Manual Medicine Integration Workshop II, Day 2

What's in store for day two?

First off, I injured myself today, so this is me typing with two fingers.
Functional by standard Physical Rehabilitaion in 10-12 weeks.
So, hopefully i've fixed enough on myself so i'd be functional by next week.
I'm still ruling out a metacapal 3rd and 4th digit fracture.
Hoping it's not that. I'll know for sure after either the swelling dies down or my cat drags me for the X-ray.

That means we'll have more time with Dione, Harold, Rey, and Ge. Shhh. They don't know this yet. That means that newbies get to see for a fact that these skill-sets are downloadable, editable, applicable, and downright outshine "the Box" insofar as structural-functional gains go. Other therapists have picked this stuff up and made it their own. And are now delivering previously unheard-of results.

If we may be slightly unintentionally abrasive, may we say:
1. HVLA is NOT the Holy Grail. And we're not just "cussing at the darkness." I mean, we still can and do HVLA. Rarely, though, and only if absolutely necessary. Come to think of it, maybe SYNTHESIS is the Holy Grail. Wait. I just remembered. We already know what it might be. Two things: "I," and "L." Can't remember? Ask Harold.
You were with us last time? It's how we manage to have a pinkie finger hold more superficially than a fascial hold melt through muscular spasm. Okay, so this can kinda overlap with the Pain Neutralization Technique.
2. To paraphrase Dr. Jesse and his Advanced Biostructural Correction, "The Box is dead."
3. Whenever we disagree with absolutist and purist techniques, it is merely from a "show us how that works, please?" perspective. In fact, we'd LOVE to be proven wrong.
If you see something that works better, faster, more profoundly, and with more lasting effects for the patients, hey, please - show us! We aren't absolutes. The only way we've gotten this far is an understanding that there's still too much to learn.
4. The only reasons these protocols may not work include:
wRong diagnosis
wRong technique or application or approach
Re-injury of the patient, or Re-exposure to an injury cycle.
5. We don't like causing pain. In fact, the reason we get away with so much amazing s*** (stuff) is that we intentionally find some way around pain. Also, enter: RDTs. After all, the VA says we SHOULD now ALWAYS include pain as the FIFTH VITAL SIGN.

By request, we're likely to include (depends on how nice everyone is)
1. how to alter shoulder ROMs by working nonlocally (as in the foot?)
2. Variations in application of the Passive PRone Technique
3. still debating whether to demo the MPL thoracic anterior technique (this is proving to be a harder skill to pass on than expected. Perhaps it's that rare over-assumption that others would find this easy, too.) This is useful for another point, though: not everyone picks up everything the first time around, and that's okay. In fact, each and every time i go attend a mentor's training, i see something new. For exactly the same topic. Whether it's a new notion or a new application, or i figure out a new way to modify or adapt a technique, well, there's something new.
Perhaps my Cat is the smartest animal in our team: she knows that everything moving is interesting, that anything hidden is interesting, and that strings that move are particularly fun to play with. If you can figure out how that relates to Manual Medicine, then, by George, you've got it!

More techniques and protocols later.

See you all on the 5th of April 2009 (with your choice of potluck lunch) for more amazing but incredibly learnable skills.

With the warmest regards,
Stay Blessed,