A few weeks back I had the opportunity to spend a weekend in Guelph learning from renowned Australian physiotherapist and shoulder specialist Lyn Watson (http://www.lynwatsonshoulderphysio.com.au/). Despite having to battle what appears to be one of our last snow-storms on my way to Guelph, the weekend went exactly as planned. We spoke in depth about some common (and not so common) shoulder pathologies, the “Watson approach” to assessing the shoulder, effective ways to treat shoulders that are not responding to typical treatments, as well as surgical measures used in treatment.
Though weekends spent in class can often be dreary, Lyn has a great way of engaging her audience, as well as a wealth of knowledge in the world of shoulder rehabilitation that is unmatched. I couldn’t imagine only treating the shoulder, but her unique practice affords her the opportunity to continuously hone her craft. The shoulder can be a complicated joint to treat, and though terms like “bursitis”, “impingement”, and “rotator cuff syndrome” are often used, the truth is that every shoulder has to be assessed and treated differently, as rarely do they respond to the same type of treatment.
Some aspects of the course were review, while others were novel concepts. We spent a great deal of time learning how to correct aberrant scapular mechanics, and providing appropriate exercise progressions to these individuals. Lyn gave us options for patients that previously seemed destined for surgery, as well helping us to better predict the patient that requires a surgical consult.
I want to thank Lyn for the opportunity to learn from her. Her knowledge has already come in handy for my practice. For any physiotherapists out there, I certainly recommend attending Lyn’s course the next time she’s in town and for anyone that is suffering from shoulder problems, come see one of the exceptionally trained physiotherapists at South Simcoe Physiotherapy!