SIMPLE CONTACT: MANUALLY MANAGING PEOPLE IN PAIN
A workshop presented by Barrett L. Dorko, P.T. (currently unavaiable)
The challenge of manually managing painful conditions has produced a variety of techniques. This workshop proposes that technique must flow from our knowledge of the materials we handle and that because the human body often responds to touch in unique and unexpected ways, our technique must be potentially harmless.
Simple Contact is an increasingly popular manual care technique that emphasizes the reflexive reaction of the body to gentle touch at specific sites. It begins with the premise that the body’s own corrective processes are generally sufficient to produce enough mechanical force to reduce pain and normalize function. Since this process is unconsciously motivated, technique must support and encourage the patient’s ongoing activity.
Barrett Dorko, a therapist with 40 years of experience in manual care, will introduce you to Simple Contact through a mixture of lecture, demonstration, supervision of technique and ample lab time. He is known to challenge some of physical therapy’s long-held notions about evaluation, diagnosis and principles of care. Besides sharing his experiences with other prominent clinicians and his daily patients, he also cites numerous references ranging from refereed journals to classic literature. Barrett offers an alternative to the protocols for diagnoses that may not honor the unique nature of each patient or the creative abilities of the caregiver.
This program provides instruction in manual care designed to assist in the correction of dysfunction secondary to abnormal neurodynamics and increased sympathetic tone. All lectures are supplemented with reference lists and essays written and previously published by the instructor. Exercise and stretching regimes to maintain correction are also demonstrated and provided in written form.
This two day lecture and hands-on practicum includes what I’ve come to understand about manual care the past 40 years. It is neither basic or advanced, but simply a presentation of relevant research along with the manual techniques and exercises I employ daily. I’m convinced that all effective technique is the end result of an understanding of the materials, and that is what I teach.
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES:
- Explain the contribution of abnormal neurodynamics to typical pain syndromes.
- Explain the cellular mechanics of touch and its relation to the reflexive effects of manual care.
- Discuss the relation of autonomic balance to chronic pain and recovery.
- Instruction in manual techniques designed to examine and restore normal mobility.
- Instruction in specialized exercises that may be employed in a variety of syndromes.
YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO:
- Use historical details and physical assessment to help plan the appropriate use of manual care
- Handle parts distant from the area of pain in a way that provides relief where desired
- Identify instinctive movement toward correction, normal function and pain relief
- Speak to patients and colleagues about pain theory in understandable terms
- Distinguish between productive and creative movements for pain relief and increased function
- Provide specialized, effective exercises for use in the clinic as well as home
| Hours 1 2 | Introduction: Distinguishing Pathologic and Non-pathologic Processes Leading to Pain; Abnormal Neurodynamics As A Common Factor in Chronic Pain |
| Hours 3 4 | Simple contact; a technique for examination and treatment |
| Hours 5 6 | Sensing Neural Tension, the perspectives of the patient and therapist. |
| Hours 7 10 | Simple contact in the cranium proper |
| Hour 11 | Fractal Geometry and Nervous Irritation, Understanding Chaos in the Body |
| Hours 12 13 | Specialized exercise regimens for abnormal neurodynamics |
| Hour 14 | Manual Contact and Reflexive Effect |
| Hour 15 | Simple Contact in the extremities and trunk |
Course feedback
Barrett’s course is cutting-edge neuroscience, immediately applicable to your clinical practice, and will change forever the way you assess your patients and treat mechanical pain. I was frustrated with the large numbers of treatment systems out there but Barrett showed me what they had in common and how I can use that knowledge the next day in the clinic. He single-handedly reinvigorated my passion for therapy and showed me what I could do to change business as usual in treating my patients. Citing the latest research, Barrett brings the physiology of pain and the use of movement therapy to life in an enjoyable way. He even juggles. Anyone who sees patients in pain ought to attend this course. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Jason Silvernail DPT,OCS,CSCS
I personally invited Barrett Dorko to present his Simple Contact workshop in Nanaimo, BC. I was impressed by how many therapists traveled great distances, from different continents even, to attend this workshop; a sure sign of his global influence and the importance of his material. This turned out to be, quite simply, the best continuing education course in physiotherapy I have ever attended.
