Vermont Naturopathic Physician Continuing Education

• Review the gait cycle and gait cycle biomechanics
• View and discuss case studies of gait pathologies
• Assess actions of the lower kinetic chain during gait
• Predict pathomechanics that will arise from gait abnormalities presented
• Propose remedies and rehabilitation strategies for the gait abnormalities seen

Hour 1

• Identify some common gait abnormalities seen in gait analysis and develop mental strategies in evaluating the 3 cardinal planes of motion and potential failures in the loading of these planes.
• Categorize the Fast and Slow phases of an imbalance asymmetrical gait and define rehabilitation strategies to remedy the gait pathology.
• Develop a conceptual overview of how step length and stride length change in a limping gait.
• Breakdown portions of the gait cycle into its component parts, including compensation patterns
• Conceptualize the gait changes oriented around a hallux (great toe) amputation and learn to predict gait compensations off of a fixed anatomic anomaly.
• Describe arm swing and how it plays out in gait, particularly asymmetrical, and develop some treatment concepts in addressing this asymmetry.

Hour 2

• Discuss the critical function of the deep neck flexors and transverse abdominus, and how they related to gait, especially the running athlete.
• Identify the 3 compartments of the thoracolumbar fascia and translate them into gait concepts and treatment concepts.
• Develop treatment concepts in addressing this asymmetry and define in-phase and out-of-phase arm and leg swing assimilation
• Discuss on a surface level the concepts of speed in gait, and how to adjust the speed of one's gait to break down gait components that might lead to better treatment directions.
• Describe central pattern generators and relate to arm swing on a neurologic level.
• Recognize some common gait abnormalities seen in gait analysis such as arm swing, step length, the cross over gait, and develop mental strategies in evaluating the 3 cardinal planes of motion and potential failures in the loading of these planes when it comes to these gait parameters.

• Discuss the concept of Gender as it relates to society, language and culture
• Identify Gender roles in Western Society
• Recognize innate gender traits in males and females
• Summarize socially imposed gender traits

• This includes all courses with the educational objectives listed from Boundary Training 101 through Boundary Training 112

• Identify aspects of male and female psychological development
• Relate basic concepts of Gender and Power
• List female and male leadership factors
• Discuss gender and the Doctor/Patient relationship
• Identify the ways which gender affects the Doctor/Patient relationship

• Describe what accounts for the differences, in practice style and patient care, between males and females healthcare providers
• Define differing sexualities in western culture
• Review sexuality as it relates to the Doctor/Patient relationship
• Identify misconceptions in personal definitions of male, female, power and sexuality
• Recognize when Power is misused and becomes a threat

• Define Touch as it relates to perception, gender and culture
• Discuss the giving up of power as it relates to patients and touch
• Recognize the perception, intention, and uses of touch
• Perform an analysis of individual conceptions of gender and sexuality

• Perform an exercise to identify personal concepts of touch
• Create practical applications for healthcare practitioners with regard to gender, touch, and sexuality
• Define sexual misconduct
• Recognize the difference between sexual misconduct and sexual harassment
• Critique different models of misconduct

• Describe how misconduct occurs
• Distinguish between different types of offenders
• Give examples of case studies in sexual misconduct
• Identify common fears and misconceptions of sexual misconduct
• Specify important concepts of treated a patient who has a history of abuse

• Define professional boundaries and relate the issue of consent
• Describe the three types of power, the three patterns of power, and how power is used
• Discuss the differences between adherence vs. compliance and transference vs. countertransference
• Identify anatomical risk levels for touch

• Develop safe touch guidelines
• Create a set of office based interventions and patient based interventions in the development of safe practice strategies
• Define educational interventions for safe practice strategies
• Define the basics of the supervision for a safe practice strategy

• Develop and outline for safe practice analysis
• Perform a risk factor analysis
• Execute a healthcare provider questionnaire
• Create a staff evaluation to implement at the office

• Develop and implement a buddy/supervisor evaluation of the healthcare provider and staff
• Develop and implement a patient evaluation of the healthcare provider and staff
• Create a system of analysis for the buddy/supervisor, healthcare provider, staff and patient evaluations

• Develop a plan for change based on the risk factor analysis (RFA) and practice evaluation questionnaires
• Identify areas of improvement for touch, consent, communication and respect
• Address concerns raised by staff and patients
• Discuss ways to defuse attraction

