Foundations of Orthopedic Physical Therapy Practice

The goal of this course is to enhance the clinician’s confidence, effectiveness and sense of professional fulfillment during clinical practice, and to lay the groundwork necessary for rapid progression towards expertise as the clinician matures in the profession.

Sign Up

Course Description

The Foundations course sets the stage for clinicians to gain early clinical proficiency and rapidly progress towards expertise by focusing on clinically relevant knowledge, reasoning and skills. The course consists of interactive lecture, discussion and practicum which the instructors adjust to best facilitate the clinicians’ professional growth.

Participants will learn to recognize the interplay between the components of a clinical presentation, streamline the evaluation process, hone observation and palpation skills, and devise interventions based on clinical presentations. After completing this four day course, clinicians will be capable of confidently interfacing with the wide variety of presentations encountered in orthopedic PT clinical practice regardless of diagnosis, body region or comorbidities present.

This course yields 32 California and Nevada approved continuing education units.

By the end of the course, engaged participants should be capable of:

Handling patient treatment with ease and confidence despite the constraints or obstacles clinicians may encounter in an outpatient setting
Understanding the clinically relevant structure, function and interplay between the fascial, lymphatic, nervous/hormonal, musculoskeletal and neuromotor systems that create patients’ clinical presentations
Quickly screening key indicators for the relative health, or type and magnitude of dysfunction present in each patient’s unique presentation

Producing safe and effective interventions for the most common types of clinical presentations regardless of diagnosis, body region or comorbidities
Demonstrating the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate progression towards clinical expertise

The Foundations course consists of lecture, discussion and practicum of the following:

Introduction to a fully integrated clinical model based on Systems Thinking that provides a practical method of applying the Biopsychosocial model into clinical practice
Lecture and discussion regarding the structure, function and interplay between the fascial, lymphatic, nervous/hormonal, musculoskeletal and neuromotor systems that create patients’ clinical presentations
Streamlining the initial evaluation process to a quick screening of key aspects of the patient’s presentation
Honing observation, palpation and movement testing skills required for quick assessment of the relative health or dysfunction present, and monitoring the moment to moment direction and rate of change occurring during intervention necessary for proficient and artful interface in the clinical setting
Instructions in the skillful application of treatment variables necessary to coax deviant findings towards health in all pertinent aspects of a patient’s presentation
Instructions in devising, implementing and progressing effective interventions for the most common presentations therapists encounter in an orthopedic outpatient physical therapy clinic regardless of diagnosis, body region or comorbidities

Course Information

The following course information has been made downloadable:

Foundations of Orthopedic Physical Therapy (PDF)

Tim McGonigle gently holds a patient's head and neck.

Course Resources

Primary Course Resource:

Tim McGonigle, PT 2020. Enhancing Clinical Proficiency – Provided with the course

Additional Supportive Resources

Butler, David, Moseley, Lorimer. 2003. Explain Pain. Adelaide, Noigroup Publication.
Evjenth, Olaf and Hamberg, Jern. 1984. Muscle Stretching in Manual Therapy. The Spinal Column and the Tempro-Mandibular Joint. Alfta: Alfta Rehab Forlag.
Evjenth, Olaf and Hamberg, Jern. 1984. Muscle Stretching in Manual Therapy. The Extremities. Alfta: Alfta Rehab Forlag.
Evjenth, Olaf and Gloeck, Christian. 1997. The Symptom Localization in the Spine and the Extremities. Oslo.
Foldi M, Foldi E, Strobenreuther C, Kubik S. 2012. Textbook of Lymphology: for Physicians and Lymphedema Therapists. Elsevier.
Kaltenborn, Freddy M. 2019. Manual Mobilization of the Joints. Volume 1. The Extremities. 8th ed. Translated by Dennis Morgan and Eileen Vollowitz. Oslo: Olaf Norlis Bokhandel.
Kaltenborn, Freddy M. 2018. Manual Mobilization of the Joints. Volume II. The Spine. 7th ed. Translated by Dennis Morgan and Eileen Vollowitz .Oslo: Olaf Norlis Bokhandel.
Krauss, John, Evjenth Olaf, Creighton, Doug. 2006. Translatoric Spinal Manipulation for Physical Therapists. Michigan: A Lakeview Media L.L.C. Publication.
McGonigle, Tim. 2017. The Primer Of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
Stecco, Carla. 2015. Functional Atlas of the Human Fascial System. New York: Churchill Livingstone.
Tricas JM, Hidalgo C, et al. 2015. Myofascial Mobilization and Self-Mobilization in OMT. Vol. 1: Extremities. 1st ed. in English. OMT-Espana. www.omtspain.es

Request an Appointment

Please indicate your preferred therapist, if any, and someone from our appointment desk will get back to you. If you would like to call to book your appointment, our number is (916) 355-8500.