James Waslaski

Bio

James Waslaski integrates over 30 plus years of expertise in manual therapy to teach over 45 live seminars per year all over the world. He is a published author, and renowned international lecturer, teaching Chiropractors, Athletic Trainers, Osteopaths, Physical Therapists, Physiotherapists, Physicians, Certified Personal Trainers and Massage Therapists how to integrate their techniques to increase client outcomes. He is also a Certified Personal Trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. James is an approved NCBTMB Provider.

His textbook, Clinical Massage Therapy: A Structural Approach to Pain Management, was published by Pearson Publishing in 2011. He presents at state, national and international Chiropractic, Osteopathic, Athletic Training and Massage Therapy Conferences on an annual basis. James received the FSMTA International Achievement Award in 1997. He was inducted into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame in 2008.

He was also nominated and awarded by his peers Teacher of Year at both the Canadian Massage Conference in 2012 and at the World Massage Festival in 2015. Detailed information can be found on his website: www.orthomassage.net

Topic

Manual Therapy to Eliminate Multiple Nerve Compression Patterns of the Lower Body

Description

State of the art anatomy and nerve graphics will allow manual therapists to look inside the human body. The Weber-Barstow Manoeuvre, and Supine to Sits Test will evaluate for functional versus anatomical leg length discrepancies. Pelvic stabilisation will use positional release, muscle energy techniques, and muscle balancing protocols to address sacral torsion patterns, iliosacral upslips, joint capsular patterns, femoral nerve compression, and normal muscle firing patterns. Therapists will level the sacral base, and release the Sacrotuberous ligament for sciatic nerve pain. The Straight Leg Test and Braggard’s Test will identify L5/ SI bulges or herniated discs. The Slump Test will identify hamstring strains or adductor strains that scar down the Sciatic Nerve. Tibial Torsions and Fixated Fibular Head Conditions will be corrected, by releasing the biceps femoris muscle, to address the Tibial and Fibular Nerve Entrapments. Manual therapists will also evaluate and release Tarsal Tunnel and Morton’s Neuroma. Home care retraining will include nerve glides and nerve tensioning protocols.

Ruth Werner

Bio

Ruth Werner is an educator, writer, and retired massage therapist with a passionate interest in massage therapy research and the role of bodywork for people who live with health challenges. Her groundbreaking textbook, A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology was first published in 1998, and is now in its 7th edition, published by Books of Discovery.

Ruth is a columnist for Massage and Bodywork magazine and Massage New Zealand. She serves on several national and international volunteer committees, and teaches continuing education workshops in research and pathology all over the world. Ruth was honored with the AMTA Council of Schools Teacher of the Year Award for 2005. She was proud to serve the Massage Therapy Foundation as a Trustee from 2007 to 2017, and as President of the Foundation from 2010-2014.

Topic

Chronic Pain and Massage

Description

Chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and others can be challenging to treat, and even more challenging to live with, especially when they involve central sensitization. Understanding the mechanisms behind the pain experience can help massage therapists find a way to improve the quality of life for clients who struggle with these challenging, and often invisible conditions.

Join Ruth Werner, author of A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology, for a lively discussion of the issue of chronic pain, and the massage therapist’s role in turning down the volume.

Whitney Lowe

Bio

Whitney Lowe is a recognized authority on pain and injury treatment with massage therapy. His contributions to the massage field are wide-ranging and include professional publications, teaching, clinical work, consulting, and participation in national boards and committees. He is the author of the books, Orthopedic Assessment in Massage Therapy, and Orthopedic Massage: Theory and Technique, which are used in training programs and schools nationally and internationally. He has also been a contributing author to several other books. He is currently a member of the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies and has been a regular featured author in publications such as Massage & Bodywork, Massage Magazine, and Massage Today.

Topic

What's true and why does it matter?

Description

Current research findings have prompted major paradigm shifts in the massage therapy world. These paradigm shifts bring up critical questions for practitioners such as:

• How current pain science models may change our treatment approaches?
• What is the role of fascia and can we affect it with manual therapy?
• What is happening physiologically with our treatment techniques

In this presentation Whitney will explore many of the current topics that massage therapists grapple with when trying to understand how best to incorporate new research findings into clinical practice to best help their clients.

Robert Libby

Bio

Robert has been a Canadian Trained Registered Massage Therapist since 1994 (26yrs). Robert has a passion for advancing manual therapy education by blending research and pain science with manual therapy techniques. He is an international author, keynote speaker and trainer.

He instructs Ligamentous Articular Strain Techniques internationally and Online, has been published in the Journal of Prolotherapy and has written many articles for massage therapy associations globally. He is the creator of the Ligament Pain Referral Pattern Posters and the accompanying international best-selling book Ligament Pain Referral Patterns.

Topic

Ligamentous Injuries: What You Need to Know To Help Your Patients

Description

Ligamentous injuries present to your office on a daily basis. Although you may easily recognize them in your typical sprained ankle cases, you may not be aware of just how much more common they occur and how long it takes to manage/recuperate from them.

This course is designed to enhance your competence and confidence in understanding and treating injuries to the ligamentous joint tissues system. Having a better understanding of their role will help the clinician understand how to treat and rehab their patients more effectively.

In this video, we will review the research documenting how ligamentous injuries happen, how they heal and how they contribute to pain, dysfunction and a decreased quality of life of our patients.

John Gibbons

Bio

‘Bodymaster’ John Gibbons is a world-renowned osteopath, author and lecturer for the Bodymaster Method®. He specializes in the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries and has worked with top-flight athletes from Premiership footballers and rugby players to the Oxford University Boat Crew and Olympians. He delivers sell-out courses throughout the UK and internationally to physical therapists wishing to study his acclaimed Bodymaster Method® and to date has written seven books, all of which regularly feature on Amazon’s bestseller lists: A Practical Guide to Kinesiology Taping & 2nd Edition; Muscle Energy Techniques: A Practical Guide for Physical Therapists; The Vital Glutes: Connecting the Gait Cycle to Pain and Dysfunction; Functional Anatomy of the Pelvis and the Sacroiliac Joint; The Vital Shoulder Complex: An Illustrated Guide to Assessment, Treatment, and Rehabilitation; The Vital Nerves: A Practical Guide for Physical Therapists.

Topic

Anatomy & Pathology of the Shoulder Complex

Description

John Gibbons will discuss the functional anatomy of the shoulder complex, which includes common conditions and he will also discuss some visceral pathologies that can present itself with a referral pattern to the region of the shoulder.