Myofascial Trigger Point Acupuncture

Acupuncture and myofascial trigger point needling: what's the difference?
History and physical exam findings, indications for needling of myofascial trigger points
Safety, side-effects, contraindications, cautions, patient education and informed consent
Ways to develop skills in myofascial trigger point needling
East-West anatomy and physiology of myofascial trigger points
Locating and needling myofascial trigger points in the following muscles:
- Arm Taiyang Jing-Jin: The superficial posterior tract
  - Triceps brachii
  - Infraspinatus & teres minor
  - Levator scapula
- Leg Taiyang Jing-Jin: The superficial posterior tract (continued)
  - Trapezius
  - Erector spinae
  - Hamstrings
  - Gastrocnemius, soleus and Achilles tendon
- Shaoyang Jing-Jin: The superficial lateral tract
  - Supraspinatus
  - Quadratus lumborum
  - Gluteus medius and minimus
  - Tensor fascia lata and IT band
- Yangming Jing-Jin: The superficial anterior tract
  - Lateral pterygoids
  - Iliopsoas
  - Quadriceps
- 3 Yin Jing-Jin: The medial and central tracts
  - Pectoralis minor
  - Subscapularis

Report-Writing for Managed Care: HMO, Personal Injury, Work Comp

Medical report-writing skills are vital for treatment authorization requests and reimbursement for HMO, Personal Injury and Workers Compensation cases. Review and apply best practices for the particular requirements of managed care, including:

Initial and follow-up evaluations: setting treatment goals, present outcomes, and making recommendations for future care to support reimbursement and treatment authorization/re-authorization requests
Comparison of electronic health records systems for managed care reporting
Using standardized functional capacity questionnaires to measure subjective assessments of progress
Pain scales: how to use them accurately and reliably
Specific requirements of the California Workers Compensation system: initial and progress reports (PR2s)
Documentation and reporting of objective measurements of functional capacities and other key baselines, including:
- Findings from observation and inspection
- Joint range-of-motion, tracking and stability
- Muscle strength
- Sensory function
- Tenderness
- Limb girth and skin lesions
- Orthopedic and neurologic assessments
- Special tests and physical examinations for other body systems
- Non-quantifiable assessments of functional capacity
Class notes include sample initial functional capacity evaluations and re-evaluation reports for managed care.
Live class features instructor-lead peer review/feedback regarding student reports.

Please note: For Certification in Acupuncture Orthopedics, either the live class (8 hours/CEUs/PDAs), or the distance-learning class (5 hours CEUs/PDAs) + one live 3-hour clinical case mentorship meeting focused on medical documentation (no CEUs/PDAs) is required.

Building Your AOM Practice

Workshop Topics:

Key metrics to track for business development.
Insurance billing basics, and whether to join–or quit–managed care networks
Practice and risk management essentials
Customer service: keys to success!
Building a thriving practice through cultivating medical referrals
Why and how to avoid social media marketing--you can do it, using no-cost and efficient marketing strategies!
The golden parachute: planning and selling your practice for maximum value

Who should take this class:

AOM students planning their future practice
Recently-licensed acupuncturists
Those transitioning to a new practice model or location
Those re-entering the profession
Anyone who wants support in starting and building a safe, sustainable and satisfying practice!

Participants receive:

A “starter kit” of sample spreadsheets, clinic operating procedures, and marketing and educational materials
On-going access to class notes and discussion forums

This class builds on the topics covered 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in Starting Your AOM Practice: securing locations and rental/employment agreement terms that work for you and your patients; business planning essentials (financing, fee-setting, and appointment schedules) and more. Take both classes for -10% off each!

Complex and Chronic Pain: Class Notes & E-book

This content is restricted to buyers of Complex and Chronic Pain Conditions – Class Notes & E-book.

Calf, Ankle, Foot: Class Notes & E-book

This content is restricted to buyers of:

