Full Course Description

Dietary Supplements: the good, the bad and the ugly for healthcare providers

The power and glittery appeal of the dietary supplement industry can mislead both patients and clinicals. In this recorded session, registered dietitian and certified athletic trainer Dana White, MS, RD, ATC will provide a comprehensive run-down of the dietary supplement industry regulations and common pitfalls. The session will also include recommendations for specific types of supplements that health care providers are most often asked about.

Program Information

Objectives

Investigate how and why dietary supplements can be dangerous.
Evaluate current literature on which dietary supplements are currently popular.
Explore strategies for counseling patients/clients who may be inclined to use dietary supplements.
Practice tactics for vetting dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness.

Outline

Stats on Dietary Supplement Industry + Usage
- DSHEA
FDA and College + Professional Sports Regulatory Practices
- NCAA, USADA, WADA, IOC, AIS
Most Dangerous Supplements
How to use appropriate supplements safely
- Resources for supplement evaluation
- Corresponding biochemical assessments
Supplement Safety
- 3rd part verification
Case Studies
Q+A

Target Audience

Atheltic Trainers
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapist Assistants
Speech Language Pathologists
Other Professions

Copyright : 12/16/2022

Nutrition’s Impact on Performance & Recovery in Rehabilitation

Food is medicine. Proper nutrition has a significant impact on your patients’ overall function and recovery during rehabilitation as a result of reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and fatigue. Identify how you can assess your patients’ nutritional status and risk via anthropometrics, physical signs, and diet history and determine when to refer to a nutrition professional. Articulate customized and specific action steps to take to optimize your patients’ nutritional status to improve their performance and recovery during rehabilitation.

Program Information

Objectives

Distinguish how nutrition impacts a patient’s overall function and recovery during rehabilitation services.
Determine how to assess a patient’s nutritional status and when to refer out to a nutrition professional.
Evaluate for common nutritional risks and articulate action steps to help optimize a patient’s nutritional state.

Outline

Food as Medicine

Nutrition’s impact on overall function: physical recovery, energy and sleep
- Common nutrient insufficiencies
- Common nutrient excesses

Food’s impact on inflammation and oxidative stress

What is inflammation?
Most inflammatory foods?
Anti-inflammatory diet
What is oxidative stress?
Common nutritional habits that increase oxidative stress

Assessing nutritional status

Anthropometrics
Nutrition physical exam
3-day diet recall: pros/cons
Food frequency
When to refer out to nutrition professional

Target Audience

Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Speech/Language Pathologist
Athletic Trainer
Massage therapists

Copyright : 07/31/2020

Systemic Inflammation: A Musculoskeletal Dilemma?

Throwing all your best movement mojo at a patient and still striking out? Getting results but the issue keeps coming back? Let's break down how your patient's systemic inflammation may be diminishing your clinical MSK outcomes. In this recorded session, we’ll explore the connection between the gut and the brain and how that influences pain perception, tissue healing and movement. Get your patient to respond better to MSK care with this systemic approach that presents practical and actionable screening and intervention.

Program Information

Objectives

Evaluate the concept of systemic inflammation and how it can negatively impact MSK outcomes.
Evaluate the relationship between dietary intake, pain and systemic inflammation.
Determine specific dietary components that increase inflammation.
Identify mechanisms that initiate the inflammatory response.

