Finding Dysfunction: A Master Clinician’s Approach to Finding the Cause of Patients' Pain (Sep 12 - 13, 2026)

Finding Dysfunction: A Master Clinician’s Approach to Finding the Cause of Patients' Pain is organized by Great Lakes Seminars (GLS) and will be held from Sep 12 - 13, 2026 at Valley Health LifeStyles Fitness Center, Mahwah, New Jersey, United States of America.

Description:
This course will provide you with a unique yet systematic framework to finding the true cause of patients’ pain. You’ll learn to assess the body in a “global” way, looking beyond the local pain area to find dysfunctions elsewhere that could be causing the problem. The major focus points of this approach are the joint, muscle, fascial, and compensatory barriers a patient has (what we call the JMFC Framework) as well as the hypo-hyper compensation model, both in theory and on actual patient case studies. We know patients tend seek out therapists who have a great reputation for making a difference, and these simple frameworks will help you develop that reputation and help you get patients’ lives back. This course will cover how to identify key dysfunctions in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, and foot, as well as look at spinal referred pain.

Course Objectives:
At the completion of this seminar, the participant will be able to:

• Synthesize data from a clinical exam to develop a master-level approach to finding the root cause of upper and lower extremity pain
• Identify 4 pathological barriers to motion which can contribute to peripheral joint pain
• Apply the Joint-Muscle-Fascia-Compensation Framework to justify single and multiple dysfunctions that can contribute to peripheral joint pain
• Devise 1-2 pain pathways for upper and lower extremity joints in all 3 planes of motion
• Apply the Hypo-Hyper Compensation Model, and as outlined in the manual, and identify 4 ways in which this model contributes to the origin of peripheral joint pain
• Accurately describe the significance of applying the Test-Treat-Retest concept and justify the use of 1-2 manual therapy techniques for each pathological barrier to motion
• Explain 2 mechanisms by which mechanical pain is perceived in the brain
• Interpret 3 key pieces of the patient’s subjective history that give the clinician information by which to find dysfunction effectively and efficiently