CONFERENCE

  Pre-Conference Workshop on Friday 27 May 2022

Incorporating Muscle Energy Technique (MET) into your Practice – Rob Granter
Muscle Energy Technique is a form of manual therapy which is particularly useful as a myotherapy and remedial massage treatment modality. It is indicated when hypomobility is assessed in both global & segmental movement. The active component of MET is also thought to facilitate joint stabilising muscles and proprioception. Rob has utilised MET in his practice for over 25 years.

Learning Outcomes:

  1. To obtain a clear description of Muscle Energy Technique (MET) and its application to your practice.
  2. To understand the History, Proposed Mechanisms of action and essential steps in the successful application of MET to the Thoracic & Cervical regions
  3. To understand the biomechanics of Cervical segmental movement.
  4. To gain competency in the assessment of Global & Segmental Cervical movement
  5. To gain competency in the application of MET to assist in the restoration of ideal function to the Thoracic and Upper, Mid & Lower Cervical regions
     
  National Conference Sessions on 28–29 May 2022
  Keynote Speaker

Mastering Your Massage Business – Elicia Crook
True 'Mastery' takes time and experience. If you are driven and want to make a difference that will usually make you successful in the treatment room. But how do you replicate that outside of the treatment room, consistently over time, to make you a master in your business? Many therapists make the mistake of just focusing on the hands-on skills and not looking at the leadership required for business. What if you could master 'business' with heart and soul and become the hero of your own story?
  Opening Remarks

Building Your Network and Being Professional – Samantha Rigby
Learn how your clinic can truly operate like a business by creating a secure referral network. Samantha will provide tips on how you can build your own referral network so that you will never have gaps in your diary again.
  Breakout Sessions

Why Joint Mobility Investigation and Treatment Should Be a Priority for Manual Therapists – Craig Quinlivan
Our musculoskeletal system prefers a synergistic balance in the length, strength, tension relationship. This means everything happily functions together. We use mechanoreceptors, proprioceptors and nociceptors to keep track of and control movement within pain free parameters. When a joint is unable to move ‘normally’, several things can occur. Some of these are: loss of gross ROM, motor amnesia and an overactive stretch reflex. All this combines to create shortened range and high resting tone of the surrounding musculature, presenting as ‘tight muscles’. When the joint is able to reach its potential ‘full normal’ motion, a huge amount of this ‘tightness’ just disappears. Come and learn to differentiate the true cause of problems with an introduction to manual joint mobilisations including NAG’s, SNAG’s, Glides, Mob’s and accessory movements. These are easily achievable and relatively pain free treatment options, that provide immediate, and lasting benefit for the patient.

Acupressure for Lower Back and Leg Pain – John Kirkwood
Knowledge of the meridian pathways of Chinese medicine can be of great help to massage therapists. Musculoskeletal conditions often arise out of constrictions in the qi flow in the meridians. The latest research shows a close correlation of the meridians to the fascial network, therefore work on the meridians opens the fascia and vice versa. In this seminar, John Kirkwood presents some typical lower-body musculoskeletal conditions that can be treated using Acupressure points on the yang meridians of the legs, namely bladder, gall bladder and stomach meridians. You will learn some useful point combinations and treatment patterns to address common issues such as lumbar and pelvic pain, Achilles tendon problems, quadriceps tightness, and knee pain and constriction. These patterns are designed to integrate immediately into your current practice.
  Four Approaches to the Assessment and Treatment of Shoulder Pain

Shoulder Pain – Garry Lavis
Garry will discuss a brief review on anatomy and bio-mechanics of the shoulder. Focusing not just on the rotator cuff, but the whole shoulder girdle and emphasising why the scapula plays such a significant role in a fully functional shoulder. Garry will also demonstrate several taping techniques to address the causes and symptoms of acute shoulder pain.

Approaches Using Dry Needling – Robert De Nardis
Robert will present approaches to the assessment and treatment of common shoulder presentations from a GEMt Dry Needling perspective. The functional disturbances from both active and latent trigger points will be discussed and his presentation promises to challenge the way you view the human body and will take your understanding of dry needling to a new level.

Approaches to the Assessment and Treatment of Shoulder Pain – Rob Granter
We will begin this session discussing some critically important surface anatomical points and underpinning knowledge on shoulder function. I’ll then provide with a clinically useful assessment structure relevant to your patients needs. We will then make sense of your findings to guide your treatment and management. I’ll be demonstrating direct soft tissue techniques, joint mobilisation, the use of some simple low-cost treatment tools and practical rehabilitation ideas that are appropriate to your assessment findings. I‘ll also be discussing ways to protect ourselves as therapists from injury, things we should definitely avoid and things that we can do to make us more resilient.

Tools of the Trade – Steve Stahl
This session will look at the assessment and some possible treatments for shoulder pain, with a particular focus on the use of massage tools and kinesiology tape. The session will demonstrate some assessment ideas and how this can direct you towards appropriate treatment and helpful home exercises.