Therapeutic Massage

Question: Can massage therapy really reduce pain and perceived fatigue in the quadriceps of athletes after a long-distance triathlon race (Ironman)?

What we already know: Pain and fatigue are common after intense exercise; and massage is beneficial in this situation., However, the evidence for its benefits comes from studies of controlled periods of intense exercise designed to cause rapid onset of fatigue. What about after a long period of grueling exercise?

This study examines the effects of a short period of massage on people who had just competed in a 226-km Ironman event.

The health care profession-patient relationship is the cornerstone of medical practice and therefore of medical ethics. 

This on-line course will discuss:

• Respect and equal treatment

• Ending a patient-HP relationship

• HIV/AIDS

• Sexual attraction

• Treating family members

• Communication & consent, case study #1 included

• Obstacles for good communication plus case study #2   

• Abusing medical resources including case study #3

• Futile treatment

After working through this course, you should be able to:

• explain how medical decisions should be made for patients who are incapable of making their own decisions;

• explain the justification for patient confidentiality and recognise legitimate exceptions;

• recognise the principle ethical issues surrounding the beginning and end of life;

• summarise the arguments for and against the practice of euthanasia/assisted suicide; and the difference between these actions and palliative care or foregoing treatment.

After working through this on-line course you should be able to:

• describe how health care professionals should behave toward one another

• justify reporting colleagues unethical behaviour 

• identify the main ethical principles relating to cooperation with others in the care of patients

• resolve conflicts with other health care providers

How can you, as a health care professional balance the needs of the sports team or organization that is paying your bills, the athlete’s (your patient’s) desire to perform while in pain and with injury; and the economic consequences of playing/not playing  for both the athlete and the team/organization? 

This comprehensive course examines some of the difficult legal and ethical issues, the potential consequences surrounding the decisions  sports medicine practitioners have to make in this age of professional sport.  

• confidentiality aspects of disclosure such as injury, use of drugs, alcohol or psychological issues that may impact player’s performance;
• the ethical implications of performance enhancing drugs; and
• playing or competing with an infectious disease.

One of the most rewarding experiences in physiotherapy is to transform a patient’s agonising pain into a feeling of comfort, relaxation and hope.

Myofascial pain syndrome is a difficult and frustrating condition. These courses provide insight into all aspects of the condition including some of the latest thinking and research.

They also offer important diagnostic tools and excellent, proven treatment options. For maximum benefit take all six courses offered.

One of the most rewarding experiences in physiotherapy is to transform a patient’s agonising pain into a feeling of comfort, relaxation and hope. 

Myofascial pain syndrome is a difficult and frustrating condition. These courses provide insight into all aspects of the condition including some of the latest thinking and research. 

They also offer important diagnostic tools and excellent, proven treatment options. For maximum benefit take all six courses offered.

One of the most rewarding experiences in physiotherapy is to transform a patient’s agonising pain into a feeling of comfort, relaxation and hope.

Myofascial pain syndrome is a difficult and frustrating condition. These courses provide insight into all aspects of the condition including some of the latest thinking and research.

They also offer important diagnostic tools and excellent, proven treatment options. For maximum benefit take all six courses offered.

One of the most rewarding experiences in physiotherapy is to transform a patient’s agonising pain into a feeling of comfort, relaxation and hope.

Myofascial pain syndrome is a difficult and frustrating condition. These courses provide insight into all aspects of the condition including some of the latest thinking and research.

They also offer important diagnostic tools and excellent, proven treatment options. For maximum benefit take all six courses offered.

One of the most rewarding experiences in physiotherapy is to transform a patient’s agonising pain into a feeling of comfort, relaxation and hope.

Myofascial pain syndrome is a difficult and frustrating condition. These courses provide insight into all aspects of the condition including some of the latest thinking and research.

They also offer important diagnostic tools and excellent, proven treatment options. For maximum benefit take all six courses offered.

One of the most rewarding experiences in physiotherapy is to transform a patient’s agonising pain into a feeling of comfort, relaxation and hope.

Myofascial pain syndrome is a difficult and frustrating condition. These courses provide insight into all aspects of the condition including some of the latest thinking and research.

They also offer important diagnostic tools and excellent, proven treatment options. For maximum benefit take all six courses offered.

METs – a class of soft tissue osteopathic manual techniques that incorporate precisely directed and controlled, patient initiated, isometrical or isotonic contractions – encompass, proven, valuable modalities that every manual clinician should have in his or his or her toolbox. 

MET is effective for both acute patients or those with chronic conditions and actively involves empowering patients to take charge of their own recovery (osteopenia) and loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) that occur with age are also discussed in depth.

Research relating to the most effective application, mechanism of action and clinical relevance is discussed in three parts, each providing greater insight into the techniques and their application in different circumstances.

