Our feet are the first contact with earth for most of us, yet we pay very little attention to them.  Unless they cause us a problem, we hardly even take care of them.  For a structure that takes such a beating during our work and play lives, you would think we would pay close attention to our feet.  Understanding loading, or functional biomechanics of the foot and ankle complex is a critical aspect of client care.  Not only for clients presenting with primary diagnoses of the foot and ankle, but those that may be presenting with primary diagnoses of the knee, the hip, the low back, even the cervical spine.  Understanding the influence of the attenuation of ground reaction forces throughout the kinetic chain should change the manner in which we apply our rehabilitative techniques.  This course will take a closer look at some of the unique features of foot and ankle biomechanics, muscle activation, and the proprioceptive environment created by normal loading and functional mechanics.  We will also look closer into ways to assess foot mobility for restrictions that might force compensated gait patterns, as well as strategic approaches to replicating authentic functional environments in our treatment.

Level of Instruction:  Intermediate

 

 

Course Objectives

  • Identify normal rearfoot, forefoot, and hallux, or 1st ray, loading mechanics.
  • Identify muscular/proprioceptor activation relative to decelerating motion.
  • Identify normal and abnormal relative motion of rearfoot to forefoot.
  • Identify artificial versus authentic treatment strategies and techniques.

Course Agenda

  • Gravity, mass, and momentum: how they accelerate and decelerate motion of the foot and ankle.
  • Rearfoot to forefoot to 1st ray biomechanical loading sequence.
  • Physical assessment of relative joint motion.
  • Treatment strategies than emanate from functional biomechanical principles.
  • Q/A session

Faculty

  • CRAIG FAETH, PT, ATC, CSCS, FAFS (FMR)

Mr. Faeth has been involved with the rehabilitation and management of patients from the youth to the collegiate and professional athlete, the injured worker and the general population across the lifespan. He focuses on assisting patients not only in their physical recovery and development, but also in their understanding of their bodies, injuries, and functional well being.
Craig attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology in 1990 and his certification as an Athletic Trainer in 1991. He commenced his career in the world of professional figure skating, working closely with Brian Boitano and Katarina Witt. The experience proved invaluable in the sense that he learned the art of collaboration with clients to help them achieve their highest levels of success. Thereafter, Craig turned to Division I college athletics and attended The Ohio State University where he earned his Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology in 1993. As at Westmont, Craig’s experiential focus as a graduate assistant was in sports medicine. Working with a wide range of sports from synchronized swimming to football, the experience allowed him to develop his creative skills, focusing on unique and successful outcomes to facilitate participation and competition at the highest level – and his love of “function” began in earnest.
After serving as head athletic trainer and curriculum director in Athletic Training for small universities, Craig returned to college in search of greater skills as a rehabilitative specialist and earned his Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from the University of South Dakota in 2003, and has been working in private physical therapy practice since.
Most significant in Mr. Faeth’s professional progression has been achieving fellowship status in Applied Functional Science (AFS), through the Gray Institute for Functional Transformation (GIFT). The principles of AFS foster treatment strategies that are authentically consistent with human function, and are the unique culmination of Craig’s previous experiences and education. Developed and instructed by Gary Gray, PT, FAFS, and David Tiberio, PT, PhD, FAFS, Applied Functional Science is the convergence of the Physical, Behavioral, and Biological sciences into a framework for assessment, treatment and training that serves clients from all backgrounds and abilities. After finishing the fellowship, he was asked to return as a Facilitator/instructor in GIFT, and he has since become involved with the education and enrichment of movement professionals from all over.

 

Contact Hours: 1.5

Price: $49

 

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