Outline

Systemic Inflammation
- Pain science of chronic inflammation
- Useful lab markers, signs and symptoms of systemic inflammation
- How systemic inflammation alters pain perception
- The effects of systemic inflammation on tissue healing
Treatment
- How systemic inflammation, the brain, gut, and musculoskeletal pain are intertwined
- How to improve your clinical outcomes with systemically inflamed rehab patients

Target Audience

Athletic Trainers
Nurses
Nurse Practitioners
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapist Assistants
Speech Language Pathologists

Copyright : 12/15/2022

"Conscious Caring" for People in Pain

The “drain of pain” is a demanding experience for both the patient enduring it, and the practitioner providing guidance and assistance to create relief/release. Remaining removed from the suffering of another is a great challenge for providers. Practitioners can unconsciously, begin to “take on” the pain of their patients and begin to manifest a variety of symptoms that may lead to “burnout” and “compassion fatigue”. Guided by some of the general principles of the ancient Indian medical system of Ayurveda, this session will explore a selection of “conscious caring” practices. By the end of this session, viewers will create and use a selection of tools to assist in restoring harmony and joyful productivity to the provider caring for people in pain.

Program Information

Objectives

Apply a selection of Four Care Tools and practices for stress management and restoring wellbeing for providers caring for people in pain.
Investigate the science and history of Ayurveda and integration to treating/managing pain within the allopathic medical model.
Analyze limitations of the traditional medical model of pain management for both patient and practitioner.
Investigate pain perception as an experience of where and how in addition to how this requires a multipronged approach to pain management.

Outline

Introduction
- Struggles with traditional HC model
- Treating symptoms rather than causes – looking for healing from the outside rather than inside Opioid and passive treatment dependence
Ayurveda Defined
- Ancient holistic, natural medical system – “Science of Life and living wisely”
- Whole person, NATURE based, treat root cause (not just symptoms) to restore health as harmonious relationship between inner and outer environments
- Emphasis on WHOLENESS
- Unique mind-body types – one size does not fit all; identify imbalances
  - Predicts types of behavioral tendencies/health issues an individual is likely to exhibit and how to address those tendencies
- Ayurvedic principles and how they apply to understanding/managing “pain”
Introduction/practice with FOUR CARE TOOLS for providers working with people in pain
- Applications in Pain Management
- Working on your “bodies” (where/how we experience “pain”)
- Importance of Compassion and Self-care for the clinician
- GOAL: Do not take on the patient’s pain
- Strategies of protection
- Importance of self-care
MOVEMENT and INTRODUCTION TO 4 Care Tools:
- PT about MOVEMENT...Ayurveda about moving energy on various levels to restore balance and connection
- Moving energy through physical body
- Moving thoughts
- Moving the energy of emotion (Energy in Motion)
4 CARE TOOLS (Self-care tools for caring for those in PAIN)
- Strategies for improved balance
- Awareness of your mental state
- PAIN – as Perception of Alignment/Awareness Interpreted Negatively

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

Copyright : 03/04/2022

Non-Pharmacological & Integrative Pain Management Approaches: Integrative Strategies to Treat Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is so common, but yet pain management can be difficult to treat due to the limited availability of integrative practices with focus on parasitical and medical solutions. Not anymore! In this session, Dr. Vanessa Ruiz, naturopathic physician and integrative therapy expert, will share non-pharmacological and integrative approaches you can incorporate to manage chronic pain. Learn emerging trends in chronic pain management and evidence-based approaches for chronic pain, such as nutrition, supplementation, mindfulness, acupressure, restorative yoga and more. Add tools to your toolbelt to help clients suffering from chronic pain other than medications or surgery!

Program Information

Objectives

Determine the components of pain and emerging trends in chronic pain management.
Integrate cognitive and behavioral strategies such as mindfulness to mitigate and manage pain.
Utilize integrative strategies such as yoga, nutrition, and acupressure to incorporate for your clients with chronic pain.

