Back to Basics: Evidence-based Management & Clinical Reasoning for the Cervicothoracic Spine

Brief outline of presentation

• Grounded in evidence-based practice and the latest cervical clinical practice guideline, this course builds the knowledge and hands-on skills to properly manage cervicothoracic conditions. Given the significant treatment variability in orthopedic practice, this course will focus on getting “back to the basics,” highlighting what the research truly supports. Over two in-person days, participants will dive into evidence-based examination, treatment, and manual therapy/manipulation instruction. This course will bring awareness to the clinical biases that likely influence us every day, the different types of clinical reasoning, and review/discuss real patient case videos to spark high-level discussion amongst participants. The goal is that you leave confident and ready to apply it all in the clinic on Monday morning.

Learning objectives

• Review the most up-to-date literature on evidence-based examination and treatment of cervicothoracic conditions
• Differentiate individuals who are most likely to benefit from manual therapy interventions (e.g., thrust and non-thrust joint mobilization) targeting the cervicothoracic spine
• Enhance clinical reasoning skills through guided analysis and discussion of real patient video cases, allowing participants to identify key subjective and objective findings, generate and refine hypotheses, and apply evidence-based decision-making in cervicothoracic management
• Explain current best evidence to ensure safe and appropriate screening and use of thrust and non-thrust manipulative techniques for common cervicothoracic conditions
• Demonstrate skillful psychomotor skills necessary for the safe and effective application of both thrust and non-thrust manipulation techniques
• Demonstrate and prescribe appropriate manual therapy–reinforcing therapeutic exercises to optimize outcomes in the management of cervicothoracic conditions