Learn & Practice Hands-On Skills from the Thoracic Ring Approach & ConnectTherapy:

• understand and assess the contribution of the thorax to the whole body Net Centre of Mass (COM) over Base of Support (BOS), both in Reference Posture and during movements (Meaningful Screening Tasks)
• clinically reason how thorax behaviour in Net COM/BOS (our relationship to gravity) relates to load-related injuries and pain in the lower extremity (stress fractures, achilles tendinopathy, etc).
• assess the behaviour of the thoracic rings during function & manually support optimal behaviour of specific thoracic rings as part of the diagnostic process to rule in or rule out that region as the Primary Driver
• work through the ConnectTherapy Drivers Diagnostic Chart™ Algorithm and determine the presence of a Primary Thoracic Ring Driver or Primary Thoracic Ring Co-Driver
• Discuss the most common underlying impairments for thoracic ring drivers and how this affects treatment decisions in the thorax – consider the various types of system impairments for the thorax in terms of neural, visceral, fascial, muscular and articular impairments
• Understand the Principles for Treatment according to the Thoracic Ring Approach and ConnectTherapy and practice specific treatment techniques developed by LJ for the thoracic rings to Release and Train more optimal function of the Thoracic Ring Driver in the context of a progressive training program to help your patients reach their goals
  • Thoracic ring “stack & breathe” and dynamic “stack & release” with progressions and variations to release vectors between the thoracic rings and the shoulder girdle (clavicle, scapula, glenohumeral joint), arms, neck and head, lumbopelvis, hips and lower extremities, indirect visceral release.
  • Treating Co-Drivers in the thorax
  • Discuss how to integrate other treatment techniques such as manipulation, mobilization, dry needling, myofascial release.
  • Manual and verbal cues to recruit and train thoracic ring control and how to provide manual feedback during movement to optimize brain mapping of new strategies for thoracic ring function.
• Learn how to design a progressive exercise program to optimize movement behaviour of the thoracic rings and increase movement options and variability
• Learn the Thoracic Ring Approach and ConnectTherapy exercise prescription framework to prescribe and progress exercises for thoracic ring drivers through 3 phases of progression, with features such as teaching “Self-check movements” and “Reset exercises” to automatically self-release non-optimal vectors when the system has been overloaded. This creates less reliance on the therapist and empowers patients with control over their exercise progressions as they move through the process of changing the way they live and move in their bodies.