• Develop guidelines of dealing with a patient who is attracted to you
• Develop guidelines of dealing with feeling an attraction
• Discuss the six factors for a safe practice
• Describe the new partnership between healthcare providers and patients

• Recognize disability in your practice.  Today one in five Americans has a disability and this percent will continue to increase because of medical advances and the aging of our population.
• Become familiar with the range of disabilities including those involving mobility, hearing, speech, vision as well as the wide range of non-apparent disabilities.
• Integrate the course's Seven Themes for Setting Appropriate Boundaries with the Disability Community into your everyday practice.
• Avoid limiting beliefs about what people with disability can or cannot do.  Today people with disability have access to technological and other adaptive techniques that make full inclusion possible.
• Gain disability competence through skillful navigation of physical boundaries as well as psychological, emotional and social boundaries.

• Appreciate how your patients with disability have learned to adapt so you can work with their adaptive techniques and compensatory skills.
• Integrate do’s and don’ts about how to respond to specific disabilities.
• Surface – and learn to overcome – your hidden prejudices and stereotypes.
• Recognize how non-apparent disabilities can impact effective communication, compliance and other important health care outcomes.
• Familiarize yourself with legislative and technological breakthroughs that can support your patients during healing and recovery.

• Recognize the barriers that people with disability face in securing employment and aim to dismantle those barriers whenever you can.
• Become familiar with specific workplace accommodations for employees with disability.  These can be easy to execute and inexpensive.
• Commit to making your own workplace more inclusive by adopting simple changes to aid employees as well as patients.
• Accept your own uncomfortable feelings about disability in order to move beyond their grip.

• Identify the purpose of professional boundaries
• Differentiate between boundary violations and boundary crossings
• Identify the various factors related to dual relationships
• Identify issues related to bartering, gifts and boundaries

• Recognize the challenges of social networking and boundaries
• Evaluate issues specific to boundaries
• Clarify guidelines for maintaining professional boundaries
• Reflect on the maintenance of professional boundaries

• Describe the biomechanics of rotation of a thoracic ring at the levels T1-T7.
• Describe the biomechanics of the Cervical spine, Thoracic spine, ribs, clavicle and manubrium with elevation of the right or left shoulder.
• Describe the biomechanics of flexion and extension at the Costotransverse joint at T9.
• Describe the differences in motion of the mobile segments between T3 -T7 with side flexion occurring first in the Thoracic spine.

• This contains all courses with the educational objectives listed from Breathing Essentials 201 through Breathing Essentials 207

• Describe the physiology of breathing and how altered pH can affect the body.
• Describe two functions of the diaphragm.
• Identify limited chest expansion and Bradcliff angles and ski jumps
• Identify limited lateral costal breathing and how to facilitate normal lateral costal breathing

• Describe how altered breathing patterns can alter pH and how this can affect the body.
• Describe the autonomic nervous system and function.
• Name three physiological consequences of respiratory alkalosis.
• Describe suboptimal breathing patterns and their effect on the cervical spine and chronic pain.

• Name and describe the different types of sleep apnea.
• Describe the three levels of Apnea-hypopnea index AHI.
• List five symptoms of sleep apnea.
• List two treatments for sleep apnea.

• Describe the physiological response of aerobic exercise on the respiratory system.
• Describe the effect of running on the viscera and the diaphragm.
• Describe the response to inspiratory muscle fatigue on the body.
• List one device than may increase endurance of the respiratory muscles.

• Describe the anatomical structure of the diaphragm including innervation and blood supply.
• List four causes that may damage the innervation to the diaphragm and effect normal function.
• Describe the factors involved in Intensive Care Unit Acquired Weakness.
• Be able to describe the pros and cons of early mobilization in the ICU.

• Discuss the place cannabis products have in healthcare.
• Recall the historic relevance cannabidiol (CBD) has in patient care.
• Analyze which manual therapeutic modalities best compliment CBD usage and apply it to their practice.
• Discuss federal and state laws that apply to CBD use within their practice.
• Assess and differentiate between different CBD products to find that best suits their personal/ professional use.

• Outline the most commonly encountered neurological complaints of pregnancy that a D.C. might encounter in practice
• Differentiate between similar complaints to establish best course of care
• Modify normal practices, techniques and methods to accommodate for the biomechanical changes of the pregnancy patient
• Integrate other palliative therapies to relieve these complaints
• Analyze and adjust according to the complaint and concomitant exam findings

• This contains all courses with the educational objectives listed from Chiropractic and Pregnancy 201 through Chiropractic and Pregnancy 207