Research relating to the most effective application, mechanism of action and clinical relevance is discussed in three parts, each providing greater insight into the techniques and their application in different circumstances

Research relating to the most effective application, mechanism of action and clinical relevance is discussed in three parts, each providing greater insight into the techniques and their application in different circumstances

This on-line course provides the practitioner with invaluable insight into how MET can be used across a range of conditions. These include myofascial pain and fibromyalgia.

It also describes what happens in the muscles during MET techniques, and explains how MET can be used to treat joint pathologies and post-treatment discomfort. And there’s more… you’ll learn more about the evaluation of muscle shortness, and use of MET and stretching.

This illustrated on-line course covers the assessment, interpretation and treatment of the following short/tight muscles:

• gastrocnemius and soleus
• medial hamstrings
• adductors (pectineus, adductors brevis, magnus and longus) short and long adductors

This illustrated on-line course covers the assessment, interpretation and treatment of the following short/tight muscles:

• rectus femoris and iliopsoas

This illustrated on-line course covers the assessment, interpretation and treatment of the following short/tight muscles:

• Hamstrings:

• Lower and upper hamstrings

• Tensor fascial lata

This illustrated on-line course covers the assessment, interpretation and treatment of the following short/tight muscles:

• Piriformis

• Quadrates lumborum

This illustrated on-line course covers the assessment, interpretation and treatment of the following spinal muscles:

• Paravertebral muscles

• Erector spinae muscle

• Thoraco lumbar facia and muscles

• Erector spinae muscles of the neck

• Deep neck flexors

This illustrated on-line course covers the assessment, interpretation and treatment of the following tight upper quarter muscles:

Part 1:

• Pectoralis major

• Latissimus dorsi

• Upper trapezius

• Scalenes

• Sternocleidomastoid

This illustrated on-line course covers the assessment, interpretation and treatment of the following tight upper quarter muscles:

Part 2:

• Levator scapulae

• Infraspinatus

• Subscapularis

• Supraspinatus

• Flexors of the arm

• Flexors of the forearm

• Biceps brachii

We all know that as the most mobile region of the vertebral column the cervical spine is vulnerable to trauma, as well as to problems of apparently spontaneous onset. Determining the source of the problem is essential before selecting a treatment regime.

Part 1 and 2 of this correspondence course provides a comprehensive guide to the examination of the cervical spine and clinically associated anatomical regions.

The physical examination section is reinforced with 10 photographs that will assist you with the performance of the examination and treatment techniques.

We all know that as the most mobile region of the vertebral column the cervical spine is vulnerable to trauma, as well as to problems of apparently spontaneous onset. Determining the source of the problem is essential before selecting a treatment regime. 

Part 1 and 2 of this correspondence course provides a comprehensive guide to the examination of the cervical spine and clinically associated anatomical regions. 

The physical examination section is reinforced with 10 photographs that will assist you with the performance of the examination and treatment techniques.

How do you isolate the syndromes or conditions that could result in diagnoses like Zygapophyseal Joint Arthralgia, Zygapophyseal joint – acute locking, recurrent locking of cervical Zygapophyseal joints, discogenic pain and cervical nerve root pain? How do you select the most appropriate treatment modality?

These on-line courses discuss some essential concepts every physiotherapist needs in his/her arsenal when faced with some of the common cervical conditions for which manipulative therapy and exercises have a major role in over-all management.

How do you isolate the syndromes or conditions that could result in diagnoses like Zygapophyseal Joint Arthralgia, Zygapophyseal joint – acute locking, recurrent locking of cervical Zygapophyseal joints, discogenic pain and cervical nerve root pain? How do you select the most appropriate treatment modality? 

These on-line courses discuss some essential concepts every physiotherapist needs in his/her arsenal when faced with some of the common cervical conditions for which manipulative therapy and exercises have a major role in over-all management.

How do you isolate the syndromes or conditions that could result in diagnoses like Zygapophyseal Joint Arthralgia, Zygapophyseal joint – acute locking, recurrent locking of cervical Zygapophyseal joints, discogenic pain and cervical nerve root pain? How do you select the most appropriate treatment modality? 

These on-line courses discuss some essential concepts every physiotherapist needs in his/her arsenal when faced with some of the common cervical conditions for which manipulative therapy and exercises have a major role in over-all management.

Successful management of any thoracic syndrome is contingent upon the therapist’s ability to constantly assess and interpret the history, clinical signs and symptoms of the disorder, along with the skill of administering therapeutic techniques. 

Part 1 of this correspondence course covers the manual therapy and exercise for the treatment of common thoracic conditions such as thoracic outlet syndrome and first rib as well as T4 syndrome.  It includes a detailed case report and eight illustrations describing manual therapy techniques. Also described are the most common running-related injuries including patellofemoral pain and iliotibial band syndromes and their biomechanics and prevention. 