Outline

Critical Components of Pain & Emerging Trends in Pain Management

Define components of pain
Resources and knowledge to address different components of pain
How to address sensory, affective, cognitive, and psychosocial pain
Research supporting integrative approaches over medication and/or surgery

Cognitive and Behavioral Strategies to Mitigate and Manage Pain

The evidence for mindfulness in addressing chronic pain
Common mindfulness techniques for self-management of pain
Cognitive/behavioral strategies in pain management

Integrative Strategies for Chronic Pain

Evidence supporting integrative approaches
Help improve patient relaxation and management of stress
Holistic and comprehensive strategies:
- Mindfulness
- Acupressure
- Restorative yoga
- Nutrition
- Supplementation
- Breathwork and more…
Case review

Target Audience

Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Athletic Trainers
Massage Therapists
Chiropractors

Copyright : 09/13/2021

CBD and Pain: What We Knew Then and Where We Are Going

As pain management strategies shift from use of opioids, patients are looking for alternate options. Are you armed with the current research to have an informed conversation with your patient regarding cannabinoid science? Cannabis is one of the oldest medicines known to humans with influences across cultures since the beginning of recorded medicine. As we fast forward to today, the current literature will help us determine who, where and when CBD could be used to alleviate the pain experience. This session will discuss the idea of placebo as well as links to sleep and stress response as contributing factors to pain. While building a N=1 patient centered approach, this session will also examine the role and application of cannabinoid science in pain management for improved coping ability and quality of life.

Program Information

Objectives

Investigate the history of plant-based medicine as it pertains to cannabis and compare prior uses and trends to current statistics of pain and pain management.
Analyze the endocannabinoid system and the potential role in regulating harmony in the body, including the impact on pain.
Assess the current literature to determine the efficacy of CBD in general and specific pain populations.
Investigate the impact of sleep and stress response on the experience of pain for a whole person approach to care.

Outline

A Look Through Time
- A view of the timeline of cannabis
- Impact on medicine, culture and people throughout time
- Where we are now, ‘The Opioid Crisis’
What is it With All These Letters?
- Definition of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and its role in the human body
- What is the role of circulating 2-AG and AEA, and the importance of ECS tone
- What is CBD and how is it different than THC?
Medicine Based Evidence
- What does the literature say about CBD and Pain?
- The Power of Placebo
- What is the best way to administer CBD?
Pain, One Thing and Many Things
- Does sleep and stress response play a role in the painful experience?
- Incorporating whole person health and the N=1 approach

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

Copyright : 03/04/2022

Clinical Effectiveness of Mindfulness, Meditation and Mindful Movement Strategies for Chronic Pain

Experiencing physical pain is part of life. However, for some, this experience becomes extremely debilitating and persistent. When pain becomes severe enough to significantly impact physical function, mobility and quality of life, these individuals ultimately find their way into our clinics as patients and clients.

Patients arrive with the objective of “fix” and “eliminate” pain. Emphasizing direct treatment and elimination of chronic pain often opens a portal to exhaustion, frustration and even increased pain intensity. The paradigm shift exits in recognition we cannot necessarily control the pain which enters our life; however, we do have control over how we relate to pain. Embracing age old principles of mindfulness and meditation, we have the tools to shift our relationship with chronic, somatic pain. Additionally, mindful movement including Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Yoga further enhance active pain management. This experiential session combines proven methods with modern science to provide a multitude of health and wellness benefits. Allow both body and mind to explore the science of pain relief strategies with immediate clinical application for improved outcomes.

Program Information

Objectives

Gain an overview and understanding of mindfulness and meditation practice and recognize ways it can subjectively change how we relate to our life experiences.
Investigate the power of the mind-body connection and its relevance to how our bodies experience sensations of pain.
Analyze the latest scientific literature of the mechanisms by which mindfulness meditation can alter the ways our bodies perceive pain facilitating increased pain tolerance and quality of life.
Develop proficiency with the use of mindfulness meditation techniques to improve chronic pain management.
Construct the primary health and wellness benefits of mindful movement strategies with current supporting research.
Utilize simple Tai Chi, and Qi Gong mindful movements with immediate clinical application.

