Please let me put the record straight. Yes! I have sold my practice! But retire? Me? I think not! I love this profession! However, due to failing health, neurological and musculoskeletal limitations and a burning desire to study and understand more about what it is that we the chiropractic profession actually do, I will no longer be in practice. In order to upgrade the MPI postgraduate education programs, I have decided to go back to the universities, texts, authors, scientists, researchers, and the MPI faculty to fulfill the MPI mission of bringing "up to date and new" research data to the chiropractic profession. The back force transmission system and MPI's postgraduate neurology and sports injuries courses are but some recent examples of such new material.
With respect to the 1-800 number to my office, the future of this will really be a function of exactly where I am living (I am actually considering a very small hamlet) and for how long; therefore, there may be a time that this service to MPI certified doctors will be unavailable. I do, however, intend to reinstate it once I have established a permanent residence. The number should be in effect until approximately March 1998.
The making of this decision has not been an easy one to say the least. Long and many discussions with my father and brother, MPI faculty and other health care practitioners have resulted in the sale of my practice (leaving my patients is without question the most difficult thing I have ever attempted to do) in order for me to become completely mobile in my pursuit of MPI's "educational excellence." My life will very soon take on a new focus, with the end result being new and rich MPI educational programs being offered throughout the world. There will be no looking back, as those who are constantly looking to the past will surely fall into the historical black hole of lethargy and status quo.
Over the past twelve years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach doctors and students all over the world, and it has become obvious to myself and numerous other postgraduate instructors that without mandatory quality continuing education programs covering the many facets of chiropractic, we the profession will be in the unfortunate but certainly predictable position of trying to justify our very existence (i.e., when are we going to finally acknowledge the existence of coupled motions (of spinal segmental motion) and then follow this with coupled motion reduction adjustments?). It is very interesting to note that the physical therapy world is currently teaching this type of manipulative procedure.
For the future, there will be many exciting changes within the MPI continuing education programs. This includes the writing and publishing of a series of MPI textbooks over the next few years to go along with each MPI core seminar. An update to each text is being planned to be made available as well, so that the owner can stay current. The reason for the undertaking of this monumental task is to satisfy the hundreds of requests that we receive each year for MPI material in published book format and to provide the colleges, boards, doctors, insurance companies, attorneys and students with the references to substantiate the chiropractic subluxation complex.
The development of an MPI website has already been started so that all of the MPI programs can be viewed on the Internet. The site will eventually be a forum for open discussion by anyone who wishes to discuss difficult or interesting cases, as well. The intricacies of this are currently being studied by MPI faculty and a target date is being set for completion.
MPI will start its new sports injuries course during the first few months of the year with the first module being split into two twelve hour sessions. The first will include a very comprehensive look at the expanded back force transmission system as it pertains to gait. Gait will be studied almost microscopically and will include all of the following topics and much more:
- The gait cycle;
- The phases of gait;
- Maintaining the line of progression;
- Basic functional components from heel strike to toe off;
- Vectors and vertical forces and their meaning during gait analysis;
- In depth examination of function of every articulation involved in gait;
- The joint play in both open and closed kinetic chain positions of the above joints;
- The importance of the oblique and longitudinal slings and their impact on the SI joints;
- The ligaments and the self locking mechanism of the calcaneocuboid articulation;
- The talocalcaneal, the cervical ligament and the torque conversions;
- The talocrural joint, subtalar joints, talocalcaneonavicular joint and the first ray complex as a continuum of motion dynamics; all or nothing concept;
- The ankle foot complex as an axial torque converter;
- The fibula as a shock absorber, strut, and initiator of pelvic stability/instability;
- The anatomy of all areas in extreme detail, muscles, ligaments, membranes, nerves and vessels;
- The knee joint in loading, restraint and rotation throughout the gait cycle;
- The hip joint ... the forgotten joint, torque, vectors, flexors, extensors, adductors and abductors, coronal plane stability and the initiator of eventual toe off;
- The SI joints as a function of normal gait and abnormal gait, their compensations and coupled motion fixations, examination and treatment thereof;
- The visual concept of vertical displacement during the gait cycle, its meaning and significance;
- The upper limb as a function of the contralateral leg, its timing and muscles and clinical significance when in a state of disharmonious relative function;
- Muscle firing relative to the upper limb and the foot function from static posture through toe off;
- Normal and pathological gait;
- Gait and the spine in healthy state and a pathological state ... how to recognize this and the many different ways to treat it.
All of the above will be discussed as to the normal then as an abnormal, i.e. the knee and abnormal gait: where are the compensations and what do you treat?
From the above list, which is by no means comprehensive, the doctor and/or student will be prepared for session two. Session two will be team taught by the MPI faculty member and a professional trainer of top world class athletes. The object of this module is to teach the doctor/student the language of running and to learn to take a case history in the language of the athlete. The mechanism of the injury, the prevention of the many possible injurious things that athletes do and several other topics will be discussed. The doctor/student will be encouraged to participate in this module, as there is nothing like having been there once to remind you of just what it is the runner does.
Topics will include the start with blocks and without; a standing start; and all potential areas of concern with respect to injuries. The loads applied to various structures during the start will be reviewed as well as many other aspects of running. Running will be the topic, but running is not sprinting, nor is it the same for running fifteen hundred meters versus the marathon; therefore the end result of this weekend will be a doctor/student who is knowledgeable in all the various disciplines of running. Treatments will be taught and the use of various modalities discussed. The doctor and student will need to bring portable tables and other items to these programs.
The importance of running to the remainder of the sports courses should be obvious as it is an aspect of all of the others and therefore commands the time of two very complete modules. The following modules will be, in random order: soccer, with an ex-pro player to teach the intricacies; martial arts, with a martial arts hall of fame member to teach you; golf; basketball; volleyball; baseball; track and field; swimming; tennis and other racquet sports; hockey; football; shooting and archery; and many others. MPI is extremely proud to bring this course to the profession and at this time it is tentatively being considered for Chicago, Toronto, St. Louis, Portland/Seattle, New York and other areas. Obviously the areas that express the most interest will be given priority. Look for final announcement dates and locations in future issues of Dynamic Chiropractic.
Clearly you can see that just the above is a very big job as well as the continual updating of the MPI core course material and MPI's neurology diplomat program. I guess, therefore, that one could say I really am not quitting; rather I am just shifting the emphasis somewhat. I will surely miss practice but it is time to move on. I hope to see my many friends and colleagues at the MPI continuing education programs throughout the world.
Keith Innes, DC
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
dockeith-aol.com