This two-part course will review the theoretical knowledge and background learning required to prepare to safely and effectively practice manual therapy and manipulation of the cervical and thoracic spine with a 4-week on-line distance-learning program. Then the participant will attend a practical, in-person course that will help them gain psycho-motor skill competency in the practice of manipulation of the cervical and thoracic spine.

The on-line course consists of 9 audio-power point presentations which include:
1) Vascular Risk in Cervical Manipulation and Treatment
2) Red Flags for Cervical Manipulation and Treatment
3) Introduction to Manipulation
4) Manipulation of the Cervical Spine- the process
5) Thoracic Spine Manipulation
6) Yellow Flag Screening
7) Introduction to the Treatment-Based Classification System of the Cervical Spine
8) Patient Screen Assessment for the Cervical/Thoracic Spine
9) Legislative Requirements for Manipulation
There are quizzes to complete following every two or three units to assess knowledge acquisition.

Following the on-line course, participants will attend a weekend intensive course to gain the skills of assessment and manipulation of the Cervical and Thoracic spine. This course will focus on the clinical reasoning and motor learning required to effectively integrate manual physical therapy examination and intervention techniques into the clinical management of these individuals. Safety and screening for appropriate candidates to discuss manipulation as an option are reviewed in detail. The evidence-based assessment of the cervical/thoracic region will be illustrated and practiced by participants to help classify patients into a treatment-based category. The five categories include Mobility, Directional Preference, Exercise/Endurance, Pain Control and Headaches. The focus of the course will be on effective and safe assessment of patients to identify those patients who would most likely benefit from manipulation. Participants will have the opportunity to practice Cervical/Thoracic area manipulations including supine, side-lying and seated techniques. The techniques covered include but are not restricted to the manipulations listed above. Once students have been guided in the refinement of the motor strategies for manipulation, they will be asked to demonstrate competency for each manipulation covered in the course prior to having their skills checklist marked as competent. Audio-visual, demonstration, instructor guided application, peer-review feed-back and case studies will be employed to promote learning prior to assessment of competency. This course will provide 14 hours of direct contact teaching related to the skill acquisition of manipulation.