Outline

Overview of Mindfulness and Meditation
- Mindlessness vs Mindfulness
- Our Normal Default: Going through life on “auto pilot”
  - Focused on the past or the future rather than the present
- How we can easily comeback into the “present moment”
- Forming a definition of mindfulness
The Power of the Mind-Body Connection and its Influence on Our Subjective Pain Experience
- The Interconnected Nature of Mind and Body
- Distinguishing Between “Pain” and “Suffering”
- Ways in Which Humans Historically Respond to Physical Pain
- Experiential Activity: Body Scan Meditation
Understanding the Mechanisms by Which Mindfulness Meditation Can Alter the Ways Our Bodies Perceive Pain
- The History of Pain and Mindfulness Meditation
- Introducing Jon Kabat-Zinn and MBSR: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
- MBSR Principles and Insights
- Overview of Literature Revealing How Meditation Changes the Ways Our Bodies Experience Pain:
  - Understanding Our “Default Mode Network”
  - Different Mechanisms of Action for Pain Attenuation Through Mindfulness
  - Diagnosis Specific Studies
    - Low Back Pain
    - Fibromyalgia
    - Neuropathic Pain
    - Post-Operative Joint Replacement Pain
  - Significance of Acceptance vs Attention in Achieving Pain Relief
Experiencing “Sitting with Our Pain” in Meditation and Then Gaining an Understanding of Why This Can Be So Beneficial
- Experiential Activity: Meditation on the Sensations of Pain
  - Guided Meditation to Work with Chronic Pain Patients
- Tying the Components of a Pain Mediation Together
- Take Home Lessons:
  - What to Know regarding Achieving Optimal Relief of Pain Using Mindfulness Techniques
Exploring Mindful Movement as Complementary Medicine
- Overview of Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong
- The Energy of Tai Chi and Qi Gong
- The 3 Common Characteristics Shared by All Complementary Alternative medicines
  - (CAMS) Interventions:
  - Review of the Current Literature
  - Impact of Specific Mindful Movement Interventions on Common Pain
  - Diagnoses:
    - Back Pain, PTSD, Mental Pain (Anxiety and Depression), Arthritis, Fibromyalgia
Experiencing Mindful Movement Firsthand
- Experiential: Sensing Our Own Life Force Energy
  - Experiencing the Graceful Flow of Tai Chi and Qi Gong Movements
- Reasons to Choose Mindful Movements as Treatment
- Final Thoughts on Interconnected Nature of Body and Mind and Importance of Maintaining a Harmonious Balance

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

Copyright : 03/04/2022

Strengthening the Immune System and Alleviating Pain with Ayurveda and Yoga: Self Care for the Practitioner and Patient

The global pandemic has brought about many changes to society that affect our body, mind, and spirit.

Many have become less physically active, living more sedentary lifestyles. At the same time, high levels of stress and anxiety are affecting mental wellbeing. An unhealthy combination with a multitude of negative physical, mental, and emotional consequences.

Integrative medicine — a lifestyle medicine for prevention and wellness — focuses on healing the whole person and includes all aspects of our lifestyle.

Betsy Shandalov is an Occupational Therapist, certified yoga therapist, Reiki practitioner, and Ayurvedic wellness coach. She will share her tried and true techniques using integrative medicine to treat trauma.

In this experiential session, you’ll learn the science of Ayurveda, including diet, lifestyle, breathing techniques, meditation, and yoga, and how these hands-on treatment modalities help patients manage physical pain and bring balance back to mind and spirit. With a focus on the latest research on the integrative medicine techniques for pain management and building the immune system, you will learn practical techniques to assist you and your patients with ways to maximize health, decrease pain, and increase longevity.

Program Information

Objectives

Describe how Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine can influence pain responses and build our immune system.
Create a daily lifestyle plan to benefit mind, body and spirit for self-care to prevent burnout and to balance the body during the pandemic.
Perform yoga and movement practice and determine 2 ways that it can assist your client with pain and strengthening the immune system.

