A groundbreaking one-day seminar for Therapists and other Professionals working with patients who are at risk for falls

Improving Balance and Decreasing Fall Risk Using T’ai Chi

Simple Techniques Yielding Dramatic Results—A Day of Participation and Movement

• The three common mistakes in stance that decrease balance and reaction times
• Reprogramming neuromuscular responses using kinesthetic imagery
• The tan tien:  The key to controlled & centered movement
• Tailoring the T’ai Chi exercise progressions to individual patient needs
• Incorporating T’ai Chi in the Care Plan & documentation for reimbursement

Improving Balance and Decreasing Fall Risk Using T’ai Chi

According to the most recent statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), falls are the primary reason for accidental deaths, the 5^th leading cause of death for Americans age 65 and older.  In that age group, 30% of community dwelling elders and 50% of nursing home residents fall each year.

The research literature supports T’ai Chi, an ancient form of the martial arts, as the best balance exercise for elderly people at risk for falls.  This interactive seminar provides you with all the tools and skills you need to begin a T’ai Chi balance program as soon as you return to the clinic.  You also learn creative techniques for engaging patients who are withdrawn and reluctant to participate in other forms of therapy.  After practicing each exercise during this one-day seminar, you leave with a clear understanding of how to progress your patients through the sequence of T’ai Chi exercises toward higher function with decreased fall risk.  Finally, you learn how to include T’ai Chi in the multidisciplinary Care Plan, and how to document the therapy sessions for maximum reimbursement from Medicare Parts A & B and all other types of insurance plans.  This course is designed to be participatory and fun, and after initiating the program in your own clinical setting, you will be pleasantly surprised to find your patients looking forward to their next T’ai Chi session with you.

Course Content

* WHAT T’AI CHI CAN DO

• What the research shows
• Clinical anecdotal experiences

* BASIC PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EAST &    WEST

• The relationship between Man and The World
  • Balance & harmony vs. Logic & progress
  • Breathing/Types of breath
  • Energy use
  • The 10,000 distractions & their relationship to illness
• Differing biomechanical approaches
  •  Standing
    • The three common mistakes in stance that decrease balance and reaction times
    • Energy use in standing
  • Walking
    • Western approach:  The inverted pendulum
    • Eastern approach:  Balance & weight transfe

* POSTURE

• How postures can change emotional & cognitive states
• Posture, vision & balance

* BREATH CONTROL

• Importance of breath control
• Three breathing modes
  • Relaxation/focus
  • Energizing
  • Integration

* AUDIO-VISUAL PRESENTATIONS

• VIDEOS
  • Yang-Style Short-Form T’ai Chi Chuan
  • The 8 Ways of T’ai Chi Chuan:  All of the exercises in today’s course (Developed by Master Cheng Man-ch’ing)
• POWERPOINT:  A review of the research literature

* POSTURE & BREATHING IN SITTING:  GUIDED LAB

* KINESTHETIC IMAGERY IN SITTING:  GUIDED LAB

• Sitting at the Edge of a Cliff (White Crane Spreads its Wings)

* WEIGHT SHIFTING & LOWER EXTREMITY STRENGHTHENING IN SITTING:  GUIDED LAB

* POSTURE & BREATHING IN STANDING:  GUIDED LAB

* KINESTHETIC IMAGERY IN STANDING:  GUIDED LAB

• Hugging a Tree

* FINDING THE CENTER OF THE ARCH OF THE FOOT:  GUIDED LAB

* WEIGHT SHIFTING IN STANDING:  GUIDED LAB

• Finding the tan tien
• Alignment of the head, tan tien & center of the arch of the foot
• Stable foot positions
• Single limb weight acceptance & the Empty Step
• The 70/30 stance
• Weight transfer

* MOVEMENT IN STANDING & WALKING:  GUIDED LAB

• The Action Center:  moving from the tan tien
• Importance of the hips
• The trunk as passenger
• Special techniques for guiding the patient with tactile cues

* KINESTHETIC IMAGERY IN MOVEMENT/WALKING:  GUIDED LAB

• Sweeping the Clouds
• Pushing a Swing at the Playground
• Standing Near the Edge of a Cliff (White Crane Spreads its Wings)
• Walking on Thin Ice

* ADAPTING THE T’AI CHI BALANCE PROGRAM TO THE PATIENT

* INCORPORATING T’AI CHI IN THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE PLAN

* DOCUMENTATION & CODING FOR MAXIMUM REIMBURSEMENT

• Medicare Parts A & B
• Other insurance plans

* REVIEW & DISCUSSION

What You Will Learn

• Understand how Eastern and Western approaches to balance differ
• Learn postural corrections that have an immediate effect on balance
• Use kinesthetic imagery to improve cognitive, emotional, and physical function
• Demonstrate movement strategies that maintain balance control
• Practice T’ai Chi exercises in sitting and standing that strengthen lower extremity and postural control muscles, increase range of motion, and improve balance

Who Should Attend

• Physical Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Recreation Therapists
• Nurses
• Restorative Team members
• Physicians
• Clinical Managers
• Educators
• Administrators
• Anyone involved in the care of someone who has issues with decreased balance

Course Director

Jon Ruttenberg holds a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy from Boston University, and he is a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist.  He trains patients in T’ai Chi principles while working as a Physical Therapist in a variety of settings, including nursing homes, retirement communities, hospitals, sports medicine clinics, outpatient clinics, and occupational medicine.  Mr. Ruttenberg teaches therapists and other health care professionals how to design Tai Chi balance programs during full-day courses throughout the U.S., and in seminars sponsored by various health care facilities and by ADVANCE Magazine.  He owns Oak Tree PT, a private practice specializing in orthopedics, balance, and ergonomic assessment and consulting for various industries.  Mr. Ruttenberg speaks with experience, energy, and enthusiasm for one of the most practical and exciting seminars you will attend this year.