Spinal Masterclass cohort celebrating together after completing a course

Courses

Four progressive levels of Masterclass training.

Each level combines online webinar lectures with an in-person practical adjunct — hands-on and/or foot-on technique work, live patient assessments and supervised clinical reasoning.

Next course: October 24th & 25th — hosted at Physio Plus NI, Northern Ireland

Learning Outcomes

What you'll walk away with.

Ten concrete clinical capabilities from the Problem Back Masterclasses — the skills, palpation literacy and reasoning frameworks that change how you practise from day one.

01
Refined manual palpation skills, including surface anatomy of lumbar, thoracic and cervical spines.
02
A new appreciation of the degrees of freedom of each spinal segment, including cephalad (decompression).
03
Understanding the roles of the IVD, facet joints, global/local spinal muscles, the three abdominal layers and the posterior ligamentous lock.
04
The significance of sustained spinal compression (catabolic) versus on-off spinal loading (anabolic) for intervertebral disc health.
05
A new understanding of the 5 stages of breakdown of a spinal segment.
06
A new appreciation of central segment mobilisation (spinous process) and facet mobilisation.
07
The difference in 'feel' between leathery, rubbery, thickened, brittle, tense, corroded, bloated and soupy segments.
08
Simple and effective self-treatment regimes for patients to do themselves.
09
How to run a compelling and effective spinal decompression class.
10
Confidently and safely using the feet to mobilise vertebrae, ribs and pelvis.

Sarah Key teaching a hands-on workshop with physiotherapists gathered around a treatment table

Level 1

Allow 8–10 hours of webinars · 2-day in-person practical training

Online Webinars

01Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Lumbar Spine
02The Stiff Spinal Segment
03Facet Joint Arthropathy
04The Importance of Spinal Decompression

Practical adjunct

Group presentations summarising the Level 1 webinars
Fine-tuning hands-on skills of the lumbar spine
Sarah palpates participants, then alternating pair practice
Demonstration and individual teaching of using the heel
Live patient assessment, diagnosis and treatment by Sarah
History taking, clinical examination and scan review
Dictating an audio summary using iPhone
A spinal decompression class using the BackBlock

Level 2

Allow 10–12 hours of webinars · 1-day in-person practical training

Online Webinars

01Acute Locked Back
02The Prolapsed Intervertebral Disc
03The Unstable Spinal Segment
04To Bend or Not to Bend
05The Trouble with Sitting

Practical adjunct

Group presentations of The 5 Stages of Breakdown
Treatment protocols for acute and chronic conditions — signs, symptoms, palpation, mobilisation and home self-treatment
Proper bending and sitting
Live patient assessment and treatment by Sarah
Individual teaching of heel mobilisation on the lumbar spine, with pair practice across multiple sessions
Other lumbar mobilisation and decompression techniques
Class-based mobilisation techniques

Level 3

Allow 10–12 hours of webinars · 1-day in-person practical training

Online Webinars

01Posture and Leg Length
02A New Perspective on Lifting
03Muscle Spasm: The Wild Card
04Crisis Situations, Common Conditions and Congenital Disorders (scoliosis, stenosis, spondylolisthesis, lumbarisation, sacralisation, failed back surgery syndrome)

Practical adjunct

Fine-tuning cervical and thoracic spine palpation
Hands-on mobilisation of the neck from the front
Demonstration and individual experience of heel work on thoracic spine and ribs
Live cervical and thoracic patient assessment and treatment
Vertebral artery testing and scan review
Thoracic spine decompression using the BackBlock
Self-treatment mobilisation techniques for the cervical and thoracic spine
Open discussion and review of webinar content

Level 4

2-day in-person practical workshop

Online Webinars

01Lower limb mobilisation — hip, knee, ankle and foot
02Upper limb mobilisation — shoulder, sternoclavicular, elbow, wrist and fingers
03Active exercise classes for peripheral joints

Practical adjunct

Day 1: Lower limb mobilisation techniques for hip, knee, ankle and feet
Day 1: Exercise classes demonstrating active lower limb techniques
Day 2: Upper limb mobilisation techniques for shoulder, sternoclavicular, elbow, wrist and fingers
Day 2: Active exercise class for upper limb joints
Integrating peripheral joint mobilisation into clinical practice