Part 2 of this course covers the treatment of postural stabilizing syndromes for the upper, mid and lower thorax and the thoracic nerve root syndrome.  It also includes detailed case studies, four illustrations demonstrating manual techniques and four illustrations of exercises for the treatment of the above mentioned conditions.

Successful management of any thoracic syndrome is contingent upon the therapist’s ability to constantly assess and interpret the history, clinical signs and symptoms of the disorder, along with the skill of administering therapeutic techniques. 

Part 1 of this correspondence course covers the manual therapy and exercise for the treatment of common thoracic conditions such as thoracic outlet syndrome and first rib as well as T4 syndrome.  It includes a detailed case report and eight illustrations describing manual therapy techniques. Also described are the most common running-related injuries including patellofemoral pain and iliotibial band syndromes and their biomechanics and prevention.   

Part 2 of this course covers the treatment of postural stabilizing syndromes for the upper, mid and lower thorax and the thoracic nerve root syndrome.  It also includes detailed case studies, four illustrations demonstrating manual techniques and four illustrations of exercises for the treatment of the above-mentioned conditions.

This is a comprehensive 15-page manual which includes nine figures of practical demonstration on examination and treatment techniques.

The examination of any patient suffering with symptoms of neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction consists of two main parts:  

• a questioning/interview section, including inquiry about both the symptoms present and their history; and
• a physical examination section, in which the structures implicated during the interview are examined.  

Because low back pain can involve a multitude of factors, how you examine your LBP patients is critical. 

In part 1 of this course, we look at the factors that warrant consideration for their possible presence and role in a patient’s low back disorder.We also pay attention to non-musculoskeletal pathology, mechanical factors, ageing and degeneration, structural anomalies and muscle dysfunction. 

Part 2 covers the objective examination of the lumbar spine and includes observation, interpretation and analysis of active movements, neurological testing, tension tests, manual segmental examination, muscular examination and the interpretation of the conclusion of the examination.

Because low back pain can involve a multitude of factors, how you examine your LBP patients is critical.

In part 1 of this course, we look at the factors that warrant consideration for their possible presence and role in a patient’s low back disorder.We also pay attention to non-musculoskeletal pathology, mechanical factors, ageing and degeneration, structural anomalies and muscle dysfunction.

Part 2 covers the objective examination of the lumbar spine and includes observation, interpretation and analysis of active movements, neurological testing, tension tests, manual segmental examination, muscular examination and the interpretation of the conclusion of the examination.

What role does the muscular system play in the control of activity throughout the body? What are the several causes for abnormal afferent input from the spine? What is the theory behind PNF?

Part 1 of this course provides the theoretical background to PNF. When discussing the use of PNF techniques for the treatment of patients with vertebral disorders, it is wise to consider the abnormal. Part 1 of this course will provide you with everything you need to know about PNF, including muscle physiology and function; neurophysiology and neuropathology of the neuromusculoskeletal system; and the effect of pain on muscle activity. It also provides a review of PNF techniques and their applications.

Part 2 helps you put what you have learned in part one into practice. It is fully illustrated with most of the PNF techniques for the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine as well as peripheral joints. All figures contain detailed explanations for the use of each technique. It also covers the effect pain has on muscle activity and how PNF techniques address this problem.

What role does the muscular system play in the control of activity throughout the body? What are the several causes for abnormal afferent input from the spine? What is the theory behind PNF?

Part 1 of this course provides the theoretical background to PNF. When discussing the use of PNF techniques for the treatment of patients with vertebral disorders, it is wise to consider the abnormal. Part 1 of this course will provide you with everything you need to know about PNF, including muscle physiology and function; neurophysiology and neuropathology of the neuromusculoskeletal system; and the effect of pain on muscle activity. It also provides a review of PNF techniques and their applications.

Part 2 helps you put what you have learned in part one into practice. It is fully illustrated with most of the PNF techniques for the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine as well as peripheral joints. All figures contain detailed explanations for the use of each technique. It also covers the effect pain has on muscle activity and how PNF techniques address this problem.

The principle of core stability has gained wide acceptance for the prevention of injury in training and as a treatment modality for rehabilitation of various musculoskeletal conditions, in particular of the lower back. There has been surprisingly little criticism of this approach to date.  

This article re-examines the original findings and the principles of core stability/spinal stabilisation approaches and how well they fare within the wider knowledge of motor control, prevention of injury and rehabilitation of neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems following injury.

The purpose of this course is to answer a frequently asked question ‘‘How precisely does exercise promote tissue healing?’’ 

