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DFA offers a broad introduction to the Functional Manual Therapy® system of patient care with an intensive focus on the anatomical region inferior to the knee. This lab-intensive course blends material from a spectrum of the core curriculum courses and then expands upon that material providing additional techniques and concepts not presented in the core-curriculum classes. DFA is designed to meet the needs of both individuals new to IPA, and those seeking to expand their knowledge beyond the core-curriculum of IPA.
DFA presents the anatomical and biomechanical requirements necessary for the foot & ankle to provide a dynamically stable and mobile base of support. As the interregional dependency of the human kinetic chain is explored, each participant examines the foot & ankle’s role as an essential component of optimal mobility, alignment, and motor control of the human system.
Through demonstration and supervised lab sessions, the participant will develop advanced skills of evaluation, differentiation of mechanical, neuromuscular, and motor control dysfunctions, and implementation of an appropriate plan of care and utilization of Functional Mobilization techniques to treat identified dysfunctions. Systematic functional and structural pre and post-assessments objectify the effectiveness of each intervention.
Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Analyze the biomechanical difference between a normal and an efficient foot and ankle
- Understand the implications of the three main foot types: efficient, fixed supinated, and compensated supinated (flat foot)
- Identify the dynamics between the foot & ankle complex and the human kinetic chain
- Critique the information gained through objective and subjective evaluations to assist in the development of an appropriate plan of care and prognosis
- Develop a treatment strategy cascade for any foot type building clinical confidence with all foot & ankle patients
- Apply FMT™ manual therapy interventions to optimize mobility and function of identified foot and ankle impairments
- Develop a dynamic home program, applicable to identified foot and ankle dysfunctions