continuing this introductory course along with eventually hosting my advanced TMD course there. Thanks to all who attended, was a fantastic group of Health Care Providers!
Central Mass Physical Therapy and Wellness in
Date: October 18-19, 2025
Location: West Boylston, MA
I had the pleasure of teaching my Level 1 TMJ Course at Central Mass Physical Therapy and Wellness in West Boylston, MA just outside of Boston.
Thank you to Michael Roberts MPT CSCS, Founder and Owner and Kaitie Naughton DPT for inviting me and hosting the course! His team of clinicians were fantastic and very talented! As always, it was a great group of clinicians, and they were a lot of fun! It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Chiropractors and several Dentists, who all share a strong interest and passion for treating Temporomandibular Disorders, Headaches, and Orofacial Pain.
Thank you very much to Freedom’s Michael Verplancke and Kaitie Naughton from Central Mass PT and Wellness for assisting me in the lab. They were amazing at helping and providing their wisdom and skill and sharing that with the participants.
Keep up the great work Central Mass PT and Wellness! They have a very talented crew, and the surrounding Boston areas are lucky to have access to these highly skilled and caring clinicians.
2a CRAFTA (Cranio Facial Therapy Academy)
Date: November 14-15, 2025
Location: Bethesda, MD
Freedom’s own Michael Verplancke, DPT, CMTPT, CFC, and I had the pleasure of attending Part 2a in the Installment of the Crafta (Cranio Facial Therapy Academy) program from Germany. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Harry von Piekartz and his educational team, Marisa Hoffmann and Michiel Trouw, Michael and I are working towards another certification focused on the Evaluation and Management of Temporomandibular Disorders, Orofacial Pain, and Craniofacial Pain. Marisa was our instructor the weekend of November 14, 15 and 16, 2025, in Bethesda, MD through Myopain Seminars. Marisa did a FANTASTIC job!
The CRAFTA-2a course includes an update on TMD and craniofacial pain, based on the most recent research evidence and its application in the clinical setting. During the lectures, a more detailed assessment of TMD was explored, including cranio-facial motor control testing and advanced principles of neuromuscular differential diagnosis. The physiology and dynamics of chewing were introduced, followed by the assessment and rehabilitation for clinical practice.
Clinical patterns for problems such as tinnitus and (pseudo)sinusitis were discussed, and the proposed neuromusculoskeletal treatments were reviewed and practiced. The course included actual case studies with craniofacial dysfunctions, with attention to the clinical reasoning process, including the different hypothesis categories.
The Crafta program also provides an extensive and vast educational component on understanding all the NeuroCranial System, the cranial nerves, their pathways, proposed entrapments and dysfunctions, and potential manual treatment interventions.
Mike and I had a great time, learned a ton, and felt privileged and honored to be surrounded by so much talent and passion in one room, working to improve patient care for those suffering from Orofacial Pain!
We look forward to Crafta Part 2b in March of 2026!
Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders
and Craniofacial Pain Level I
Date: November 8-9, 2025
Location: Sugarland, TX
Advanced Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders and Craniofacial Pain (TMD), LEVEL 2
Date: October 4-5, 2025
Location: Woodstock, GA
October 4th and 5th, 2025, I once again had the pleasure of teaching at Fyzical Therapy & Balance Center in Woodstock, GA, my Level 2, Advanced TMD Course. I wanted to thank Ashley Currie, Brian, and Burt Stevens for inviting me and hosting the course! As always, it was a great group of clinicians who were ready to take things to the next level with regard to TMD. We had a wonderful opportunity to collaborate together, ask critical, thought-provoking questions, taken our manual skills to a new level, all in an effort to provide great conservative care for our TMD patients. I was also excited to be at a clinic that has and uses a Class IV laser for many of the things we treat in physical therapy, like Temporomandibular Disorders, Headaches, Orofacial Pain, and Neck Pain. The results can be fantastic when combined with great skilled manual therapy, specific exercises, and self-help techniques. I just love the whole area around Woodstock and Alpharetta, highly recommend visiting if you have a chance. Ashley, Burt, and Brian truly offer their surrounding communities outstanding care and a high level of service!
Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders and Craniofacial Pain (TMD) Level I
Date: September 20-21, 2025
Location: Oakville, ON, Canada
I had the pleasure of teaching my Level 1 TMJ Course at BeActive Physio in Oakville, ON, Canada, for a second time this year!. Thank you to Milay Patel and Sanket Shah (Owners) for inviting me and hosting the course! BeActive Physio’s team of clinicians is amazing. It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by other amazing Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, Massage Therapists, and Dentists, all who have a strong interest and passion for treating Temporomandibular Disorders, Headaches, Orofacial Pain, and Cervical Spine Pain.
We once again had such a strong request for the course, and I look forward to being back sometime in the Fall of 2026 to teach Level 2 at BeActive Physio!
Keep up the great work, BeActive Physio! They have a very talented crew, great leadership, and skill mentorship through Milay and Sanket! Oakville, ON, is lucky to have access to these highly skilled and caring clinicians. Also, congratulations on your new location in Mississauga, ON.
Thank you, Milay, and Sanket, for being such gracious hosts! I am very fortunate.
Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders and Craniofacial Pain (TMD) Level II
Date: June 14-15, 2025
Location: Fox Point, WI
The weekend of June 14 and 15, 2025 at Freedom Physical Therapy Services in Fox Point, WI, I had the opportunity to teach my Level 2 Advanced Temporomandibular Disorders Course.
It was so awesome to see familiar faces who attended Part 1 in the past and to learn about their journey applying the skills from Part 1 and growing this amazing niche! As always, it was a great group of clinicians, and they were a lot of FUN! It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by Health Care Providers who share a strong interest and passion for treating Temporomandibular Disorders, Headaches, and Orofacial Pain.
It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by Health Care Providers who share a strong interest and passion for treating Temporomandibular Disorders, Headaches, and Orofacial Pain.
During the Level 2 course, we had a chance to do some review of techniques from Part 1, and then build on them with advanced TMJ mobilization techniques, Advanced Ear related symptom techniques, Sinus mobilization techniques, coverage now of the supra and infrahyoid muscles, and much more. It was also a chance for the clinicians present to learn how to use the throat scope to assist in assessing potential airway and sleep disorder breathing issues, along with screening for any potential intra-oral pathology or potential cancer.
Thanks again to all the participants for their continued support and thanks to Freedom Physical Therapy Services for hosting!
Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders and Craniofacial Pain (TMD) Level I
Date: May 17-18, 2025
Location: Fort Worth, TX
I had the pleasure of teaching my Level 1 TMJ Course at ClearCut Ortho Rehab and Diagnostics in Fort Worth, TX.
Thank you to Ken Wheeler (Owner) Fellowship Trained Manual Therapist, Board Certified in Orthopedic Rehab, Board Certified in Neurological Rehab, and Diploma in Osteopractic, and his clinic Clearcut Ortho Rehab and Diagnostics for inviting me and hosting the course! ClearCut’s team of clinicians was fantastic and very talented. It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by other amazing Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, and Massage Therapists all of who have a strong interest in and passion for treating Temporomandibular Disorders, Headaches, Orofacial Pain, and Cervical Spine Pain.
Keep up the great work ClearCut Ortho! They have a talented crew, great leadership, and skill mentorship through Ken! Fort Worth, TX is lucky to have access to these highly skilled and caring clinicians.
49th Scientific and Clinical Meeting of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain
Date: May 1-5, 2025
Location: Arlington, VA
The weekend of May 1 to May 5, 2025, earmarked the 49th Scientific and Clinical Meeting of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain in Arlington, VA.
The title of the meeting was “Current Insights, Bridging Gaps and Exploring Opportunities”. We started the event with a one-day preconference for PTs, Dentists, and others on “Manual Therapy for Myofascial Pain” by Rob Stanborough. I had the opportunity to be the moderator following these 2 lectures Sleep Challenges: The Neuroatypical Child and One Approach to Fixing Sleep by Michael Strunc and “What is the Current Evidence for Dry Needling in Orofacial Practice?” and then a follow-up Lunch and Learn, “Dry Needling Demonstration” By Jan Dommerholt.
There were many other amazing topics and expert presenters including “An Update on Bruxism: From the Definition to Management” by Daniele Manfredini and a great way to tie together a 5-day Event this great collaborative Workshop: “Interdisciplinary Care: How to Improve Dentist/Physical Therapist Collaboration” by Leslie Hovda, Erienne Blanchard, Vanessa Benavent.
