What is Postural Restoration®?
Postural Restoration® techniques originated from the Postural Restoration Institute (PRI), established in 2000. As documented in the “History” page of their website, the purpose of PRI “is to explore postural adaptations and asymmetries and their influence on the polyarticular chains of the body. [Their] mission is based on the development of an innovative treatment approach that explains the primary contributors of postural kinetic and kinematic movement dysfunction.” Postural Restoration® is cutting edge science and its many layers and facets require a base knowledge of anatomy and kinematics.
On their page devoted to the basic concepts of the Postural Restoration Institute, they summarize by saying, “The human body is not symmetrical. The neurological, respiratory, circulatory, muscular and vision systems are not the same on the left side of the body as they are on the right, and vice versa. They have different responsibilities, function, position and demands on them. This system asymmetry is a good thing and an amazing design. The human body is balanced through the integration of system imbalances. The torso, for example, is balanced with a liver on the right and a heart on the left. Extremity dominance is balanced through reciprocal function; i.e. left arm moves with right leg and vice versa. Postural Restoration Institute® (PRI) credentialed professionals recognize these imbalances and typical patterns associated with system disuse or weakness that develops because of dominant overuse. This dominant overuse of one side of the body can develop from other system unilateral overuse.”
About the Course
The course description from www.posturalrestoration.com explains that “[t]his advanced lecture and lab course explores the biomechanics of contralateral and ipsilateral myokinematic lumbo-pelvic-femoral dysfunction. Treatment emphasizes the restoration of pelvic-femoral alignment and recruitment of specific rotational muscles to reduce synergistic predictable patterns of pathomechanic asymmetry. Emphasis will be placed on restoration, recruitment, and retraining activities using internal and external rotators of the femur, pelvis, and lower trunk.
Guidance will be provided on how to inhibit overactive musculature. This will enable the course participant to restore normal resting muscle position. Participants will be able to immediately apply PRI clinical assessment and management skills when treating diagnoses such as piriformis syndrome, ilio-sacral joint dysfunction, and low back strain.”
About the Course Instructor
This course will be taught by Jesse Ham, PT, CMP, PRC. His biography from www.posturalrestoration.com shares that “Jess graduated from the University of South Dakota in 2004 with a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy. He began his career in Rapid City, SD at an outpatient orthopedic clinic where he worked for 8 years. As part of a team of 10 PT’s, Jess had become an active participant in continuing education. Jess’s focus on serving Western South Dakota with lifetime fitness, health and root positional cause versus peripheral symptom modification fit with PRI concepts seamlessly. He took his first course in PRI in 2006, which evolved into a now passionate interest in Postural Restoration®. When able, he took additional courses and coordinated PRI courses as a host clinic. In 2012, Jess earned the designation of Postural Restoration Certified™(PRC) as a result of advanced training, extraordinary interest and devotion to the science of postural adaptations, asymmetrical patterns, and the influence of polyarticular chains of muscles on the human body as defined by the Postural Restoration Institute®. At the start of 2013, he joined About You Physical Therapy with the goal of becoming a Postural Restoration Center in the near future. He thoroughly enjoys his time with patients and feels called to teach postural restoration, as it was and is central to him remaining in the profession of physical therapy. Jess is a husband and a daddy first and loves spending free time with his favorites—his wife Carrie, and his daughters Alexa, Jenna, Macie and Lillie.”
About the Course Site
The Cantrell Center for Physical Therapy and Wellness, a privately-owned physical therapy clinic established in 1992, has been a Postural Restoration® Center since 2008. A Postural Restoration® Center is defined by PRI as a place of business where at least one individual is Postural Restoration® credentialed (PRC or PRT) and all other individuals on staff who are eligible for credentialing have completed two or more PRI-sponsored courses. We’re proud to be the only Postural Restoration Center in the state of Georgia.
Located just an hour and half from the Hartsfield – Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), the Cantrell Center makes for an ideal location for out of state travelers. The Cantrell Center is located nearby exits from the interstate and has multiple hotels within walking distance adding to the convenience of attending a PRI course hosted by the Cantrell Center.
