Approved for 8 CEUs for Massage Therapists Only. This class will be held in-person at The Institute.
This course is NCBTMB approved under Matthew S. Gavzy, Approved Provider #1726.
Students should dress comfortably for class.
Course Description
What do you do when you have that patient that comes in for a massage after some orthopedic surgery because (s)he is really tight from being in a sling or knee brace? Every massage therapist has been there and all they want to do is help the patient. The questions are: “Do you know exactly what the procedure was? How the doctor performed it? What, if any, are the precautions and contraindications for this particular procedure? How can I help without damaging the implants and prosthetics? How do I speak to the referring Physical Therapist or Doctor in a manner that shows I fully understand what I am doing?”
Too many massage therapists do not understand orthopedic pathologies and their post-surgical precautions. This course describes these pathologies in depth, how the surgeries are performed and what their post-surgical precautions are so you will be better able to treat your patients without doing harm to them or the prosthetics while instilling confidence in your patient and the referring Physical Therapist or Doctor. You will learn to perform other protocols to help you measure and understand how your client is progressing. You will learn to perform goniometry, how to use a goniometer, landmark properly, and review joint ROM measurements. You will be educated on normal and abnormal end feels when assessing ROM and what that means in terms of possible tissue damage. You will learn about manual muscle testing and how to perform it properly, understand and apply grading scales and what that means for possible pathologies. You will be able to evaluate the above information and apply it to your patients, and how to communicate effectively with doctors and physical therapists in “their own language”.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
- Describe pathologies, surgeries, and employ precautions
- Perform goniometry
- Review normal joint ROM
- Perceive normal and abnormal End Feel
- Demonstrate Manual Muscle Testing
- Apply grading systems
- Evaluate the above information
- Communicate with MDs and PTs in their language to foster better understanding of how massage can help their patients
Class will include:
Introduction/Reason for Class/Class Objectives
Goniometry – Purpose, Review of Normal Joint ROM
End Feel – Review Normal and Abnormal End Feels
Goniometry and End Feel Lab
Manual Muscle Testing – General Instructions, Precautions to Performing MMT, Grading Systems
Manual Muscle Test Lab
Pathologies and Precautions
Arthrokinematics
Total Knee Replacement – Knee Anatomy, Knee Arthrokinematics, Massage Precautions
Total Hip Replacement – Hip Anatomy, Hip Arthrokinematics, Massage Precautions
Shoulder Anatomy – Shoulder Arthrokinematics
Rotator Cuff Surgery – Massage Precautions
Total Shoulder Replacement – Massage Precautions
Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement – Massage Precautions
Conversing with MDs and PTs
Questions and Discussions
Students should dress comfortably for class.
About the Instructor: Matthew Gavzy, PTA, LMT, BCTMB has been a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant for over 14 years and a Licensed, Board Certified Massage Therapist for over 24 years. He has worked in outpatient physical therapy settings as well as sub-acute settings working rehabilitating all types of injuries from orthopedic issues such as rotator cuff tears, knee and hip replacements, and shoulder replacements as well as strokes, heart attacks and neurological issues. He has been a member of the AMTA’s National Event Sports Massage Team and provided massage at national and international events such as the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and Paralympics and the New York, Boston and Baltimore Marathons. He will show students everything he knows about what physical therapists do and how they can apply that same knowledge to their practices.
