Scott Larke Massage Therapy Seminars

04/11/2024

Hey everyone!

Are you interested in taking courses in 2024?

With the new CMTBC Practice Development Program in effect, we wanted to gauge local interest in taking manual techniques courses.

We would be grateful if you could give us one minute to complete this survey:

https://us12.list-manage.com/survey?u=d7449aaa824d70636b9b05e63&id=fa82687ad0&attribution=false

09/08/2023

Do you need strategies to help your clients with low back pain?

Statistics Canada says, "Back problems are among the most common chronic conditions in Canada. Four out of five adults will experience at least one episode of back pain at some time in their lives."

That's 80% of adults in Canada!

We are now offering a "One-Day Lumbar Spine and Pelvis Techniques Review Course" to help clinicians hone their skills in assessing and treating the lower back and pelvis.

*This course is meant for RMTs who are solid in their knowledge of anatomy and movement principles.

Here are the details:
When: Saturday, October 21, 2023
Where: North Saanich (details online)
How to register: www.rmtworkshops.com
Cost: $315 (GST included)

Don't miss your chance to take this course and elevate your manual ability to treat the lower back and pelvis - your patients will thank you!

05/18/2023

My plan is to share studies that I find to be clinically relevant and informative for our RMT community!

Here is another great one I came across today: "The Effects of Muscle Energy Technique on Cervical Range of Motion (2013)"

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if a four week treatment period of Muscle Energy Technique (MET) would significantly increase cervical flexion, extension, sidebending, and rotation in asymptomatic persons with limited range of motion (ROM).

Methods: Eighteen volunteers qualified as subjects for the study following screening for neck ROM limitation. These subjects were then randomly assigned to either a control or MET group. A series of six, mixed, two-way analyses variance were used to test for significant cervical ROM increases. The two factors examined were Group (MET vs. control) and Test (pre vs. post).

Results: Significant interactive effects for both left and right rotation were found indicating a significantly greater ROM in the MET group. Trends toward significance were found for the remaining ranges of motion with the mean measures for each of the treatment groups showing an increase between pre-test and post-test.

Conclusions: These results support MET as an effective technique for increasing cervical range of motion.

Are you interested in learning and/or sharpening your skills with Muscle Energy Technique (MET) of the cervical spine?

Join us in Victoria, BC on Saturday, June 10th for a one-day, MET and manual techniques review course.

It's going to be fun AND informative!

Register now: www.rmtworkshops.com

05/12/2023

I wanted to share this great systematic review I found:

"Muscle Energy Technique in the Rehabilitative Treatment for Acute and Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain: A Systematic Review"

Here are the details:

Methods: The literature search was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Medline, PEDro, Cochrane Database, and Google Scholar from 2010 to January 2020. Clinical trials about MET were included. The quality of the trials was assessed according to the PEDro scale.

Results: Twenty-one papers according to inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected: 15 studies about non-specific acute neck pain and 6 studies about non-specific chronic neck pain.

Conclusions: This analysis suggests that the MET approach has a good clinical effect on reducing neck pain in patients with acute neck pain and improves cervical range of motion in patients with chronic neck pain, and is better if combined with a traditional rehabilitative approach.

Join us on Saturday, June 10th in Victoria, BC, for our first-ever "One-Day Cervical Spine Techniques Review Course!"

We will explore Muscle Energy Techniques as well as other rehabilitative approaches to effectively assess and treat the neck.

This will be a one-day condensed course that focuses solely on manual techniques and strategies for the cervical spine so you can start work on Monday morning with a boost of confidence!

Register here: www.rmtworkshops.com

04/27/2023

Ok, folks - just in!

Course details for our "One-Day Cervical Spine Techniques Review"!

WHEN: Saturday, June 10, 2023
WHERE: Victoria (North Saanich)

This will be an advanced course for RMTs with a strong foundation in anatomy, range of motion and joint biomechanics of the cervical spine.

**Please note: we can provide guidance on what to review in advance of the course if needed. **

Our goal is to have a concise review of manual techniques, so practitioners leave with confidence they can bring into clinic on Monday morning!

Don't miss your chance - the course date is already quickly approaching!

Register now: rmtworkshops.com

04/26/2023

Our "One-Day TMJ Review" seminar was a success!

I feel honoured and privileged to teach and learn from many great health professionals.

Thank you to everyone who came out and dedicated such focus and enthusiasm to sharpening their TMJ assessment and treatment skills!

