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Two days ago I wrote something about The Postural Restoration Institute in the "Five Questions" thread and now I feel that this deserves it's own place in our discussion of pain and its management. Specifically I wrote, "Obsessed as I am with theory and practice and, well, science, I found the web site for the Postural Restoration Institute and the name of its main guy, Ron Hruska.
Now that we have it, those viewing this thread can easily contact them about the issues of posture and clinical practice that occupy so much of our time. Perhaps after reading the "science" portion of the web site some questions regarding what is proposed and concluded there might pop into your head. Boy, I know I sure have some! (ha,ha)
It would probably be best if I didn't make this request for more information myself. I seem to have become some sort of "participant repellent," for lack of a better term. I contend it has something to do with my hair.
So, anybody interested in inviting Mr. Hruska over here?"
I spent a portion of the morning reading through the Postural Restoration Institute’s web site and find myself both confused and fascinated.
Last week’s student was not the first therapist I’ve come across who seemed to have been sold on the theory and principles of practice Ron Hruska promotes but for the life of me I cannot generate any personal enthusiasm for what I’ve read there. Consider this from the “science” section of the site:
“Individuals experiencing symptoms at the knee, hip, groin, sacral-iliac joint, back, top of shoulder, between the shoulder blades, neck, face, or TMJ, will demonstrate inability to fully adduct, extend or flex their legs, on one or both sides of their body. They usually have difficulty in rotating their trunk to one or both directions and are not able to fully expand one or both sides of their apical chest wall upon deep inhalation. Cervical rotation, mandibular patterns of movement, shoulder flexion, horizontal abduction and internal rotation limitations, on one or both sides will also compliment [sic] the above findings. Postural asymmetry will be very noticeable, with one shoulder lower than the other, and continual shift of their body directed to one side through their hips.”
Aside from the misspelling of “complement” this is written well enough I suppose, and I understand what he’s saying, but I’m left with two impressions:
1)Who doesn’t display most of what he says to the extent that the word “usually” would apply? I've got most of this; why don't I hurt? As has been pointed out on this site in other threads, asymmetry is the norm, not the problem.
2)Just how exactly does this therapist justify his conclusions about function and consequent methods of practice? Is it pure empiricism? Is there evidence (and I mean good evidence) to support this? Why isn’t the verifying literature cited along with the conclusions? If it’s only available at his courses, why should I have to pay for such a thing?
I presume that these courses are increasingly popular and my fascination with this revolves around our therapeutic community’s willingness to unhesitatingly accept what is proposed there. Is it the word “posture” that draws them? Is the teacher especially charismatic?
Let’s get Ron over here and talk about this. I'd also like to see the student who objected to my problems with Hruska's theory join in.
Now that we have it, those viewing this thread can easily contact them about the issues of posture and clinical practice that occupy so much of our time. Perhaps after reading the "science" portion of the web site some questions regarding what is proposed and concluded there might pop into your head. Boy, I know I sure have some! (ha,ha)
It would probably be best if I didn't make this request for more information myself. I seem to have become some sort of "participant repellent," for lack of a better term. I contend it has something to do with my hair.
So, anybody interested in inviting Mr. Hruska over here?"
I spent a portion of the morning reading through the Postural Restoration Institute’s web site and find myself both confused and fascinated.
Last week’s student was not the first therapist I’ve come across who seemed to have been sold on the theory and principles of practice Ron Hruska promotes but for the life of me I cannot generate any personal enthusiasm for what I’ve read there. Consider this from the “science” section of the site:
“Individuals experiencing symptoms at the knee, hip, groin, sacral-iliac joint, back, top of shoulder, between the shoulder blades, neck, face, or TMJ, will demonstrate inability to fully adduct, extend or flex their legs, on one or both sides of their body. They usually have difficulty in rotating their trunk to one or both directions and are not able to fully expand one or both sides of their apical chest wall upon deep inhalation. Cervical rotation, mandibular patterns of movement, shoulder flexion, horizontal abduction and internal rotation limitations, on one or both sides will also compliment [sic] the above findings. Postural asymmetry will be very noticeable, with one shoulder lower than the other, and continual shift of their body directed to one side through their hips.”
Aside from the misspelling of “complement” this is written well enough I suppose, and I understand what he’s saying, but I’m left with two impressions:
1)Who doesn’t display most of what he says to the extent that the word “usually” would apply? I've got most of this; why don't I hurt? As has been pointed out on this site in other threads, asymmetry is the norm, not the problem.
2)Just how exactly does this therapist justify his conclusions about function and consequent methods of practice? Is it pure empiricism? Is there evidence (and I mean good evidence) to support this? Why isn’t the verifying literature cited along with the conclusions? If it’s only available at his courses, why should I have to pay for such a thing?
I presume that these courses are increasingly popular and my fascination with this revolves around our therapeutic community’s willingness to unhesitatingly accept what is proposed there. Is it the word “posture” that draws them? Is the teacher especially charismatic?
Let’s get Ron over here and talk about this. I'd also like to see the student who objected to my problems with Hruska's theory join in.
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