Class Notes & E-book Library

Alphabetized & Searcheable

Class	Notes/E-books
Acupuncture Orthopedics Essentials I: Fundamentals	View Notes/E-book
Acupuncture Orthopedics Essentials II: Physical Exam, Diagnosis, and Treatment Principles	View Notes/E-book
Acupuncture Orthopedics Essentials III: Myofascial Trigger Point and Joint Stabilization/Mobilization Needling	View Notes/E-book
Acupuncture Treatment of the Jing-Jin (“Sinew Meridians”): Introduction	View Notes/E-book
Acupuncture Treatment of the Shaoyang Jing-Jin (“Sinew Meridian”): the Lateral Tract	View Notes/E-book
Acupuncture Treatment of the Taiyang Jing-Jin (“Sinew Meridian”): the Posterior Tract	View Notes/E-book
Acupuncture Treatment of the Yangming Jing-Jin (“Sinew Meridian”): the Anterior Tract	View Notes/E-book
Acupuncture Treatment of the 3 Yin Jing-Jin (“Sinew Meridians”): the Medial and Axial Tracts	View Notes/E-book
Advanced Cupping for Orthopedic Conditions	View Notes/E-book
Building Your AOM Practice	View Notes/E-book
Calf, Ankle, Foot	View Notes/E-book
Clinical Applications of AOM Research	View Notes/E-book
Complex and Chronic Pain	View Notes/E-book
Electroacupuncture for Orthopedic Conditions	View Notes/E-book
Exercise Therapy for Acupuncturists	View Notes/E-book
Head, Neck, Thorax	View Notes/E-book
Hip, Thigh, Knee	View Notes/E-book
Low Back, Core and Pelvic Girdle	View Notes/E-book
Medical Documentation: Essential Best Practices	View Notes/E-book
Myofascial Gua Sha for Orthopedic Conditions	View Notes/E-book
Overview of Acupuncture Orthopedics: Road Maps to Clinical Success	View Notes/E-book
Professional Ethics and Risk Management	View Notes/E-book
Report-Writing for Managed Care: HMO, Personal Injury & Workers Compensation	View Notes/E-book
Shoulder, Arm, Hand	View Notes/E-book
Starting Your AOM Practice	View Notes/E-book

Calf, Ankle & Foot — Review and Practicum Lab

Mon July 29, 2024, 9:00-6:00 p.m. at 1600 Broadway, Oakland CA

8 NCCAOM PDAs approved; CAB CEUs Category 1 available on request received prior to June 29, 2024

Course Content

Practice, apply, re-inforce and expand upon physical examination and treatment techniques taught in the associated didactic module.
Labs focus on areas of technical difficulty, and provide an opportunity for presentation, demonstration treatment and discussion of challenging cases.
Note: Practicum/Review Labs are opens only to participants who have completed the prior associated didactic module: Calf, Ankle and Foot.

Calf, Ankle & Foot Physical Exam

Ankle, foot, and toe joint review:
- AROM assessment
- Joint play and end-fee testingl
- Joint stabilization prolo-acupuncture
Calf muscle review: manual strength testing, trigger point needling, gua sha and tui na therapies
- Plantarflexors + invertors
- Plantarflexors + evertors
- Dorsiflexors + invertors
- Dorsiflexors + evertors
Ankle and foot protective and corrective therapies review
- Taping techniques
- Ankle stability and control exercises
- Calf strengthening and stretching

Case presentation/treatment demonstration and discussion

Report Writing for Managed Care: HMO, Personal Injury, & Workers Compensation Class Notes, E-Book and Forms

This content is restricted to buyers of:

Avoiding Lawsuits: Safety & Ethics for Acupuncture Clinics — Class Notes & E-book

This content is restricted to buyers of:

Exercise Therapy for Acupuncturists

"Is there anything I can do on my own to treat this?

"Should I do this exercise my fitness trainer showed me, even though it hurts?"

"I want to get more cardio and lose weight. Should I run, swim, or bike?"

"When can I go back to my gym workout/yoga class/marathon training?"

How often do we hear our patients ask questions like this? Want some better answers?

Easy-to-teach exercises can improve clinical outcomes by actively involving patients in self-care, and can complement AOM modalities. Drawing from qi gong, yoga, Pilates, and other techniques, we will discuss exercises for specific injuries to help patients to:

Reduce stress, muscle tension, pain, anxiety and depression
Accelerate healing and reduce chronicity of sprain/strain injuries
Re-stabilize hypermobile joints, and restore normal joint tracking and biomechanics
Slow and allow for reversal of joint degeneration that leads to osteoarthrosis
Enhance the treatment of muscles, nerves, and other tissues and systems that contribute to chronic pain
Maintain bone density, muscle strength and flexibility, coordination, and balance to reduce the risk of falls and injuries
Support the patient in an active lifestyle and meeting their goals for health, fitness, work, sports and recreation
Improve health of internal organs; the cardiovascular, lymphatic, endocrine & immune systems; mind, mood, & sleep; & overall quality & quantity of life.

Class Topics

When to prescribe--or "un-prescribe" exercises: post-injury/surgery, chronic pain, and health maintenance
How best to co-manage patients with physical therapists and surgical rehabilitation teams
Which exercises can patients safely and effectively perform at home, for what body regions, systems, and injuries
Analyzing common qi gong, yoga, Pilates, gym workouts, etc. for their risks and benefits, from an integrative East-West orthopedic and neurologic perspective
Adapting exercises for specific conditions and patients
How to integrate exercise therapy into the flow of a busy acupuncture clinic
Scope-of-practice, coding, billing and malpractice considerations

And what's good for our patients is good for us--we'll review self-care exercises and ergonomics for acupuncturists!

