Course Objectives
- Review how to find best cues for segmental inter-ring control for thoracic ring drivers and how to choose initial exercises in a rehabilitation program most relevant to the client’s meaningful task
- Understand how to connect the thoracic rings to the lumbopelvic region for thoracic driven lumbar spine and pelvic girdle pain
- Briefly review the influence of the thorax on the lumbar spine, pelvis and hip
- Practice assessment tests to determine if training thoracic ring control will automatically restore synergistic abdominal wall function and “core stability” vs. when you need to need to combine thoracic ring training with specific lumbopelvic “stabilization” exercises
- When are glute medius and glute maximus truly weak or is the weakness driven by the thoracic rings?
- Practice key exercises targeted to integrating the thoracic rings into the functional trunk – tactile & verbal cues, exercise progressions
- Understand how to connect the thoracic rings to the shoulder girdle, neck and head during functional arm loads
- Briefly review mechanisms for how the thorax can drive shoulder girdle, neck and cranium problems
- Discuss common muscle patterns
- Practice handling and cueing for integrating the thoracic rings with scapular and clavicular control when you have co-drivers or primary/ secondary drivers between the thoracic rings and shoulder girdle
- Practice exercises that train synergistic function of thoracic ring muscles and concurrently target shoulder girdle weakness
- Understand how poor thoracic ring control affects lateral and rotational control of postural equilibrium and creates unequal loading through the lower extremities
- Examine how to retrain synergistic muscle patterning between the thoracic rings and the lower extremity from the hips to the feet for dynamic control of centre of mass
- Review the role of thoracic ring and scapular taping to support consolidation of new brain maps for neuromuscular control and thoracic loading
- Discuss how to progress a thoracic ring training program and the clinical markers to determine loading parameters
- Practice basic yoga integration patterns designed for thoracic ring control and understand the importance of using inversion loads (eg. handstands) to enhance vertical loading capacity for the thoracic rings
- Enhance observation skills of movement analysis and exercise performance to be able to visually detect failed load transfer / poor control of the thoracic rings during complex and sport-specific movements
- Enhance tactile palpation skills – how to monitor and facilitate optimal exercise execution and performance
- Learn how to teach patients self-monitoring techniques to get tactile and visual feedback on correct exercise performance
- Increase repertoire of exercises for the thoracic rings and provide a clinical reasoning framework for how to choose which exercise progressions are needed to reach goals in an efficient and timely manner.
