Hi Gang,
I hope you all enjoyed the program at AP in AZ. We will be doing it again for our 4th consecutive year next year. This was an unprecedent event with nearly 80 attendees and 6 faculty. I am not blind c.c.'ing you on this email since we are all now friends of the Prague School.
We are learning something revolutionary. As Alena says, there are standards regarding anatomy & pathology, but no standards for functional norms. But, in neurodevelopment of upright posture we see norms in how a child hits certain landmarks starting at 4 weeks of life w/ control of the head & neck up to 4.5 years with control of posture in 1 leg stance. See Alena interviewed at AP by Phil Snell - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXSgqtaS8Iw
These revolutionary ideas require us to think in a new way about function. My great mentor, Karel Lewit said, "I am always aware of how many things which I taught in my long past have since proved wrong. The most important attitude is therefore to be constantly aware that what you are doing and teaching now you have to modify in view of new facts. Thus you must keep an open mind for new ideas even if they sometimes show that you believed and taught before was wrong."
You each learned a set of basic & advanced assessments of motor control that you can apply immediately in your practices. None revolutionized our approach more than the Father of Rehabilitation Medicine - Dr Vladimir Janda. He taught us not to look at ability to perform multiple reps & sets of resisted phasic movements, instead look at the quality of the movement patterns. He exhorted us to not ignore this assessment, "Time spent in assessment will save time in treatment."
These DNS tests are evolutions on what Pr Janda & Dr Lewit taught. But, they follow a simple tenet of the Prague school. Identifying key functional pathology of the motor system is the cornerstone upon which rehabilitation of the motor system is based. As Lewit said, "he who treats the site of pain is lost.". Modern leaders are all speaking the same language - Pr McGill calls it the "functional diagnosis" & Gray Cook the "painless dysfunction".
I hope that each of you learned some things you can use instantly in the clinic. Maybe in DNS-A it was a few of these basic DNS tests & 1 or 2 new corrective exercises. In B, perhaps a few positions of reflex locomotion for diaphragm facilitation & a few more developmentally based exercises. In C course it might have been reflex stimulation of scap depression & femoral-acetabular stabilization. While our Advanced cohorts may have refined their techniques even further.
We are now a fellowship bonded together in our common goal to help athletes achieve higher levels of performance of pain patients to have fewer activity restrictions. In the late 90's after a group us in Prague were introduced to Vojta methods by Pr Janda (Brett Lemiere of the Advanced group was there) and the following year Karel included Pavel in our course it became apparent that the baton was being passed. At that time we started a society to keep those of us inspired by Karel & Vlad in touch. That was the International Society of Clinical Rehabilitation Specialists - www.clinicalrehabspecialists.com. You can join our referral network now for the year 2012. As a member you will receive the JBMT journal of Leon Chaitow & access to a library of self-care articles for your patients. In a year you can strive to sit for our Full Member exam which is a rigorous examination of your basic fundamental skills in functional assessment & training.
Please be sure to attend DNS courses & further your knowledge - www.rehabps.com. Contact Clare about her Jan & March courses or me about next September (for DNS Sport & DNS-A) or November at AP.
Again so much thanks are due to our great faculty - Lucia, Clare, Robert, Kathryn; Alena for her organizational wizardry, Sue, Darcy & Mark Verstegen for hosting us in such an inspiring environment; & of course Pavel for his sheer brilliance combined with the utmost humility. Finally, let me thank my special friend Ken Crenshaw for being the heart & soul of what we are doing at AP. By bringing DNS to MLB and MLB to us this has uplifted us all. Thank you Ken!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, we are indeed blessed to serve others as a way to make our living,
Craig
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Craig Liebenson, D.C.
Member, International Association for the Study of Pain
Member, American Pain Society
Recognized Provider: Back Pain Recognition Program by the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA)
L.A. Sports and Spine
10474 Santa Monica Blvd., #304
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 470-2909
www.craigliebenson.com (blog)
Comment by the organizer: Craig Liebenson, DC
Faculty & Organizers:
Ken Crenshaw, Pavel Kolar, Lucie Oplova, Alena Kobesova, Sue Falsone, Robert Lardner, Clare Frank, Kathryn Kumagai, Craig Liebenson