Outline

Ayurveda as a Treatment Modality

Doshas/body constitutions
Approach to diet, herbs, lifestyle and philosophy
Incorporate yoga, breathwork and meditation
Integrative medicine and wellness/prevention

How the COVID-19 Virus Has Changed Our Body, Mind and Spirit

The impacts of pain on the body, mind and spirit
Resiliency and body mind techniques
Integrative medicine techniques to transform daily routine
Identify signs of burnout for therapists

Experiential Lab: Practice a Daily Routine to Reduce Pain and Build Immunity

Centering techniques for focus
Forms of meditation
Seated and restorative yoga poses
Standing poses for focus and concentration

Target Audience

Athletic Trainers
Chiropractors
Exercise Physiologists
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Personal Trainers
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Strength and Conditioning Coaches

Copyright : 05/21/2021

Breathing for Performance

Help your patients restore optimal breathing, stay injury free and ultimately perform better with these targeted interventions for LBP, tight hip flexors, neck tension and pelvic floor dysfunction. You’ll unlock new and innovative treatment techniques including manual therapy, cups, kinesiology tape, floss bands, foam rollers and vibration tools. And the best part? This recorded session is experiential – feel the difference as you’re guided through the key strategies that lock in changes long term!

Program Information

Objectives

Compose background knowledge to create confidence in assessing functional and dysfunctional breathing patterns.
Evaluate the psychological and physiological benefits of diaphragmatic breathing related to performance and injury prevention.
Utilize various strategies to facilitate diaphragmatic breathing in your clients.
Inspect breathing strategies commonly used and practiced.
Determine common MSK conditions that are associated with dysfunctional breathing and how to correct them.

Outline

Breathing Foundational Background
- Anatomy of respiratory muscles
- How to quickly assess breathing: diaphragmatic vs. apical
- Why and how breathing can become dysfunctional in healthy individuals
Importance of Diaphragmatic Breathing
- Psychological and physiological benefits of diaphragmatic breathing practices
- Role in athletic environments (psychological and physiological)
- Role in injury prevention
Key Strategies to Facilitate Diaphragmatic Breathing
- The concept of posture stacking
- How the body & brain communicate with each other (body maps)
- Hands-on strategies to facilitate diaphragmatic breathing (hands, pods, floss etc)
- How to lock in change: conscious becomes sub-conscious
Types of Breathing Techniques
- Box Breathing
- Wim Hof Breathing
Common MSK Dysfunctions Associated with Dysfunctional Breathing
- Lower back pain
- Hip flexor tension
- Neck tension / UFT tone
- Pelvic floor dysfunction (SUI vs Urgency)
FAQ and Case Studies

Target Audience

Athletic Trainers
Chiropractors
Massage Therapists
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants

The Art & Science of ‘Health': Connecting Body, Mind, & Breath

Helping our patients with their pain, sleep and mental health issues continues to be one of the biggest opportunities for healthcare providers today. Our current healthcare system is struggling to address the very essence of what it means to be human; we are unique and how we care for each other requires a ‘whole person’ approach to health. Breathing as Medicine has been practiced since the dawn of time. Join us as we explore breathing routines for pain, improved sleep, and stress management. By helping your patients and clients achieve more harmony in their lives; you just may find more in yours.

Program Information

Objectives

Evaluate the significance of pain, sleep and mental health disorders in America and the potential crisis we face if we continue to treat them in an isolated fashion.
Determine if clients are breathing well and explore breath awareness training.
Inspect the differences in breathing speeds and breath holding and their clinical outcomes.
Practice slow rhythmic breath training for therapeutic outcomes for pain, sleep, and mental health.