Shaun O’Connor and I also had the pleasure of welcoming a wonderful Australian PT, Andrew Clarkson, to his first meeting! Thanks so much to all who contributed. This is an event I look forward to every year and highly recommend any clinician treating or interested in treating patients suffering from Temporomandibular problems, Orofacial Pain, Headaches, Migraines, etc!
Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders and Craniofacial Pain (TMD) Level I
Date: April 12-13, 2025
Location: Bloomington, MN
I had the pleasure of teaching my Level 1 TMJ Course at Tria Physical Therapy in Bloomington, MN. Thank you to Patricia Oys PT, DPT, CEEAA, NCPT; Anthony Von Ruden PT, DPT, OCS; Alecia Klatt PT, DPT; and Megan Reams MA, OTR/L for inviting me and hosting the course!
Tria’s team of clinicians is fantastic and very talented.
It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Massage Therapists, and Dentists, all of who have a strong interest and passion for treating Temporomandibular Disorders, Headaches, Orofacial Pain and Cervical Spine Pain. Thank you very much to Freedom’s own Jeff Verhagen for assisting me in the lab. He is always amazing at assisting and providing his wisdom and skill and sharing that with the participants.
Keep up the great work TRIA! They have a very talented crew, and Bloomington, MN is lucky to have access to these highly skilled and caring clinicians.
Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders and Craniofacial Pain (TMD) Level I
Date: March 1-2, 2025
Location: Lombard, IL
I had the pleasure of teaching my Level 1 TMJ Course at Doctors of Physical Therapy in Lombard, IL. Thank you to Denise Schneider DPT, FAAOMPT, COMT, ATC, and Carl Wharam PT, DPT, for inviting me and hosting the course! DPT’s team of clinicians was fantastic and very talented. It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, Speech Therapists, and Massage Therapists. We are SUPER excited to have had our first ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) Doctor attend, all of who have a strong interest and passion for treating Temporomandibular Disorders, Headaches, and Orofacial Pain.
Thank you very much to Freedom’s own Michael Verplancke for assisting me in the lab. He is always amazing at assisting and providing his own wisdom and skill and sharing that with the participants.
Keep up the great work Doctors of Physical Therapy Lombard! They have a very talented crew, and Lombard, IL is lucky to have access to these highly skilled and caring clinicians.
Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders and Craniofacial Pain (TMD) Level I
Date: February 15-16, 2025
Location: Brookfield, WI
I had the pleasure of teaching my Level 1 TMJ Course at Breathe in Motion right here in Brookfield, WI! Thank you to Molly Shea DPT, RYT, PCES, Founder and Owner, for inviting me and hosting the course! Her team of clinicians was fantastic and very talented! As always, it was a great group of clinicians, and they were a lot of fun! It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, Occupational Therapists, and a nurse practitioner, who all share a strong interest and passion for treating Temporomandibular Disorders, Headaches, and Orofacial Pain.
Thank you very much to Freedom’s Michael Verplancke and Jeff Verhagen for assisting me in the lab. They are always amazing at helping and providing their wisdom and skill and sharing that with the participants.
Keep up the great work Breathe in Motion! Good luck with the opening of your 2nd clinic in Mequon, WI! They have a very talented crew, and we are lucky to have access to these highly skilled and caring clinicians around the greater Milwaukee, WI area.
Evaluation and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders and Craniofacial Pain (TMD) Level I
Date: February 7-8, 2025
Location: Davenport, IA
I had the pleasure of starting the new year 2025 by teaching my Level 1 TMJ Course at MercyOne Genesis. Thank you to Scott Dickman for inviting me and hosting the course! As always, it was a great group of clinicians, and they were a lot of fun! It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, Speech Therapists, and Massage Therapists who share a strong interest and passion for treating Temporomandibular Disorders, Headaches, and Orofacial Pain.
Thank you very much to Freedom’s own Michael Verplancke for assisting me in the lab, also Scott Dickman, and David Scott, both from MercyOne Genesis for helping as well.
Keep up the great work at MercyOne Genesis PT Department in Davenport, IA!! They have a very talented crew, and Davenport and the surrounding areas are lucky to have access to these highly skilled and caring clinicians.
