Postural Restoration in India

Joyce Wasserman, PT, PRC is traveling through India and introducing Postural Restoration concepts. She has been kind enough to share with us her experiences…

“Since arriving at Christian Medical Center, CMC, I have given nine presentations, a combination of lectures and labs. I am pleased with how both theory and practical aspects of teaching are going. Today’s talk was about myokinematic dilemmas, or what to do, where to look when the basic techniques relating to the pelvis and hips is not enough to get results.

PRI is a radical change from the therapy that is being practiced here. The expression “The crush of humanity” is taken to a whole different level here.  In the gym where both outpatients and in patients receive treatment it is hot, crowded, and noisy .It is not conducive to concentration. The therapists often give an exercise that the patient then does with the help of a family member. The exercises are simple, uniplanar, with no consideration to what muscles are substituting or if there is any control of proximal or distal segments of the body.  Machine treatment with a nod to a simple home exercise seems to be the norm. None the less certain patients who need more hands on care are routinely given to more senior therapists whose job it is to take more time with the patients for exercise or orthopedic PT techniques. It is with these more senior therapists that PRI can take hold.  I am making sure that they are learning as much as they can. Everyone is enthusiastic and pleasant to work with.”

Posted March 17, 2010 at 7:00am by Janie Ebmeier.
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“Every Runner Needs Good Glutes”

Check out the latest video by Lori Thomsen, MPT, PRC on the importance of glutes while running!  You can view it HERE!

Posted March 16, 2010 at 6:00am by Bobbie Rappl.
Categories: Videos

Anterior Rotation of the Right Innominate vs. Left…

We received this great question last week from a clinician who has attended a PRI course.  He brought up an interesting perspective…

During a conversation with a colleague a confusing issue came up.  PRI stuff is interesting and one of the things that is most interesting to me is that they pretty much say “everyone has this presentation” (left anterior, tension in right hamstring, anterior tilt, etc…). If you have ever read Wolf Schamberger’s “Malalignment Syndrome”, he actually talks about the most common presentation being people anteriorly rotated on the right, posterior on the left - which is opposite to PRI’s thought process.  Who is right?  I think it is okay to notice trends (I have actually seen more people fall in the presentation from the Malalignment Syndrome - anterior rotation on right), but to group everyone into the same presentation is a bit strange.

It’s all a matter of perspective, which is what PRI challenges the most.  Humans lateralize their center of gravity to the right more than to the left because of many objective reasons.  If one establishes a neuromuscular pattern of stable, secure foundation through the right lower extremity, utilizing the right vastus lateralis, right hamstring, right adductors and right gluteus medius, you will find an anteriorly positioned or oriented innominate on the right.  Subsequently, the left ASIS may “feel” more anteriorly rotated on the left and possibly the evaluator may “find” the right innominate more posteriorly rotated on the right.  Inter-rater reliability in these situations, without further integrated objective testing is poor at best.  In this case, in standing, the evaluator would find more lumbar-thoracic lordosis on the left. 
If one becomes lordotic bilaterally, as often is seen with those who are tight and over-active with their posterior exterior chained paravertebrals (PEC patients) the right and left innominates move in an anteriorly rotated direction around the frontal axis going through both central acetabulums.  Discussing axis of the sacral rotation complex, varies in every individual and has no validation in today’s research.  This individual will now need to begin moving the left innominate out or externally rotated it around the vertical left SI axis to offset weight distribution to the right, resulting in:

• Hyperactive right quadratus lumborum activity
• Hyperactive left gluteus maximus and TFL
• Hypermobility and possible laxity of left pubefemoral and iliofemoral ligament and soft tissue
• Inhibition of left adductor and hamstrings
• A left ASIS that feels “posteriorly” rotated compared to the “anteriorly” rotated right innominate

I am fairly certain, this compensatory activity associated with the human characteristic pattern of bilateral innominate anterior rotation (lumbar-thoracic lordosis) is what the “Wolf Schamberger’s Malalignment Syndrome” is all about.
Again, it’s all about perspective, position and pattern of the tester and the tested.  Please realize that palpating ASIS’s and PSIS’s of those in sitting, standing, on one leg, supine, etc all result in various, ambiguous outcomes…a whole different discussion and set of circumstances. 

Posted March 15, 2010 at 9:39am by Bobbie Rappl.
Categories: Science

PRI Illustrations by Elizabeth Cunningham

Over the past 10 weeks we have had the privilege to work with an incredible illustrator, Elizabeth Cunningham.  In her short time here, she has finished several amazing illustrations that were inspired by the science behind the Postural Restoration Institute.  She has also developed images for the coloring sections of our Myokinematic Restoration and Cervical-Cranio-Mandibular Restoration courses.  We are sad to announce that this will be her last day here at PRI but we are happy to know our relationship will continue while she pursues a career in Boston. 

Posted March 12, 2010 at 8:10am by Bobbie Rappl.
Categories: Science

A Day in the Life of a PRC Therapist

by Jen Poulin, PT, PRC

Today I received a call from a college student who lives in New Hampshire.  He was referred to me for consultation from a therapist in Omaha, NE who had treated this young man with PRI techniques while he was living in Nebraska.  The student currently goes to school at Wash U in St. Louis.  His parents moved to New Hampshire and he was home visiting his parents over spring break.  It was closer for him to drive to Vermont for treatment than wait until he returned to school and fly to Nebraska to seek PRI treatment.  I called his original therapist who now lives in Oregon to get some history on this young man’s hip problems prior to his appointment.  We collaborated on his case and had established continuity in his plan of care.  He was seen at Poulin Performance and I discovered his hip imbalances had reemerged.  I educated him on how to realign his hip and sent him back home to New Hampshire.  He will continue working with his therapist in Nebraska when he returns to school and now has made a connection via the PRI network in Vermont.  This is the strength of the PRI network and obtaining certification in postural restoration concepts.  I am seeing more and more patients from surrounding areas that do not think twice about driving to Vermont to seek care when other remedies have failed.  This young man felt comfortable driving the distance because of my certification and collaboration with a fellow PRC. 

Posted March 11, 2010 at 2:00pm by Janie Ebmeier.
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