This week’s Abstract of the Week is:
A model for teaching and learning spinal thrust manipulation and its effect on participant confidence in technique performance (Christopher H. Wise, Ronald J. Schenk & Jill Black Lattanzi Published online: 10 Feb 2016)
So often people learn manipulation in school or in a con-ed class, but then fail to integrate it into their daily practice. One reason often cited is that they do not feel confident in their skills so they do not want to perform it on a patient. But the only way you get better at a skill is to practice it–and to practice it often with different variables. Some people worry that without the instructor watching them that they are “practicing it wrong.” But there is much to be gained from the feedback given from a novice rather then always having your instructor watch you.
As the article states: “While the expert clinician provides the most accurate depiction of the skill, research is showing that students gain knowledge by watching a novice attempt the technique and learn from the feedback they receive.”
After you become comfortable with the technique you need to start introducing new variables. Sure, it is great to practice on your study partner to learn the technique. However, after you are comfortable with that, you need to put different variables into your practice. Practice on people of different sizes or different body types.
Come and discuss at one of our upcoming manual therapy courses offered from coast to coast including:
- August 28-29 Manual Therapy and Pregnancy in Berrien Springs, MI
- September 10-11 Lumbopelvic Spine II in Baltimore, MD
- September 10-11 Lumbopelvic Spine I in Atlanta, GA
**Abstract of the week shared by NAIOMT Instructor Stacy Soappman, PT, DSc, COMT, FAAOMPT.
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