Meet the Instructor of the Biomechanical Assessment Course!

This August, Herman & Wallace is thrilled to be offering a brand new course, Biomechanical Assessment of the Hip and Pelvis in Tampa, FL. This two-day, orthopedic course was developed and is instructed by Steven Dischiavi, MPT, DPT, ATC, COMT, CSCS.

Pelvic Rehab Report sat down with Steve to learn more about his practice, his experience in the clinic and with the Florida Panthers hockey team and this brand new course.

What can you tell us about this continuing education course that is not mentioned in the "course description" and "objectives" that are posted online?

This course was designed to bring a sports medicine approach to pelvic health clinicians. The exercise philosophy is intimately integrated into the pelvic health specialty. As a PT who currently works with a NHL hockey team I am constantly challenged by a sport dominated with pelvic injury. It was crucial for me to learn more about a specialty that has always been known to me as “women’s health.” I feel this course blends some of the knowledge of the pelvic health specialty with the sports medicine arena to develop a series of functional exercises designed to treat individuals with pelvic issues.

What inspired you to create this course?

I have seen several exercise regimes targeted at the “core” for both the highest functioning athlete to the PT client whose functional goals are far less. None of these programs target the entire human system from an anatomic, orthopedic, and neurologic approach. I was once told “all orthopedic clients are neurologic clients, but not all neurologic clients are orthopedic clients.” I think this is a good axiom to describe how you may start treating your orthopedic clients with techniques typically reserved for neurologic clients. The exercise system uses orthopedic strategies applied with a neuroscience approach all based in functional anatomy.

What resources and research were used when writing this course?

This course was bred from many different approaches and thought processes. The main influences to my philosophy come from Thomas Meyers and his work with “Anatomy Trains.” Diane Lee is a clinician whom I dearly respect and she has heavily influenced my thought process with regard to the pelvis. Although, I felt that Diane Lee’s approach to corrective exercise is where the greatest demand lay. I cite numerous studies on the hip, pelvis, and rehabilitation, all of which can be found in the course manual. The manual therapy approach I utilize is mainly influenced by the Ola Grimsby Institute, where my manual therapy certification was obtained. As with any clinician, the philosophy behind their practice is a unique blend of art and science reflective of their experiences and exposures to the profession.

Can you describe the clinical/treatment approach/techniques covered in this continuing education course?

The whole focus of this course is to allow an individual to function on a centered or balanced pelvis. This is first achieved through a sound physical exam, which will be reviewed in the course. The course will offer manual techniques to help correct pelvic imbalance. The bulk of the class is then focused on the corrective exercises and aims to strengthen the whole body functionally through movement efficiency. The class should not be thought of as a manual therapy course, although there are manual strategies offered, it is not the primary focus of the course.

Why should a therapist take this course? How can these skill sets benefit his/ her practice?

The profession of outpatient physical therapy needs to change. Fitness and wellness centers are offering more and more programs targeting areas that should remain in the realm of physical therapy. This course outlines an exercise system that can be utilized by the physical therapist to cover a wide variety of clients. These exercises can be used for an elderly client who needs to move more efficiently in order to achieve a functional task. These exercises can also be used, for example, in a circuit fashion for the highest-level athlete. I have seen success with these exercises in my private clinic as well as with the professional athletes I work with on a daily bases. The skills learned, if implemented correctly, are a great way to market more than just physical therapy to the community.

If you'd like to learn more about these techniques and approaches from Steve, don't miss his course in Tampa in August. Seats are limited, so let us know if we can save you a seat!