NeuroSeminars Orthopedic
basic level
A practical course for physiotherapists that combines knowledge of neurology, neurophysiology and brain function research with the assessment and treatment of patients experiencing pain, movement control difficulties and musculoskeletal conditions.
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About course
A patient presents with recurrent or persistent pain. Assessing muscles, joints and range of motion provides valuable information, but does not always explain the full clinical picture. Another patient continues to experience pain despite tissue healing, with recovery taking longer than expected.
What role does the central nervous system play in these situations? How can an understanding of pain processing, sensory integration and movement control influence clinical assessment and treatment?
NeuroSeminars Orthopedic is a course that integrates knowledge of neuroanatomy, pain neurophysiology and brain function with clinical practice in orthopaedic physiotherapy. You will explore the mechanisms of pain processing and modulation, central sensitisation, and the importance of proprioception and sensory integration in movement control.
During the practical sessions, you will learn to perform and interpret selected neurological tests, including assessments of balance, coordination, cerebellar function, eye movements and cranial nerves. You will develop a structured approach to assessment that helps you formulate and evaluate clinical hypotheses while recognising the possibilities and limitations of individual tests.
You will also learn how to apply this knowledge in treatment. Discover how to integrate your existing manual therapy techniques and exercises with an understanding of central nervous system function, while expanding your clinical toolkit with new therapeutic approaches targeting sensorimotor function. Learn to select and modify treatment based on assessment findings and patient responses.
These concepts will be explored through common clinical presentations, including persistent pain, post-injury conditions, headaches, temporomandibular disorders, and difficulties with balance and movement control.
The course draws on scientific research into nervous system function and continues to evolve through new research findings and the clinical experience of its instructors.
The programme consists of three four-day modules. The first module is taught by Darren Barnes-Heath, followed by two modules led by Nicole Oliver. Together, they guide participants from the foundations of neuroanatomy and neurological assessment through pain mechanisms to practical applications in rehabilitation.
The aim of NeuroSeminars Orthopedic is not to replace existing physiotherapy methods, but to expand your assessment and treatment options by incorporating a deeper understanding of central nervous system function.
Modules
- Module 1 - 4 days
- Module 2 - 4 days
- Module 3 - 4 days
Module 1 - 4 days
From Neuroanatomy to Assessment and Treatment
The first module is a joint session for participants of both NeuroSeminars Pediatric and NeuroSeminars Orthopedic. It will give you the foundation needed for further clinical work and help you better understand how the nervous system receives information, processes it and organizes motor responses.
You will explore the key sensory and motor pathways, the functions of the frontal and parietal lobes, and the organization of the brainstem. You will also learn how to assess selected cranial nerve functions and basic visual system functions, including saccades and smooth pursuit.
You will gain a better understanding of the cerebellum and its role in coordination, motor adaptation, balance and postural stability, as well as practical ways to assess its function.
An important part of the module focuses on afferent input, mechanoreceptors and proprioception. You will learn how sensory information can influence muscle tone and motor control, how spinal reflexes contribute to these processes, and how mobilization, manipulation, soft tissue therapy and exercise may influence nervous system function.
You will also learn how to adjust the intensity of therapeutic input and recognize situations in which treatment may lead to excessive stimulation of the nervous system.
Module 2 - 4 days
In the second module, you will learn to look at pain beyond the area where the patient feels symptoms. You will explore how different nervous system mechanisms may contribute to the development, persistence and modulation of pain.
You will learn about the neurological mechanisms involved in pain and the relationships between sensory input, processing of information and the body’s response.
Particular attention will be given to patients with:
headaches and migraine,
neck pain,
problems involving the craniofacial region,
temporomandibular joint dysfunction,
persistent symptoms that cannot always be explained by a local tissue problem alone.
You will learn how to combine nervous system assessment with examination of the musculoskeletal system and how to better differentiate which elements of the clinical presentation may be most relevant when planning treatment.
The aim of this module is not only to identify where the patient experiences pain, but to better understand which mechanisms may be contributing to it and how this information can guide your therapeutic decisions.
Module 3 - 4 days
The third module focuses on how the nervous system organizes movement, balance and postural stability, and how these processes may become disrupted following injury, overload or in persistent musculoskeletal conditions.
You will learn to assess motor control not only through strength or range of motion, but also through the information provided by the visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems.
You will learn how to assess:
postural stability,
movement control and movement quality,
the patient’s response to changes in sensory conditions,
integration of visual, proprioceptive and vestibular information,
compensatory strategies that may develop after injury.
You will explore how to build and progress rehabilitation from simple sensorimotor tasks to increasingly demanding functional situations.
You will learn how to select and modify exercises and sensory input so that the nervous system is progressively challenged and the patient is prepared to return to everyday activity, work or sport.
The aim of this module is to teach you how to move from assessment findings to a deliberately planned process of restoring function.
