The Knee: A Hands-On Approach with Anna Maria Mazzieri

This is a hybrid course run over 3 separate dates. There are two Zoom sessions, one either side of the in-person workshop. The Zooms are best attended live HOWEVER they will be recorded.

If you cannot make the pre-course theory session on Thu 5 Sep, you will be able to review the recordings before the hands-on day on Sat 14 Sep, and there will be a short recap on the theory at the start of the workshop.

If you cannot make the post-workshop consolidation session on Thu 3 Oct, you will be able to submit any reflections or questions you have to us by email, ahead of the date, and we will do our best to respond to them during the session, so that you can review them when you receive the recording.

Course overview

A current evidence informed approach on the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of knee pain for any Massage, Sports, and Soft Tissue Therapist wishing to update their knowledge.

Course outline

Designed to update any practicing manual therapist’s skills and knowledge, this hybrid course explores what a modern hands-on approach for knee pain looks like in Massage and Soft Tissue Therapy clinics.

Over the course of the two live online classes and one full 1-day practical workshop we will learn about the biopsychosocial (BPS) model of pain and look, in detail, at current concepts around knee joint assessment, hands-on treatment, and exercise-based rehabilitation that reflect the enormous paradigm shift taking place in the field of manual therapy, where evidence is showing that a pathoanatomical view and approach to pain is not as useful as we thought it to be.

Course format

Two live online classes

• Thursday 5 September 2024, 20.00 – 21.30
• Thursday 3 October 2024, 20.00 – 21.30

1-day practical workshop

• Saturday 14 September 2024, 10.00 – 17.30

The online sessions serve two purposes:

One BEFORE the in-person day, which will provide the underpinning knowledge base of current understanding of knee pain, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation. It will be fully interactive to facilitate learning that will be implemented when we come together for a full day, in-person, hands-on workshop, fully dedicated to practical application.

One AFTER the practical workshop, intended as a consolidation of the course content in the context of your own clinical experience in applying your learning in the 1-2 weeks following the course. This will be a valuable opportunity for you to ask questions you would not have thought of during the first two parts of the course, and to present your own case studies for advice and guidance from your own cohort and teacher.

Course content over the 3 sessions will include:

• An introduction to pain science in relation to knee pain
• Understanding knee pain within a BPS framework, including common causes of pain and injury of the knee
• An exploration of different knee-specific tests and their reliability
• A step-by-step approach to assessing the knee joint and recognising when to refer
• Soft tissue approaches for knee treatment, including Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
• Mobilisation and manual therapy techniques to improve knee range of motion (ROM)
• Evidence informed rehabilitation protocols for knee pain, including progression and regression baselines
• Opportunity to discuss real life cases that you have encountered in clinic

Who is this course for?

This course is designed especially for Massage, Sport, and Soft Tissue Therapists who want to update their knowledge to help people with their knee joint pain, whether it is following an acute injury or connected to a condition like osteoarthritis.

Meet your tutor

Able to claim any of the professional titles she has earned through her studies, Anna Maria identifies as a Soft Tissue Therapist as she feels it best represents the wider approach to care provided by a Modern Massage Therapist.

Through her clinics, schools and wider involvement in the industry Anna Maria is driving a change in Massage and Soft Tissue Therapy by pushing for better understanding and inclusion of EBP in vocational qualifications and championing the role of Touch and Manual Therapy as part of modern healthcare.

She co-founded the Massage Matters podcast to help Massage and Manual Therapists of all levels to better understand, celebrate and apply a more evidence informed, holistic and modern approach to client care.

Widely recognised as an expert in her field, Anna Maria is part of ForceNet, an international group of researchers, academics and clinicians tasked with bridging the knowledge gap between research findings and clinical practice.

Very much committed to clinical practice still, she draws from that 20yr+ knowledge, to translate theory and research into clinically useful strategies.

Known for her Italian flair, Anna Maria's delivery is fun, expressive and passionate, facilitating interaction and discussion of ideas while providing a solid focus on what that knowledge may look like when in front of the client.