Outline

Isolation within the Healthcare System

Typical methods of ‘health’ analysis
Importance of assessing patients during everyday life
Implications for pain, sleep and mental health disorders

Explore Breath Awareness Training for Therapeutic Outcomes for Pain, Sleep, and Mental health

Know your breathing
Evaluation strategies and exercises
Breathing speed
Slow your breathing
Slow rhythmic breath training

Target Audience

Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Athletic Trainers
Massage Therapists
Chiropractors

Mindfulness, Sleep, & Circadian Rhythms – How They Optimize Physical & Cognitive Recovery

If you aren’t asking your clients about their sleep, you are missing a big piece of the puzzle that could be slowing your clients’ progress. In this session, you will arm yourself with tools you can easily integrate and immediately apply to your next session. Learn strategies for naturally managing stress and improving sleep without the use of addictive medications. Snap clients out of their sleep-depriving habits with behavior changing exercises that will put them more in alignment with circadian rhythms.

Program Information

Objectives

Distinguish the prevalence of and what entails disrupted sleep, stress management, and alignment to circadian rhythms.
Articulate the health benefits (including improving physical recovery) and risks of adequate sleep and mindfulness, as well as the importance of aligning one’s lifestyle habits to natural circadian rhythms.
Determine a customized and systemized approach to optimizing sleep, stress management, and circadian rhythms.

Outline

Alignment to Circadian Rhythms

Sleep
- Insomnia and disrupted sleep patterns
- Sleep stages: Repair time
- Recommended sleep patterns
Stress Management
- Stressor vs response to stress
- Recommendations for stress management
- Mindfulness
Circadian Rhythms
- Master and peripheral clocks
- Circadian rhythm disruption
- Health risks of misalignment
- Recommendation for aligning circadian clocks

Whole System Approach: Optimize Sleep, Stress Management and Circadian Rhythms

Client Assessment
- Sleep habits & quality
- Stress levels and intentional practice
- Current alignment to circadian rhythms
Lifestyle Program
- Sleep hygiene
- Mindfulness training: The different tactics
- Circadian alignment
Customized & Systemized Approach
- Individual needs vs gaps
- Readiness to change
- Where to start
- How to progress
- Case study

Target Audience

Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Speech/Language Pathologist
Athletic Trainer
Massage therapists
Strength and conditioning coach
Exercise physiologist

Gut Health & Hormones: Your gut’s role in hormone balance & how to fix it

When the gut isn’t functioning properly, other parts of the body are going to struggle as well. Bloating, diarrhea, constipation, cramping, skin rashes, acne, anxiety, depression...the list goes on.

Turns out your parents were right; you are what you eat. Integrative and Functional Nutritionist Cindi Lockhart, RDN, LD, IFNCP shows you exactly how the foods we consume impact both our gut health and our hormones! Get the answers to all of these questions and so much more in this invigorating session:

Why gut health may be one of the largest contributors to overall health?
Do probiotics really make a difference?
Do hormones dictate the ability to lose weight?
How can we reduce inflammation?

You will uncover the key factors to gut health, symptoms and causes of dysfunction, and their impacts on hormone balance. You'll also explore the simple to use 5R gut repair protocol to heal and restore gut function and hormone balance long-term. Empower patients to make the proper changes in their lifestyle to optimize their gut health and hormones - simultaneously!

Program Information

Objectives

Assess the general function of the gut via digestion, intestinal permeability, and microbiome as well as the estrogen specific estrabalome.
Evaluate the common symptoms and causes of gut dysfunction in relation to hormone balance.
Determine a prioritized approach to optimizing gut function and hormone balance via the 5R gut repair protocol.

Outline

Why Does Gut Health Matter?

Role & function of the gut
Digestion
Intestinal barrier
Microbiome: enter the estrobolome

Signs & Causes of Dysfunction: What to Look For

Digestion issues: you are what you digest, absorb and use
Intestinal permeability: leaky gut
Dysbiosis: microbial imbalance

Gut health & Impact on Hormone Balance

Gastrointestinal pathogens
Cortisol
Insulin
Thyroid
Sex hormones

How to Repair the Gut

5R protocol
- Remove
- Replace
- Reinoculate
- Repair
- Rebalance

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Exercise Physiologists
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Personal Trainers
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Strength and Conditioning Coaches