Shoulder, Arm, Hand

Diagnostic priorities

• Identifying/ruling out urgent/serious medical conditions: fractures, dislocations, neuro-vascular and cartilagenous injuries
• Identifying contributing factors: posture, ergonomics, psycho-social stress, and others
• Identifying affected jing-jin (myofascial tract or "sinew meridian") patterns

History-taking for the shoulder: key questions and techniques

Physical cxam of the shoulder (live class only)

• Surface anatomy, inspection and palpation
• Active range-of-motion: measurements, diagnostic significance
• Passive range-of-motion and joint play/stability exam
• Peripheral nerve sensory and motor exams
• Manual strength testing
• Special orthopedic tests
• Documenting normal and abnormal findings

Diagnosis, pattern identification and treatment for shoulder girdle

• Gleno-humeral hypermobility (TUBS and AMBRI), labral tears and DJD
• Acromio-clavicular hypermobility and DJD
• Sterno-costal hypermobility
• Scapulo-humeral motion dysfunction
• Capsulitis, adhesive and non-adhesive ("frozen shoulder")
• Rotator cuff tendonitis/tendonosus, impingement, and bursitis

Arm, Wrist, and Hand

Clinical anatomy/patho-anatomy and relationships to the jing-jin: 

• Elbow joints: ulnar-humeral, radio-humeral and -capitellar
• Wrist joints: ulnar-carpal, radio-carpal, and distal radio-ulnar
• Muscles and tendons of the upper- and fore-arm and hand

Diagnostic priorities

• Identifying/ruling out urgent/serious medical conditions: fracture/dislocations, neuro-vascular and cartilagenous injuries, complex regional pain syndrome
• Identifying contributing factors: posture, ergonomics, psycho-social stress, and others
• Identifying affected jing-jin patterns

History-taking for the arm, wrist and hand: key questions and techniques

Physical cxam of the arm, wrist and hand (live class only)

• Surface anatomy, inspection and palpation
• Active range-of-motion: measurements, diagnostic significance
• Passive range-of-motion and joint play/stability exam
• Peripheral nerve sensory and motor exams
• Manual and dynanometer strength testing
• Special orthopedic, neurologic and vascular tests

Documentation of normal and abnormal findings

Diagnosis, pattern identification and treatment for arm, wrist and hand

Posterior/radial tract: yangming and shaoyang disorders

• Extensor strains, tendinosus, tennis elbow, radial tunnel compression neuritis and palsy
• Radial styloid stenosing tenosynovitis
• Radial collateral ligament sprains and hypermobility

Ulnar tract: taiyang and shaoyin disorders

• Ulnar neuritis/neuropathy
  • Ulnar groove compression
  • Canal of Guyon compression
• Acute sprains and chronic laxity of the ulnar-carpal joint
• Acute tendonitis and chronic tendonosus
  • Golfer’s elbow (“medial epicondylitis”)
  • Extensor carpi ulnaris
  • Flexor carpi ulnari
  • Abductor digiti minimus
  • Ulnar collateral ligament laxity (“Little League Elbow”)

Anterior tract: taiyin and jueyin disorders

• Biceps and forearm flexor tendonitis and tendonosus
• Median neuritis/neuropathy
  • Pronator teres syndrome
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome

Intrinsic wrist conditions

• 1st CMC joint pain: sprains, DJD
• Triangular fibrocartilage complex tears

Intrinsic hand conditions

• MCP and inter-phalangeal joints
  • Sprains and laxity of finger collateral ligaments
  • Degenerative joint disease
• Finger extensor tendonitis

Ergonomics, postural correction and exercise therapy for shoulder, arm and hand conditions:

• Scapular stabilization
• Rotator cuff strengthening
• Forearm exercises
• Wrist stabilization
• Keyboard ergonomics

Next offering: TBA. Please let us know of your interest in a distance-learning class.

Build on your skills with the Review/Practicum Lab