General considerations in exercise therapy

Review of L.Ac. scope-of-practice issues
Risks and benefits: when to prescribe, un-prescribe, or refer out for co-management
Co-managing with physical therapists: phases, benchmarks and goals of post-injury/surgery rehabilitation
Exercise cautions and contraindications
Differentiating exercise-induced injury vs. therapeutic delayed onset muscle soreness
Prescription essentials: timing, sequence, repetitions, sets, duration, intensity, frequency

Roles of and indications for specific exercise techniques and styles

Functional re-training: activities of daily living, work ergonomics, recreation and sports
Stress reduction: qi gong and breathing exercises
Flexibility: passive and active stretching, static and flow yoga styles
Neurologic re-training and coordination
Strengthening and stabilization exercises
Joint loosening warm-ups, reciprocal inhibition, and abdominal bracing to improve safety and efficacy across all exercise styles
Cardiovascular exercise for general health
Assessing exercise prescription from the viewpoint of jing-jin and zang-fu imbalances

Exercise prescription for specific body regions, injuries and pain

Spinal exercise prescription: upper body
- Cervical stabilization
- Thoracic mobilization
Upper extremity exercise prescription
- Scapular stabilization and shoulder strengthening
- Elbow, forearm and wrist exercise therapy
Spinal exercise prescription: lower body
- Core/lumbar stabilization
Lower extremity exercise prescription
- Hip strengthening and mobilization
- Knee stabilization
- Calf, ankle and foot rehabilitation
Putting it all together: posture, gait and ergonomics

Integrating exercise prescription into an acupuncture clinic

Combining exercise with manual therapy and cupping in the same visit
Tools, supplies, and space considerations
Documentation, coding and billing for therapeutic exercise
Stand-alone exercise classes: insurance, scope of practice and malpractice considerations
Exercise knowledge and skill development for acupuncturists

Coaching patients on health maintenance through exercise

Working with patient’s exercise readiness, compliance, tolerance and goals
Home programs and telemedicine consults
Group classes vs. individualized training
Cardiovascular exercise options and prescription
Recognizing limits and injuries; managing exercise-induced delayed-onset muscle soreness

To get the most out of this class, please wear workout clothes and shoes, and bring the following exercise tools, which you will be able to use later in your clinic. Exercise equipment will not be provided.

One or more pairs of dumbbells in the 2-10 lb. range (a pair of 8-oz soup cans will do)
Resistance tubing/bands of light-moderate gauge; also, squeeze balls, rings
A wobble cushion/disc (e.g. “dynadisc”)
6” diameter rigid foam roller
Yoga/exercise mat + straps or belts

Links are for informational purposes only and do not represent product endorsements. Anthony Von der Muhll does not have any financial relationship with exercise equipment makers or vendors.

Check back for next live class date, or contact us to be notified by email

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

Check back for next live class date, or contact us to be notified by email

Class notes include sample initial functional capacity evaluations and re-evaluation reports for managed care.

Live class features instructor-lead peer review/feedback regarding student reports.

Please note: For Certification in Acupuncture Orthopedics, either the live class (8 hours/CEUs/PDAs), or the distance-learning class (5 hours CEUs/PDAs) + one live 3-hour clinical case mentorship meeting focused on medical documentation (no CEUs/PDAs) is required.

Student Ratings and Comments

View full certification program and register for live and self-paced distance-learning classes.

Check back for next live class date, or contact us to be notified by email

Workshop Topics:

Who should take this class:

Participants receive:

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

Alphabetized & Searcheable

With Instructor Anthony Von der Muhll, L.Ac., DAOM, DNBAO, FAIPM

Course Content

Calf, Ankle & Foot Physical Exam

Case presentation/treatment demonstration and discussion

View full certification program and register for live and self-paced distance-learning classes.

Check back for next live class date, or contact us to be notified by email

"Is there anything I can do on my own to treat this?

"Should I do this exercise my fitness trainer showed me, even though it hurts?"

"I want to get more cardio and lose weight. Should I run, swim, or bike?"

"When can I go back to my gym workout/yoga class/marathon training?"

How often do we hear our patients ask questions like this? Want some better answers?

Easy-to-teach exercises can improve clinical outcomes by actively involving patients in self-care, and can complement AOM modalities. Drawing from qi gong, yoga, Pilates, and other techniques, we will discuss exercises for specific injuries to help patients to:

Class Topics

And what's good for our patients is good for us--we'll review self-care exercises and ergonomics for acupuncturists!

"Very informative and useful course. Thank you!"

General considerations in exercise therapy

Roles of and indications for specific exercise techniques and styles

Integrating exercise prescription into an acupuncture clinic

Coaching patients on health maintenance through exercise

View full certification program and register for live and self-paced distance-learning classes.

To get the most out of this class, please wear workout clothes and shoes, and bring the following exercise tools, which you will be able to use later in your clinic. Exercise equipment will not be provided.