Fascial Manipulation – Stecco Method

About

The Stecco Fascial Manipulation® course, for podiatrists, is a UNIQUE learning opportunity for you and your practice. A chance to:

• Gain theoretical insights and practical skills in working with Deep Muscular Fascia of the low limb.
• Acquire clinical reasoning and diagnostic skills that may help you employ fascial manipulation as a stand alone intervention or, more commonly,  as part of a multimodal intervention approach.
• Learn these from leading fascial manipulation practitioners, drawing on knowledge of some of the leading researchers into all aspects of fascia that informs the course.
• No prior knowledge of working with connective tissues is required in order to attend the course. However, the supplied and advised pre-reading material is regarded as essential for you to gain most out of the course. This material is selected to help you gain insight into  the content taught, so these concepts will not be entirely new to you. 
• The video below introduces some of the underlying premises of Fascial Manipulation and provides insight to the level of thinking you will be working at during the course. We advise you make the time to watch, learn and enjoy. 
• Please Note:  Both levels 1 and 2 courses are richly rewarding, intense, enjoyable, fun and 4 days long. They introduce us to elements of anatomy, physiology, neurology, pathology and additional diagnostic options we have likely not considered before. Each level has an MCQ at the end, which prefers a 60% pass rate (ie 18 out of 30 questions). The MCQ is based upon information in the pre-reading and course theory material.  To that extent it will require a commitment to undertake reading the pre-course material provided or recommended. Overall assessment on the course combines continual assessment of practical work, some group work and MCQ. Attendance is mandatory and signing in for the course will occur.

  Where it is deemed a persons theoretical knowledge and /or practical skills do not meet the desired goal, arrangements can be made to resit an MCQ  (allowing revision period). Practical skills assessment may have to await re-attendance at a further course. These latter matters can be discussed. 

• Post Course Support Group. In order to support you in the development of your new FM skills we have teamed up with the Royal College of Podiatry and created the MSK UK: Fascial Manipulation Special Advisory Group (MSKFM:SAG).  You will be invited to join on successful completion of your Level 1 course.  Hopefully you can draw upon the experience and insights of group members you look to introduce the clinical reasoning and practical components of FM into daily clinical work. 

Practically

You learn a  soft tissue manipulation technique, to encourage chemical changes in the deep muscular fascia and where, specifically, this can be applied from the pelvis to the toes.  The course provides:

•  A detailed approach for  assessing, diagnosing, treating physical contributors of pain experience, or limited function, that may not lie in muscle, tendons, joints direct  but in  associated  connective tissue, the Deep Fascia.
• Throughout the courses detailed attention and instruction is given to safe handling and positioning of patients for each aspect of a given treatment. Similarly, attendees are instructed in safe practice and positioning of themselves in provision of such treatment. It is important to adopt these in clinical practice. 
• Patient benefit can be that positive changes here potentially enables empowerment of  patients towards self management and recovery. Especially if reasons for their struggle to self manage and gain improvement arises from physical reasons for pain or reduced mobility or confidence to move. Psychosocial benefits may also arise. 
• The video below introduces some of the underlying premises of Fascial Manipulation and provides insight to the level of thinking you will be working at on the course. We advise you make the time to watch and enjoy. (Please note, this is from a previous webinar and so it will not be possible for the speaker to respond to questions you may have.) 

Clinical Value

Undertaken within a biopsychosocial framework, Fascial Manipulation:

• May provide long lasting reduction or resolution of connective tissue  contributors behind a persons pain or reduced mobility experience. And subsequently may aid in the process of recovery into improved function. 
• May enable swifter progression to self management via exercise and movement.
• May reduce physical contributors enough to aid improve the psychosocial situation.
• Can aid avoiding the issues of dependency upon the practitioner that might arise when we work with individuals.
• Can reduce tendency for use of language that might lead to catastrophising.

All of which fit well within todays understanding of the biopsychosocial umbrella of working with people

Suitability

This course is suitable for:

• Attendees must be podiatrists. (It is at the discretion of the course organiser if others, such as physiotherapists, might be allowed to attend). 
• HCPC registration is required for UK based podiatrists.
• UK podiatrists must have either a BSc in Podiatry or diploma and 12 months* post qualification experience/education. (*There is discretion in this. That is, an attendee who works in a context where a podiatrist, experienced in FM, can monitor/mentor  them. Please contact Info@infigoeducation.co.uk to discuss it). 
• None RCOP attendees will not be covered by RCOP insurance for the skills taught in the course. You need to ensure either your own, or professional body,  insurance will provide cover if attending. 
• Non-UK podiatrists must be registered with their professional body have either a diploma or degree and 12 months post qualification experience/education. Additionally, you will not be covered by the RCOP insurance.

What is included?

(i) Courses 1, 2 and 4 are a Hybrid of online lectures and attendance at a 2 day practical, likely at Heathrow. Each online level is divided into Basic Science and Clinical Science, with their individual MCQ test. The MCQ will be based upon the knowledge obtained from the online lectures.

The great thing about these online lectures is that you can do them in bite sizes, just allow yourself plenty of time to take the small bites. 

Additionally, the online learning modules provide 12 months access to high quality videos of how to locate the fascial manipulation points, the safe placement of both you and the patient and how to work upon the points.

(ii) An app code of the fascial manipulation points (relevant to each level) is provided to download to your phone or ipad. The code is contained within the printed book you receive on each level of the course.  

(iii) Lunch and refreshments are further provided.  

(iv) If you are a RCPOD member, you will be automatically covered by their professional insurance. 

 All this is included within the course fee. After 12 months, additional access to a further 12 months of the videos of the FM points can be obtained for a small fee, via the Stecco Institute. 

The advised online learning hours, per module, is…….  WE therefore strongly advise  you give plenty of time to the online learning. 

Level 2 attendees will gain a great deal from the same book (page 115 onwards), setting yourselves up nicely for the course. 

(vi) Level 1, 2, and 4 content:

• LEVEL 1: Basic Principles of Fascial manipulation; Physiology of the fascial system; A biomechanical model of myofascial sequences and units employed in assessment and treatment of fascia; Assessment and treatment of fascia in its sagittal, frontal and transverse planes; Comparative identification and assessment of centres of coordination in fascia and their treatment strategies. Successful, post level 1 course attendees, will be able to access, via one year subscription, videos of movement tests treatment points from the Stecco Learning Platform. 
• LEVEL 2:  How to treat patients with multi-segmental issues efficiently as well as those with complex movement patterns or adaptive compensations;  locate and identify Centres of Fusion and Diagonal points within the fascia  to achieve this; treatment demonstration and practice will aid comparative assessment between centres of coordination and centres of fusion; Clinical reasoning and treatment strategies will be emphasised.
• LEVEL 4:   Superficial Fascia. This course moves us into working with superficial fascia tissues and involves the external component and, in our instance, focuses only upon the low limb. 
• CERTIFICATION:   This is a single day and takes place at the Stecco Fascial Manipulation® Institute, In Padova. It is the final
• On all levels, the practical sessions attire for the lower limb is usually sports shorts or sportswear leggings. Please note, jogging bottoms, denim or thick material shorts are not advised. Equally, trousers or skirts are not suitable for the practical sessions.  

Already taken this course? Check out the resources we have available for you.