Innovative Techniques in Physical Therapy Education

When I was a Physical Therapy Supervisor at Spaulding Outpatient Facility, we placed internships for several Physical Therapy students from the local University programs in the Boston area. As of 2022, when I left my position, I had direct hands-on experience with what they were being taught and what was marketed as "best practice" in the Universities. Before holding that role, I wouldn't have known the content of the current education in the field, as I graduated a long time ago, in 1996.

When we assigned the students with a Clinical Instructor (CI), it was the philosophy of our department that those students could choose other PTs to follow and learn from after the main work and learning objectives were met from their primary "teachers." We had specialty therapists in Vestibular Therapy, cycling, dance medicine, regenerative injections, pelvic floor therapy, and yoga, as well as certified physical therapists, so taking full advantage of the many practitioners in our clinic was encouraged.

During the eight years I was there, I was recognized as an expert in myofascial release, cranial sacral, visceral, GYROTONIC, and somato-emotional release techniques. Many students took me up on coming to my table treatment sessions to learn from my approach.

These students, who were paying a hefty price tag for their education, were unaware that the content had not changed much since my time at Northeastern University more than two decades earlier. My specialty was gained at the postgraduate level through a certification in Integrative Manual Therapy continuing education courses. This work is the majority of my focus for addressing physical ailments to my clients today. My caseload consists of people who did not improve with standard treatment or those who demand biomechanical excellence (high-level athletics or biohacking). I was disappointed that these techniques were not yet taught in PT school. I reached out to my Alma mater to offer myself to the professor of the manual therapy course via the program director (I offered to do it for free) to teach for a day. Still, they did not reach out due to the red tape and hyper egos that pervade academic types. They are comfortable charging a high price tag for non-innovation. I don't pretend to feel shocked.

The three most common techniques that I chose to show the (thrilled) PT students that were not included in the physical therapy education they received in formal University courses at our center were:

1. Strain Counterstrain (Larry Jones)

2. Three Planar Myofascial Release (Sharon Weiselfisch Giamatteo)

3. Type One, Two, and Three Biomechanic Release of the Ankle and Hip Joints

   
   
   
   

Strain counterstrain is a technique developed by Larry Jones that utilizes the "stretch reflex" in muscles to allow a reset of that tissue tension to ease after injury or after a long-standing postural deviation made semi-permanent.

I show the three muscles everyone can perform and feel on a typical client: the hamstrings, adductor (groin pull), and gastroc soleus (calf muscle). This exercise, done bilaterally, takes about 15 minutes.

My " student " usually does these on the lower body as I was on the chest, head, or neck. I always used these techniques on the students first so they could feel how changing the neurologic feedback reflex had profound effects on gait and the ease of strain post-treatment on themselves, even from a relatively asymptomatic state.

Most of us have resting clenching in our legs and pelvic floor, but it has been there so long we don't notice much, and there is no dentist telling us our pelvis is showing signs of "clenching or grinding." No pelvic "night guard" equivalent. I am here to tell you that "you are wearing down your teeth enamel in your pelvic floor". In other words, try to relax your butt! This means that, among other things, you need to address your nervous system.

When I demonstrate three-planar myofascial release to students, I usually have them try it on a forearm or shin hold. Again, I have found that no one feels the unwinding of a burden when I release these areas. In the periphery, the areas farthest from the spinal cord and heart receive limited resources because they are so far away from our center.

Any upgrade to the circulatory or peripheral nervous system reduces the system's drag. (For example, when I was training to swim, we would wear shirts, so when we were in our racing suits, we felt we were flying—less drag.) This is Amazing.

Type one, two, and three joint mechanics are about movement law. Put any student, regardless of other classes, on the ankle once I show the subtleties of assessment and tissue barrier feedback on them, and they are good to go and stop doing the barbaric rudimentary level "joint mobilizations" learned in school, like going to Introduction to Sociology—a total waste of time. Don't go to intro classes. (By the way, on that note, that is NOT what mine are!)

Just like you cannot force someone to love you, you cannot and should not try to push the body. It will point and laugh at you. There is a better way! Practitioners, ground your body, be present in your mind, and use your hands to preserve them and offer precise, consensual, long-lasting releases from what has been. Sliding the talus to neutral (almost everyone, from stiff runners to premier ballet dancers to couch potatoes, has some level of anterior shearing of the talus, rendering real ankle mobility impossible, so degeneration and "welded ankle phenomenon").

I do not treat low back pain without addressing the ankles. Skiers, you know what I am talking about!! How do you like going down the stairs in your ski boots? If your ankle is "off," that equates to what is going on in your hip, knee, and lower back. It's like magic.

If you don't have osteopathic training, my favorite ankle release is in my lower extremity course. Why is my course $75? Why is it so cheap? Because I can. I want accessibility for all! We have spent enough time and were stressed enough at the university. Have fun learning without stress. I teach these courses and more locally, but if you are not in the Boston area, I recorded the material for you to learn from anywhere. Enjoy!!

Addendum...

I found that participants in my modules above wanted more help with learning the work...

So...

Over the last. For the past year, I have been testing and launching The Parent Bodywork Project. It was born from my passion as a mom to help other moms. It aligns with the model I stated above, which suggests that everyone should have access to powerful healing modality information to help their own families heal at home.

The model for The Parent Bodywork project is a membership model with foundational content progression supported by biweekly coaching calls, during which participants can ask questions and I can help you put techniques into practice, using clinical reasoning to address conditions specific to your families.

See this link for more information on The Parent Bodywork Project:

The power to support your child's body is already in your hands.

Awaken your inner fascial wizard.