Prowers Medical Center Rehab is trying something new—hosting an on-site continuing education course. Rather than having members of their team travel for training, the medical center has secured a well-respected organization to come to them.

The Institute of Physical Art based out of Steamboat Springs, Colorado will be providing instruction in Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF I). The training is available to PTs, PTAs, OTs and COTAs and will enhance care for patients—especially those suffering from stroke, brain injury, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease and other neuromuscular disorders.

“Our bodies move in patterns. With stroke or brain injury, our bodies can forget movement patterns and PNF helps reestablish those patterns. For example, with stroke, we can lose the ability for our brain to talk to our muscles. Imagine taking the same route home every day, but then one day there’s a detour so you can’t go down that same road and you have to find a new way. That’s how it is with stroke. PNF is a tool to help the body learn a new path in the most efficient way,” Denman said.

Attendees of the three-day training receive certification in PNF-1. Denman believes that by training the entire team in PNF, they can better support each other with carrying out the therapy and applying it to individual patients.

“By having all of us attend, we’ll each take something different from the training. We can then use our collective knowledge to provide the very best care for our patients,” Denman said. “We are excited to expand our knowledge and learn new approaches to help patients recover. What works for one patient doesn’t always work for another, so it’s great to have another tool to help patients heal.”

The Institute of Physical Art offers certifications in Functional Manual Therapy and offers a credentialed fellowship program (www.instituteofphysicalart.com). The Institute was founded in 1978 by Gregory S. Johnson, PT, FFFMT, FAAOMPT and Vicky Saliba Johnson, PT, FFFMT, FAAOMPT.

“Several staff members have traveled to receive trainings from The Institute of Physical Art. So, we thought wouldn’t it be great if we could get them to come to us? All of our clinical staff will attend the training, and we have invited other therapy departments around the region to attend as well,” said Lori Denman, PTA, Rehab Manager.

The medical center hopes this is just the first of many future opportunities to be a host site for continuing education and trainings. To learn more about rehabilitation at Prowers Medical Center, go to prowersmedical.com.