Managing Cervicothoracic Conditions in Clinical Practice: Excelling at the Basics of Manual Physical Therapy

Course Description:
This person-centered continuing education course aims to empower healthcare professionals with the foundational skills and knowledge needed to effectively manage conditions in the cervicothoracic region with manual therapy.  This course will equip you with comprehensive assessment techniques to safely perform evidence-based manual therapy interventions at the cervicothoracic region while enhancing clinical reasoning.  You will strengthen your clinical competencies through interactive learning and case-based discussions, fostering a patient-centered approach for optimal outcomes in managing cervicothoracic conditions.  Demonstrating and practicing manual therapy interventions and investigating the mechanisms behind those interventions is  crucial part of the course.  Understanding the mechanisms behind clinical interventions will allow you to identify which patient presentations are best suited for manual therapy as well as educate patients on its risks and benefits.  This course will include discussions on clinical decision-making of cervicothoracic patient presentations through case examples, performance of medical screening assessments and manual therapy interventions, and refining your clinical decision-making regarding evidence-informed intervention strategies that put the emphasis on your patient's unique needs and goals.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
1. Demonstrate proficiency in a comprehensive cervicothoracic screening to perform and apply manual therapy interventions safely.
     a. At the end of this course, participants can conduct thorough and systematic assessments to apply manual therapy interventions tot he cervicothoracic region safely.
2. Perform evidence-based manual therapy interventions.
    a. At the end of this course, participants can select and perform evidence-based manual therapy interventions and education to meet the individual needs and goals of a patient with cervicothoracic presentations.
3. Enhance clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills to safely and appropriately integrate manual therapy interventions.
     a. At the end of this course, participants will develop advanced clinical reasoning abilities, to identify who is more likely to respond to manual therapy interventions, what manual therapy intervention is most appropriate, and why that manual therapy intervention is likely to help the patient.

Course Schedule:
Day 1 (4 hours)
  4:00 p.m. - Introductions & Setting the Course Expectations
  4:30 p.m. - Neck Pain:  Current Outcomes & Management
  5:15 p.m. - Case Presentation
  5:45 p.m. - Screening to Perform Manual Therapy in Cervical Spine
                     * Importance
                     * When to screen
                     * What to screen
                     * How to screen
  6:30 p.m. - Lab Activities:  Screening to Perform Manual Therapy in Cervical       Spine
  7:15 p.m. - Lab Activities:  Introduction to Manual Therapy in the Cervical Spine
  7:45 p.m. - Review Case Presentation I
  8:00 p.m. - End of Day 1
Day 2 (8 hours)
  8:00 a.m. - Review of Day 1 Material
  8:15 a.m. - Lab Activities:  Review Screening and Manual  Therapy for the             Cervical Spine
  8:45 a.m. - Mechanisms of Manual Therapy
  9:30 a.m. - Application into Clinical Practice
10:15 a.m. - Lab Activities:  Manual Therapy in the Cervicothoracic Region
12:00 p.m. - LUNCH (on your own)
  1:00 p.m. - Application into Clinical Practice (review)
  1:45 p.m. - Lab Activities:  Manual Therapy in the Cervicothoracic Region (cont.)
  3:00 p.m. - Application into Clinical Practice
  4:00 p.m. - Review Screening Techniques and Manual Therapy Interventions
  4:30 p.m. - Review, Questions, & Debrief
  5:00 p.m. - End of Day 2

Speakers:
Casey Hansen
Dr. Casey Hansen graduated from the University of North Dakota in 2010 with his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT).  Casey worked in rural health for 6 years with a focus on general orthopedics and chronic pain in the neck and back.  Since then, Casey has worked in a private practice outpatient clinic in Fargo, ND, where he is  the managing partner of two clinical locations, one focusing on chronic pain.  Specializing in persistent pain conditions as well as neck and back pain, Casey is certified through Evidence in Motion (formerly ISPI) as a therapeutic pain specialist and has additional certification in spinal manual therapy.  Through Big Stone Therapies, Casey has taught continuing education courses in treating nociplastic pain as well as pain education and provided lectures through APTA North Dakota on similar topics.  Casey has been an adjunct professor at the University of Jamestown since 2021 teaching musculoskeletal courses in the Spring and Fall.  Casey is married to Lacie Hansen and they have two children:  Locke (age 7) and Ophelia (age 4).  Case enjoys reading, spending time playing board games with his family, and fitting in some time at the gym when he can.
JJ Ferguson
JJ Ferguson is an associate professor at Bellin College in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.  He is from Drayton, ND, and graduated from the University of North Dakota's (UND) Physical Therapy Program.  He was UND[s first physical therapy sports resident.  His clinical expertise and training are orthopedics, manual therapy, and sports.  He has achieved board certification in sports and orthopedics and is recognized as a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Therapy Physical Therapists.  He completed his Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy through Bellin College.  He has an interest in phenomenological analysis of musculoskeletal conditions and client experiences in healthcare.  He has an interest in physical therapist burnout and has published on how they perceive and manage job stressors.  Dr. Ferguson has presented at several national conferences including APTA's Combined Sections Meeting and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy.  He currently resides in De Pere, WI, with his wife Brooke and 2-year-old son, Cam.