Barrett has an infectious enthusiasm for his subject and spices up his lectures with enjoyable humor and narrative. All the while, the course content adheres to the highest standards of scientific integrity. His commitment to the material is legendary, and the material itself is nothing short of awesome. In addition to being an extraordinary speaker, and a highly skilled educator, Barrett quickly lets you realize he is also a friend willing to help support your learning long after the workshop has ended.
I left the workshop having all my expectations exceeded and I felt fully prepared to integrate this knowledge into my practice.
Eric Matheson, PT
BHSc.PT, BSc. Kin, MCPA
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Barrett Dorko’s course was a pivotal moment in my professional life, transforming my understanding of patients in pain and the meaning of rational treatment. His methods were easily integrated into my practice and have offered light for many patients where everything else has failed. Professional, well referenced, entertaining and enlightening, I highly recommend his course and writing to every therapist working with people in pain.
Luke Rickards, B.AppSc, M.Ost
Osteopath/Researcher, Australia
Barrett’s course got me thinking about and reading our professional literature like no other course I’ve ever taken. His presentation skills are seconded only by his writing ability and I’ve used many of his metaphors to help educate and convey understanding to my patients.
Since taking his course my approach to patient care has become more humanistic and concordant with the description of the classic physical therapist response to disability in our Guide to Professional Practice.
Barrett also champions the importance of scientific inquiry to improve the treatment of people in pain. I’ve been so inspired that I make a daily effort to promote scientific inquiry, especially as it pertains to the study of pain, within the profession. The only course that I have found to be as informative and thought-provoking has been the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society. Unfortunately that course simply can’t compare to the engaging narrative Barrett employs.
Jon Newman PT GCS
I first heard about Barrett Dorko s Simple Contact course in 2002 and became intrigued by the neurophysiology behind the concept. I attended the course in British Columbia, after flying across the Pacific to do so.
The course exceeded my expectations, though I was well versed in neurophysiology beforehand. What is striking about the presentation is its simplicity; Barrett is a skilled presenter with an excellent understanding of language and group dynamics. Learning was achieved in a friendly, non-threatening environment interspersed with good humor. Plenty of time was allotted to extended discussion while practicing, and Barrett was always available for questions.
Reading materials and references were set out for perusal during breaks. It was one of the very few courses I have attended over 20 years where, by the end of the day, it would have been easy just to continue learning into the night.
Nari Strange, Physiotherapist
Canberra Australia
I found Barrett Dorko’s course superlative. My sense of having learned something was not so much based on what new material he included as it was based on what ideas he gently suggested could be discarded as faulty. He focuses on good science in the first place, and demonstrates how to operate Occam’s Razor very effectively with regard to PT treatment constructs.
Diane Jacobs, Physiotherapist
Vancouver British Columbia
Barrett has done an extraordinary job synthesizing the most current pain science into an immediately useable, explainable and thoughtful method of care. I would recommend his course without hesitation to anyone treating people with chronic pain.
Christopher Bryhan MPT
I attended Barrett Dorko’s workshop, Simple Contact, in December of last year after having read much of what he has written over the years.
The information was presented in a manner to engage, then challenge, and then explore what I know of manual treatment and pain. Barrett’s style of presentation is a wonderful compilation of research, metaphor, analogy, and current social topics. Never have I attended a course in which the instructor presented the information so creatively while remaining so deeply rooted in the science he describes.
The method’s application goes beyond manual treatment and expands into the manner in which we communicate both verbally and non-verbally. It truly encompasses the craft of manual care.
The impact upon my practice has been astounding and my patients in pain have benefited significantly from what I learned. I wholeheartedly recommend this course for anyone involved in treating those in pain.
Cory Blickenstaff PT, MS, OCS, CSCS
Owner Forward Motion Physical Therapy
Vancouver, WA
Barrett Dorko delivers by far the best continuing education course in physical therapy. I have had the privilege of attending his course three times and seeing how he has developed the material, integrated the most recent evidence and basic science, and honed his teaching style. He encourages his students to contribute and challenges them to learn more. He has a great vision of what physical therapy could be and he is doing his best to raise the profession to a thoughtful, caring, and scientific level. There is no teacher I could recommend more highly than Mr. Dorko.
Nick Matheson, BScPT
One to One Wellness Centre PhysioFitness
Halifax, Nova Scotia