This is a fundamental question for clinicians who prescribe exercise for tendinopathies, muscle tears, non-inflammatory arthropathies and even controlled loading after fractures. What happens at the tissue level to promote repair and remodelling of tendon, muscle, articular cartilage and bone? 

The one-word answer is ‘‘mechanotransduction’’, but rather than finishing there and limiting this course to 95 words, the authors provide a short illustrated introduction to this remarkable, non-neural, physiological process.

Static Stretch (SS) does not appear to reduce injury risk and any effect on earlier return to sport is of marginal clinical significance.  In contrast, a graduated strength training programme appears to significantly reduce injury risk and significantly reduce the time to return to sport after injury.

Therefore, the only area in which SS might seem to offer a specific advantage is in the area of increasing flexibility.  However, there remains a lack of evidence that gains are superior to those of a strength training programme. Even if strength training is eventually confirmed as being inferior to SS at increasing flexibility, the fact that strength training improves performance, pain, disability, injury and return to sport rates mean strength training must be a mainstay of athletic development and training, in contrast to SS.

Loss of range of movement (ROM) is a common outcome following injuries. The problem is that traditional stretching methods are often ineffective in improving ROM, let alone reducing pain and disability in various conditions -particularly where multi structure impairment is present.

SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Kinesiologist Aaron Mattes has developed a solution to deal with the problem.

It’s called DOS and it’s a lot more than a stretching method.

This course will show you how to use DOS and its three evidence-based pain relieving modalities. DOS will increase your patients’ tolerance to pain while stretching and so improve their ROM.

We all know that exercise is good for us. There’s scientific evidence that shows that people who exercise are generally healthier, fitter, live longer and are less likely to develop a number of disabling medical conditions. As therapists, we often use exercise to reduce patients’ acute and chronic back, neck, shoulder and knee symptoms.

But what if your patients can’t exercise, function or correct their posture effectively because pain inhibits their movement? How often do your patients just want to give up on their rehabilitation because of this? And how frustrating is it for you not to be able to use your skills as a physiotherapist to the fullest extent possible?

This article describes an innovative, practical, quick and easy approach that will give you effective tools to enable your patients to function and/or exercise without pain as well as increase your confidence to utilise exercise as part of patient management.

It’s called Exercise and Function without Pain (EFWP) and it’s making a huge impact on physical rehabilitation across South Africa.

In recent years, there have been many advances in the assessment and treatment of shoulder pain. Part one of these on-line courses reviews:

• the functional anatomy of the shoulder complex;
• the key features of the clinical history;
• how to conduct a swift and effective physical examination;
• investigations;
• treatment of important shoulder conditions; and
• the prescription for practical shoulder rehabilitation.

Part 2 focuses on mechanism of injury, assessment and rehabilitation of the rotator cuff.

In recent years, there have been many advances in the assessment and treatment of shoulder pain. Part one of these on-line courses reviews:

• the functional anatomy of the shoulder complex;
• the key features of the clinical history;
• how to conduct a swift and effective physical examination;
• investigations;
• treatment of important shoulder conditions; and
• the prescription for practical shoulder rehabilitation.

Part 2 focuses on mechanism of injury, assessment and rehabilitation of the rotator cuff.

These courses are based on the physiology and biomechanics of the shoulder. They provide very effective rehabilitation protocols in terms of return to play. They will assist you to diagnose not only local anatomical lesions, such as rotator cuff tear or Bankart lesion, but also the biomechanical deficits that exist in the shoulder girdle and spine. 

But that’s not all. Distant disorders such as inflexibilities of hip rotation, short hamstrings, or the stiff back also often contribute to shoulder abnormalities. The course will enable you to make a complete diagnosis and to look beyond the injured tissues to tissues that may be overloaded. 

You will also learn to detect functional biomechanical deficits as well as the subclinical adaptations that sports people use to try to maintain performance.

These courses are based on the physiology and biomechanics of the shoulder. They provide very effective rehabilitation protocols in terms of return to play. They will assist you to diagnose not only local anatomical lesions, such as rotator cuff tear or Bankart lesion, but also the biomechanical deficits that exist in the shoulder girdle and spine.

But that’s not all. Distant disorders such as inflexibilities of hip rotation, short hamstrings, or the stiff back also often contribute to shoulder abnormalities. The course will enable you to make a complete diagnosis and to look beyond the injured tissues to tissues that may be overloaded.

You will also learn to detect functional biomechanical deficits as well as the subclinical adaptations that sports people use to try to maintain performance.

Low back pain can be difficult to treat. Management of chronic low back pain and leg pain requires a multifactorial approach. This course will not only help you to identify the underlying causative factors of LBP, but will also provide you with techniques that will enable you to assist patients to increase their active control of the passively unstable and associated areas in a way that will minimise symptom reoccurrences. Add an important modality to your tool box.