Stay tuned for our "One-Day Cervical Spine Review" course in early June! Details to come soon.

04/10/2023

Neck Pain and TMJ Disorders: Are They Related?

Many people with temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders report pain in the jaw, but it can also cause a person to experience neck pain.

TMJ disorders can cause a person to experience pain that affects the face, jaw, or neck. Up to 70% of people diagnosed with a TMD report neck pain as a symptom.

Click here (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/can-tmj-cause-neck-pain -pain) to read the full article.

Join us on April 22, 2023, in Victoria for a one-day review of treatment strategies for the temporomandibular joint!

Register now: rmtworkshops.com

04/04/2023

Here is another excellent study I came across today that supports how we, as RMTs, can help people struggling with TMJ Dysfunction:

"Temporomandibular Joint: Conservative Care of TMJ Dysfunction in a Competitive Swimmer"

Objective: To detail the progress of a patient with TMJ dysfunction and headaches due to swimming, who underwent a conservative treatment plan featuring soft tissue therapy, spinal manipulative therapy, and rehabilitation.

Intervention and Outcome: The conservative treatment approach utilized in this case involved soft tissue therapy, hyoid mobility treatment, TMJ mobilization, spinal manipulative therapy, and digastric facilitation. Outcome measures included subjective pain ratings, range of motion, and motion palpation of the cervical spine.

Conclusion: A patient with bilateral temporal headaches and TMJ pain due to bilateral breathing while swimming appeared to be relieved of his pain after three treatments of soft tissue therapy, hyoid mobility treatment, spinal manipulative therapy, and digastric facilitation.

Three treatments! How inspiring!

We have the manual skills and ability to help people in more ways than we know.

Join us on April 22nd, 2023, for our "One Day TMJ Techniques Review" course and bring your confidence into the clinic!

Register now: rmtworkshops.com

03/30/2023

I came across a great study today:

"Massage of the Lateral Pterygoid Muscle in Acute TMJ Dysfunction Syndrome"

Here is the summary:

Material and methods
Fifteen patients were treated. Pain, joint clicking, measurement of mouth opening, lateral excursion and propulsion were recorded. Assessment was made before and after the massage in the same consultation.

Results
Joint clicking was solved in 80% and pain in 50% of the cases. Mouth opening increased by 12.8%, propulsion by 11.6% and lateral excursion by 41.3%.

What inspiring results!

Join us on April 22nd, 2023 in Victoria, BC, to learn about massaging the lateral pterygoid muscles as well as how to analyze the TMJ as discussed in the Materials and Methods of this study!

Register now: rmtworkshops.com

03/23/2023

https://www.verywellhealth.com/temporomandibular-joint-disorder-1046500

I came across this article and found it very interesting! I have seen people in my clinic who struggled with tinnitus or hearing problems, leading me to TMJ work.

This is what it says:
"Since the TMJ is located next to the middle ear, a disorder in the jaw can affect your hearing. While the exact reason isn’t clear, it’s thought that pressure or inflammation from the TMJ can affect nerves and muscles in the area, leading to blocked eustachian tubes."

By using functional analysis, soft tissue and joint work of the temporomandibular joint, we open the window of opportunity to help many people!

Join us on April 22, 2023, in Victoria for our One Day TMJ Techniques Review Course to hone your manual skills and clinical mindset for the TMJ!

Register now: rmtworkshops.com

Temporomandibular joint disorder may cause hearing loss and other symptoms of the jaw, neck, and head.

02/28/2023

Do you ever think about this?

In a recent study I reviewed, patients with temporomandibular joint pain were compared to patients without pain. All patients were subjected to a physical exam, a cervical spine X-ray, and an MRI of the TMJ.

These measurements were taken:
- Cervical and mandibular range of motion [active-passive]
- Vertical dimension of the mandibular rest position
- Head and shoulder angles

What they found is that there was a statistical difference in head and shoulder angles, temporomandibular joint active-passive range of motion values and rest position of the mandible between comparison groups.

This study supports the hypothesis that poor posture causes muscle imbalance and pain, which is highly correlated with developing temporomandibular dysfunction syndrome.

Join us for our upcoming One-Day TMJ Techniques Review course, where we will explore these concepts and sharpen our manual skills!

April 22, 2023, in Victoria, BC

Register here: rmtworkshops.com

02/14/2023

Happy Valentines Day everyone!